Minimal Pair /æ/ and /ʌ/
Below is a list of words that vary only by one having the sound /æ/ and the other the sound /ʌ/.
You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.
Elementary
bat but
batter butter
cap cup
cat cut
match much
Pre-Intermediate
bad bud
began begun
drank drunk
fan fun
hat hut
ran run
sang sung
swam swum
Intermediate
ankle uncle
back buck
badge budge
bag bug
ban bun
bank bunk
banker bunker
brash brush
cam come
crash crush
dabble double
dad dud
ham hum
hang hung
mad mud
massed must
pan pun
rang rung
rash rush
sack suck
sax sucks
stand stunned
track truck
Upper-Intermediate
bang bung
cab cub
cram crumb
dam dumb
damp dump
dram drum
fanned fund
flash flush
gnat nut
hag hug
paddle puddle
pack puck
pat putt
rag rug
sand sunned
sank sunk
scam scum
slam slum
slang slung
stack stuck
stank stunk
tang tongue
tag tug
tramps trumps
wan won
Advanced
blabber blubber
champ chump
dab dub
dank dunk
flank flunk
flax flux
gash gush
glam glum
grab grub
hanker hunker
hash hush
hatch hutch
jag jug
lag lug
mat mutt
pap pup
patter putter
rabble rubble
ram rum
sally sully
sap sup
sapper supper
scram scrum
shacks shucks
slag slug
slash slush
slat slut
stab stub
tab tub
tack tuck
tat tut
thrash thrush