Minimal Pair List Diphthong /əʊ/ versus null, 147 pairs
The /əʊ/ sound is spelled with <o>, <oa>, <eau> or <ow>.
As /əʊ/ is often stressed, there are several cases where removing it makes for a shift of stress, as in flowing/fling . However the majority of pairs arise from words ending in an unstressed /əʊ/, such as beano/bean .
The density is 2.3%. The list makes 103 semantic contrasts, a loading of 71%.
Angola angler bandeau band beano bean beanos beans beano been bellow bell bellows bells bellowed belled bellowing belling billow bill billows bills billowing billing billowed billed bingo Bing blotto blot blowing bling Bordeaux board Bordeaux bored bowling bling bungalow bungle bungalows bungles canto cant chateau shat cheerio cheery coerce curse coerces curses coercing cursing coerced cursed coercive cursive co-op cop co-ops cops co-opt Copt co-opts Copts co-opt copped coyote quoit coyotes quoits Creole creel Creoles creels curio Curie dekko deck disco disc discos discs doggo dog ego egg egos eggs elbow Elbe ergo erg fellow fell fellows fells flowing fling foaling fling furlough furl gallows gals ghetto get grotto grot gusto gust halo hail haloes hails halo hale hero hear heroes hears hero here hippo hip hippos hips hollows hols homo home homos homes hypo hype judo Jude kilo keel kilos keels largos Largs lento lent lido lead lino line lowest list Mayo may medico medic mellowed meld Monaco monarch Noel knell Noel Nell nympho nymph nymphos nymphs oafish fish oboe bow oboes bows okay K okay Kay oleander Leander omened mend ouzo ooze ovoid void owing wing ozone zone panto pant peso pace Pharaoh fair Pharaoh fare pillow pill pillows pills pillowing pilling pillowed pilled playgoer plaguer playgoers plaguers playgoing plaguing poet pit poets pits polo pole presto pressed pseudo sued quarto quart quartos quarts quartos quartz recto wrecked salvo slave salvoes salves sauté stay sautés stays servo serve sewing swing soling sling solo sole solo Seoul solo soul sowing swing stucco stuck tempo temp tiptoe tipped towrope trope tworopes tropes trio tree trios trees trousseau truce verso verse willow will willows wills willowy Willie window wind windows winds winnow win winnows wins winnowing winning yellow yell yellows yells yellowing yelling yellowed yelled
