Consonant /b/ versus null: 995 pairs
A number of these pairs arise from the contrast between the –able suffix and the
–al suffixes, such as admirable/admiral and removable/removal. There are several
doubtful cases where the presence or absence of a syllabic consonant affects the
syllable count and the decision about whether the pair is minimal. Thus
sociable/social is not on the list but sociably/socially is.
The pair subaltern/sultan shows up in the lists, but subaltern is clearly three syllables
while sultan is two. Similarly fabled are clearly two syllables, while failed is
usually analyzed as a monosyllable. The same applies to stablemate/stalemate,
though the difference is less striking. There is also a problem when the /b/
comes between a diphthong and a vowel leaving a triphthong when the /b/ is
omitted, as in labor/layer.
The bass homograph yields the two pairs bass/ace and bass/ass, and the baas
homograph gives the pairs baas/arse and baas/ares.
The pair BBC/EEC is not quite
minimal but is close enough to be retained in the list. I have discarded all
other cases where two /b/ consonants have been contrasted with nulls, as in
bible/aisle.
Other interesting pairs include:
audibly orderly
Baptist aptest
barmen amen
bedded eddied
bitterly Italy
bodices odysseys
bowmen omen
The list makes 563 semantic contrasts, a loading of 56%.
Abe A
Abe aye
Abe eh
abjure adjure
abjured adjured
abjures adjures
abjuring adjuring
abjuration adjuration
abjurations adjurations
ablaze allays
able ail
able ale
abrade arrayed
abreast arrest
abrogate arrogate
abrogated arrogated
abrogates arrogates
abrogating arrogating
absent ascent
absents ascents
absent assent
absented assented
absenting assenting
absents assents
admirable admiral
alb Al
album alum
Ashby ashy
audibly orderly
B E
B's E's
B's ease
baa ah
baa are
baas ares
baa R
baas R's
baas arse
backed act
backs axe
bad ad
bad add
bade ad
bade add
baggy Aggie
bah ah
bah are
bah R
bail ail
bailed ailed
bailing ailing
bailment ailment
bailments ailments
bails ails
bail ale
bails ales
bait eight
baits eights
baize A's
bake ache
baked ached
bakes aches
baking aching
baker acre
bakers acres
balder alder
bale ail
baled ailed
bales ails
baling ailing
bale ale
bales ales
balk auk
balks auks
ball all
ball awl
balls awls
bally Ali
bally alley
balm arm
balmy army
ban an
ban Anne
band and
bandy Andy
bangle angle
bangles angles
Bangor anger
banker anchor
bankers anchors
banned and
banner anna
banners annas
bant ant
bants ants
Baptist aptest
bar ah
bar are
bars ares
bar R
bars R's
bare air
bared aired
bares airs
baring airing
bare Ayr
bare e'er
bare ere
bare heir
bares heirs
bark arc
barks arcs
bark ark
barks arks
barm arm
barmen amen
barmy army
barque arc
barques arcs
barque ark
barques arks
barrow arrow
barrows arrows
Bart art
base ace
bases aces
bash ash
bashes ashes
bask ask
basked asked
basking asking
basks asks
bass ace
basses aces
bass ass
bat at
bate eight
bates eights
batter attar
bawd awed
bawl all
bawl awl
bawls awls
bay A
bays A's
bay aye
bay eh
bayed aid
BBC EEC
BC EC
be E
beach each
beagle eagle
beagles eagles
beak eke
beaks ekes
bean e'en
bear air
bearing airing
bearings airings
bears airs
bear Ayr
bear e'er
bear ere
bear heir
bears heirs
beast east
beat eat
beaten eaten
beater eater
beaters eaters
beating eating
beats eats
beau O
beaux O's
beau oh
beau owe
beaux owes
beaver Eva
Beccles Eccles
becks X
bed ed
bedded eddied
bee E
beech each
been e'en
beer ear
beers ears
beery eerie
beerier eerier
beeriest eeriest
