Minimal Pair initial /f/ and /p/
Below is a list of words that vary only by one having the initial sound /f/ and the other the initial sound /p/.
You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.
/p/ is producing by building up the air and pressure behind lips that are squeezed together and then releasing it, similar to making a popping sound. This means that your mouth moves during the production of the sound and that it is impossible to extend the sound after your mouth is open and the air has been released.
/f/ is pronounced with your top teeth touching your bottom lip, and the sound can be extended for as long as you like without moving your mouth just by continuing to blow through the gap between those two parts of your mouth.
Elementary
fast past
foot put
fork pork
Pre-Intermediate
face pace
fan pan
fax packs
fee P
feel peel
feet peat
fig pig
fine pine
fleas please
fool pool
fought port
found pound
from prom
full pull
fun pun
Intermediate
fail pale
fair pair
far Pa
fat pat
felt pelt
fen pen
fence pence
few pew
file pile
fill pill
find pined
firm perm
first pursed
fix picks
flight plight
fly ply
fop pop
free pre
fresher pressure
fries prize
fry pry
paid fade
phase pays
Upper-Intermediate
fad pad
faint paint
fart part
fashion passion
fate pate
fear pier
ferry perry
fin pin
fit pit
flan plan
fold polled
folk poke
fond pond
four pour
fours pause
fray pray
fro pro
froze prose
fund punned
funk punk
fur per
phrase praise
Advanced
faced paste
fang pang
feed peed
fend penned
finch pinch
flack plaque
flank plank
fled pled
flee plea
fleet pleat
flop plop
flume plume
flunk plunk
flush plush
flux plucks
foal poll
foes pose
ford poured
fox pox
frank prank
frig prig
fug pug
furl pearl
fuss pus