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Minimal pairs · æ · ʌ

cat or cut

The wide smiling a of cat against the short dark u of cut — two vowels most languages fold into one.

Press play, then tap the word you heard.

🍎 How to teach the mouth

Cat is said with a smile so wide it almost hurts; cut drops the jaw with no smile at all. Exaggerate both for a week — the middle ground comes later by itself.