bees ease
bees E's
beet eat
beets eats
beeves eaves
beeves eves
beg egg
begged egged
begging egging
begs eggs
belated elated
belied elide
bell L
bells L's
belle L
belles L's
belly Ellie
ben N
bens N's
bend end
bended ended
bending ending
bends ends
Benny any
berg erg
bergs ergs
Bern earn
Bern urn
Bernie Ernie
berth earth
berthed earthed
berthing earthing
berths earths
Bess S
bet ate
beta eater
betas eaters
bethel Ethel
bey A
beys A's
bey aye
bey eh
bicycle icicle
bicycles icicles
bid id
bide eyed
bide I'd
bides ides
bier ear
biers ears
biff if
bile aisle
bile I'll
bile isle
bilk ilk
bill ill
bills ills
bin in
bins ins
bin inn
bins inns
bird erred
birth earth
births earths
bit it
bits its
bits it's
bitch itch
bitched itched
bitches itches
bitchier itchier
bitchiest itchiest
bitching itching
bitchy itchy
bitterly Italy
biz is
black lack
blacked lacked
blacking lacking
blacks lacks
blacker lacquer
blacks lax
bladder ladder
bladders ladders
blade lade
blade laid
blah la
Blaina liner
blame lame
blamed lamed
blames lames
blaming laming
bland land
blank lank
blare lair
blares lairs
blared laird
blast last
blasted lasted
blasting lasting
blasts lasts
blatant latent
blaze lays
blaze laze
blazes lazes
blazing lazing
blaze leis
blazed lazed
blazer laser
blazers lasers
bleach leach
bleached leached
bleaches leaches
bleaching leaching
bleach leech
bleaches leeches
bleak leak
bleak leek
bleat lied
bled lead
bled led
bleed lead
bleeding leading
bleeds leads
bleeds Leeds
bleep leap
bleeped leaped
bleeping leaping
bleeps leaps
blend lend
blending lending
blends lends
blent leant
blent lent
bless less
blessed lest
blest lest
blether leather
blethers leathers
blew lieu
blew loo
blight light
blighted lighted
blighting lighting
blights lights
blighter lighter
blighters lighters
blimey limey
blimp limp
blimps limps
blind lined
blink link
blinked linked
blinking linking
blinks links
blinks lynx
blip lip
blips lips
blithe lithe
blizzard lizard
blizzards lizards
bloc loch
blocs lochs
bloc lock
blocs locks
bloc lough
blocs loughs
block loch
blocks lochs
block lock
blocked locked
blocking locking
blocks locks
block lough
blocks loughs
bloom loom
bloomed loomed
blooming looming
blooms looms
blot lot
blots lots
blotto lotto
blow lo
blow low
blowed lowed
blowing lowing
blows lows
blowed load
blowed lode
blower lower
blowers lowers
blown loan
blown lone
blowzy lousy
blue lieu
blue loo
blues loos
blues lose
bluff luff
bluffed luffed
bluffing luffing
bluffs luffs
blush lush
blushes lushes
bluster lustre
Blyth lie
Blyth lye
bo O
bo oh
bo owe
boar awe
boars awes
boar oar
boars oars
boar o'er
boar or
boar ore
boars ores
board awed
boarder order
boarders orders
boast oast
boasts oasts
boat oat
boats oats
bode ode
bodes odes
bode owed
bodices odysseys
boh O
boh oh
boh owe
boil oil
boiled oiled
boiling oiling
boils oils
boiler oiler
boilers oilers
bold old
bolder older
boldest oldest
Bolivia Olivia
bone own
boned owned
boner owner
boners owners
bones owns
boning owning
Bonn on
bonus onus
boos ooze
booze ooze
boozed oozed
boozes oozes
boozier oozier
booziest ooziest
boozing oozing
boozy oozy
border order
bordered ordered
bordering ordering
borders orders
bore awe
bored awed
bores awes
bore oar
bores oars
bore o'er
bore or
bore ore
bores ores
borer aura
borers auras
both oath
bought aught
bought ought
boulder older
bounce ounce
bounces ounces
bout out
bouts outs
bow O
bows O's
bow oh
bow owe
bows owes
bowed owed
bowing owing
bowed ode
bower hour
bowers hours
bower our
bowers ours
