Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1993 14:33:53 -0700 From: Rudy Troike Subject: Re: Mail Order / Pin-Pen / LAGS Natalie-- I've certainly done the same thing. and are a minimal pair, aren't they? I also used to confidently give and as near-minimal pairs, until I once had a student from Long Island! It reminds me of the ESL teacher who was once dutifully drilling the : contrast because it was in the book, and then came in to complain to me that the students couldn't hear the difference. When I asked her to pronounce the words, of course she did not have it. For students who are linguistically disadvantaged in this way, it is a great object lesson in th e nature of phonemic contrasts. --Rudy