Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme, demonstrating that the differing sounds represent distinct phonemes in a language. They show that substituting one phoneme for another changes the word's meaning. Examples of English minimal pairs include wet/yet, kill/gill, and park/bark. Minimal sets contain more than two words that differ by just one phoneme. Both minimal pairs and sets are used to identify individual phonemes in a language's phonological system.

2. What is minimal pairs?
 In phonology, minimal pairs are pairs
of words or phrases in a
particular language, which differ in only
one phonological element, such as
a phone, phoneme, and have distinct
meanings. They are used to
demonstrate that two phones constitute
two separate phonemes in the
language.

3.  Deference between two otherwise
identical strings of sound and this
difference result in a change of
meaning.
 ex:
wet:yet to:do
kill:gill park:bark
might:night lot:rot
Sue:zoo fairy:very

5. Phoneme in minimal pairs
 If we substitute one segment for another
and this result in a change in meaning
the two segments belong to two
difference phonemes
 Thus (k) and (m) are realization of two
difference phonemes (k) and (m)
because substituting one for the other
as first element of the string (aet) gives
two difference words . (cat) and (mat)

6.  Example:
 pig:big (p is opposed to b)
- /p/ is opposed to /t/ as in (pea:tea)
- /p/ is opposed to /j/ as in (peep:jeep)
- /p/ is opposed to /d/ as in (Pig:dig)
- peep:cheap
- Peat:feet
- Port:thought
- pea:we
- rip:ring

7. Minimal set
 A set of distinct words in a language
which differ in only one or a limited
number of phonological elements. If
there are two words in the set, it is a
minimal pair. A minimal set is used to
demonstrate that the phonological
element under consideration is
phonemic—that is, that it has contrastive
function in determining meaning.