bowled old
bowmen omen
box ox
bra rah
brace race
braced raced
braces races
bracing racing
bracket racket
bracketed racketed
bracketing racketing
brackets rackets
bracket racquet
brackets racquets
bract racked
brae ray
braes rays
brae re
braes raise
braes raze
brag rag
bragged ragged
bragging ragging
brags rags
braid raid
braided raided
braiding raiding
braids raids
braid rayed
braille rail
brain rain
brained rained
braining raining
brains rains
brain reign
brained reigned
braining reigning
brains reigns
brain rein
brained reined
braining reining
brains reins
brainy rainy
brainier rainier
brainiest rainiest
braise raise
braised raised
braises raises
braising raising
braise rays
braise raze
braised razed
braises razes
braising razing
brake rake
braked raked
brakes rakes
braking raking
bran ran
branch ranch
branches ranches
brand rand
brands rands
brandy randy
brash rash
brasher rasher
brashest rashest
brat rat
brats rats
brave rave
braved raved
braver raver
braves raves
braving raving
bray ray
brayed rayed
braying raying
brays rays
bray re
brayed raid
brays raise
brays raze
braze raise
brazed raised
brazes raises
brazing raising
braze rase
braze rays
braze raze
brazed razed
brazes razes
brazing razing
brazen raisin
brazens raisins
breach reach
breached reached
breaches reaches
breaching reaching
bread read
bread red
break rake
breaking raking
breaks rakes
bream ream
breast rest
breasted rested
breasting resting
breasts rests
breast wrest
breasted wrested
breasting wresting
breasts wrests
breathe wreathe
breathed wreathed
breathes wreathes
breathes wreaths
breathing wreathing
bred read
bred red
Breda reader
breech reach
breeches reaches
breeches riches
breed read
breeding reading
breeds reads
breed reed
breeds reeds
breeder reader
breeders readers
Bren Rennes
Bren wren
Brens wrens
Brenda render
Brent rent
Brest rest
Brest wrest
breve reeve
breves reeves
brew rue
brewed rued
brewing ruing
brews rues
brewed rood
brewed rude
brews ruse
briar wrier
brick rick
bricked ricked
bricking ricking
bricks ricks
brick wrick
bricked wricked
bricking wricking
bricks wricks
bride ride
brides rides
bride Ryde
bridge ridge
bridged ridged
bridges ridges
bridging ridging
brief reef
briefed reefed
briefer reefer
briefing reefing
briefs reefs
brier wrier
brig rig
brigs rigs
bright Rheydt
bright right
bright rite
bright wright
bright write
brighter writer
brightest rightist
brightly rightly
brightness rightness
brill Rhyl
brill rill
brim rim
brimmed rimmed
brimming rimming
brims rims
brine Rhine
bring ring
bringing ringing
brings rings
bring wring
bringing wringing
brings wrings
brink rink
brinks rinks
brisk risk
brisker Risca
Brit writ
Brits writs
Britain written
Briton written
brittle Writtle
broach roach
broaches roaches
broad roared
brogue rogue
brogues rogues
brooch roach
brooches roaches
brood rood
brood rude
brood rued
broods roods
broody Rudy
brook rook
brooked rooked
brooking rooking
brooks rooks
broom rheum
broom room
brooms rooms
broth wrath
brought wrought
Broughton Wroughton
brow row
browned round
brows rouse
brows rows
browse rouse
browsed roused
browses rouses
browsing rousing
browse rows
Bruges rouge
bruin ruin
bruins ruins
bruise rues
bruise ruse
bruises ruses
bruit root
bruited rooted
bruiting rooting
bruits roots
bruit route
bruited routed
bruiting routing
bruits routes
brunt runt
brunts runts
brush rush
brushed rushed
brushes rushes
brushing rushing
Brussels rustles
brutal rootle
brute root
brutes roots
brute route
brutes routes
bunion onion
bunions onions
