Minimal pairs: /f/, /v/ and /w/

Ex. 1 Look at the following words containing the voiceless consonant /f/ and find their counterparts containing the voiced consonant /v/.

a. fail, fan, fast, fat, fault, fee, feign, fender, ferry, file, fine

Are these words minimal pairs?

b. laugh - love, phase - vase, feast - vast, fake - vague, cough - cove, often - oven

Ex. 2 Look at the following words containing the voiced consonant /v/ and find their counterparts containing the semivowel /w/.

vain, vary, veg, veil, vent, verse, vest, vet, via, vie, vile, vine, viva, volley, vow

KEY
Ex. 1 a. veil, van, vast, vat, vault, V (vee), vain/vane/vein, vendor, very, vile, vine
b. None of these is a minimal pair - there is more than difference between the words.

Ex. 2 wane, wary, wedge, wail, went, worse, west, wet, wire, why, while, wine, weaver, Wally, wow