What are the tonal minimal pairs?

Tonal minimal pairs are pairs of Words or phrases that differ in meaning due to a change in tone, typically found in tonal languages. For example, in Mandarin Chinese, the Words "mā" (妈, meaning "mother") and "mǎ" (马, meaning "horse") illustrate tonal minimal pairs, as they have the same phonetic components but different tones. These pairs are crucial for distinguishing meanings in languages where tone plays a significant role in communication. Understanding tonal minimal pairs is essential for proper pronunciation and comprehension in tonal languages.