minimal pairs

[petegray]

> I have never heard a pronunciation of 'asthma' that was not /azm6/; and, of
> course, /z/ is a dental fricative.

To clarify, my pronunciation is /asTmi/.   Unvoiced /s/, unvoiced /T/,
voiced nasal /m/.  /i/ at the end 'cos I'm a kiwi.  Real English has /@/.

The only colleague of mine I can find at the moment, this close to
Christmas, says /asm@/  (unvoiced /s/, no dental fricative).  He comments
"It would be very pretentious to pronounce it /asTma/."   Curses!

Peter