Abstract
This study aims toexamines minimal pairs inEgbira, a Niger-Congo language spoken in central Nigeria, and compare them with English to identify phonemic contrasts and their implications for second-language acquisition. Employing Contrastive Analysis Theory (CAT) and Structuralism Theory, the research examines how phonemes distinguish meaning and predict pronunciation challenges for Egbira-English bilinguals. A qualitative descriptive design was used, with purposive sampling to collect a set of minimal pairs (6 vowel-based, 6 consonant-based) from native Egbira speakers in Shafan-Kwotto through observation in communal settings. Data was analyzed using the CV model and presented in tables. Findings reveal Egbira’s rich vowel and consonant contrasts, including contrastive diphthongs and nasal consonants/vowels, enabling nuanced lexical distinctions, particularly in word-initial and final positions, compared with English’s different distribution of vowel and consonant contrasts. These differences suggest Egbira speakers may face difficulty with English interdental fricatives and lexical stress, potentially substituting familiar sounds. The study underscores the need for targeted phonetics instruction to reduce L1 interference.
Keywords: Egbira, minimal pairs, phonology, Contrastive Analysis Theory, Structuralism
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i02.016
author/Mustapha, M., Musa, A. A., & Chidubem, N. P.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(2) | November 2025 |
