What does the term "minimal pairs" refer to?

The term "minimal pairs" specifically refers to pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme while having different meanings. This concept is crucial in phonetics and phonology as it helps to highlight the distinctive features and functions of phonemes in a language. For example, the words "bat" and "pat" represent a minimal pair because they differ only in the initial phoneme /b/ versus /p/, while maintaining the same other phonetic components and differing in meaning.

This distinction is essential for understanding how sounds function in speech and how they can alter meaning. Minimal pairs are often used in linguistics and language teaching to illustrate the contrastive phonemic nature of sounds in a given language.