near-minimal pair

noun

A pair of words differing by a few (but more than one) phonetic segments or suprasegments, used to suggest a proposed phoneme, toneme, or chroneme may be valid.

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Meanings

nounnear-minimal pair (plural near-minimal pairs)

plural near-minimal pairs · alternative near minimal pair

  1. human sciencesA pair of words differing by a few (but more than one) phonetic segments or suprasegments, used to suggest a proposed phoneme, toneme, or chroneme may be valid.
Cite this entry
APA

near-minimal pair. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near-minimal%20pair

MLA

“near-minimal pair.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near-minimal%20pair. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “near-minimal pair,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/near-minimal%20pair.

Source: near-minimal pair on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.