bur err
bur ugh
burg erg
burgs ergs
burke irk
burked irked
burkes irks
burking irking
burly early
burlier earlier
burliest earliest
burn earn
burned earned
burning earning
burns earns
burn urn
burns urns
burr err
burrs errs
burr ugh
burs errs
butter utter
buttered uttered
buttering uttering
butters utters
buy aye
buys ayes
buy eye
buying eyeing
buys eyes
buy I
buys I's
buyer ayah
buyers ayahs
buyer ire
buzz us
by aye
by eye
by I
bye aye
byes ayes
bye eye
byes eyes
bye I
byes I's
cable kail
celebrity celerity
clamber clamour
clambered clamoured
clambering clamouring
clambers clamours
cobble col
cobbles cols
cobbler choler
cobblers cholers
cobbler collar
cobblers collars
combination commination
combinations comminations
corbel call
corbels calls
Corby coy
cube cue
cubes cues
cube Q
cubes Q's
cube queue
cubed queued
cubes queues
cubing queueing
cumber comer
cumbers comers
curb cur
curbs curs
curbed curd
dabbed dad
daub daw
daubs daws
daub door
daubs doors
debs Des
Denbigh Denny
deniable denial
describe descry
described descried
describes descries
describing descrying
dibber dear
dibbers dears
dibber deer
dibble dill
double dull
doubled dulled
doubles dulls
doubling dulling
dribble drill
dribbled drilled
dribbles drills
dribbling drilling
dubbed dud
dubs does
ebbed ed
embalm imam
embalms imams
ember Emma
enfeebled infield
fable fail
fabled failed
fables fails
feeble feel
feebler feeler
fibre fire
fibres fires
fibs fizz
foible foil
foibles foils
gabble gal
gabbles gals
gable Gael
gables Gaels
gable gale
gables gales
garbed guard
glebe glee
glebes glees
globe glow
globes glows
herb her
herbs hers
herbal hurl
jabs jazz
Job Joe
jujube juju
jujubes jujus
kerb cur
kerbs curs
labour layer
laboured layered
labouring layering
labours layers
libel lisle
lobe lo
lobe low
lobed lowed
lobes lows
lobed load
lobed lode
Mabel mail
Mabel male
marble marl
Melbourne melon
millboard milord
mobbed mod
nibble nil
no-ball know-all
no-balls know-alls
noble knoll
nobles knolls
numerable numeral
obliteration alliteration
obsess assess
obsessed assessed
obsesses assesses
obsessing assessing
obtain attain
obtained attained
obtaining attaining
obtains attains
orb awe
orbs awes
orb oar
orbs oars
orb o'er
orb or
orb ore
orbs ores
outbid outed
Peebles peals
Peebles peels
probe pro
probes pros
probes prose
quibble quill
quibbles quills
remediable remedial
removable removal
renewable renewal
retrievable retrieval
ribbed rid
robbed rod
robe roe
robes roes
robe row
robed rowed
robes rows
robing rowing
robed road
robed rode
robes rose
rouble rule
roubles rules
rumba rummer
sable sail
sables sails
sable sale
sables sales
sibyl sill
sibyls sills
sobbed sod
sober sewer
sobers sewers
sober sower
sobers sowers
sociably socially
stable stale
stabled staled
stablemate stalemate
stablemates stalemates
stables stales
stabling staling
stubbed stud
subaltern sultan
subalterns sultans
table tail
tabled tailed
tables tails
tabling tailing
table tale
tables tales
tableau tallow
tribe try
tribes tries
unbeaten uneaten
unbending unending
unblock unlock
unblocked unlocked
unblocking unlocking
unblocks unlocks
viable vial
viable viol
vibes vies
warble wall
warbled walled
warbles walls
warbling walling
webbed wed
well-bred well-read
Whitby witty
wobbler wallah
wobblers wallahs
wobbly Wally
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Eriberto Do Nascimento
Eriberto Do Nascimento has Ph.D. in Speech Intelligibility and Artificial Intelligence and is
the founder of English Phonetics Academy