Minimal Pair List Consonants /b/ versus /g/: 415 pairs


   Minimal pair: Consonants /b/ versus /g/: 415 pairs

The spelling of /b/ is always either <b> or <bb>. Since the letter <g> is associated with two pronunciations, /g/ before vowels <a>, <o> and <u> or finally, and /ʤ/ before vowels <e> and <i> (though not always), we see spellings <gu> and <gh> in addition to <g> and <gg>. I have excluded a few pairs retrieved by the computer which showed the contrast twice, such as bib/gig or reversed in complementary positions, sich as brag/grab .

The contrast is between two voiced plosives, very far apart in the mouth. I have never heard of it being a problem, though mishearings might occur with unreleased final sounds.

One mildly taboo word pair is bum/gum and the contrast occurs in the rhyming phrase "gang bang" for multiple sexual intercourse.

Interesting pairs include

abbot agate
barrage garage
bristle gristle
bodice goddess
rabid ragged

The mean density value is 5%. The list makes 198 semantic distinctions, a loading of 48%.

abbey Aggie 
abbot agate
  abbots agates
auburn organ
B ghee
baa'd guard
babble gabble
  babbled gabbled
  babbles gabbles
  babbling gabbling
babel gable
  babels gables
Babs bags
Babs gabs
bad gad
bag gag
  bagged gagged
  bagging gagging
  bags gags
bail Gael 
  bails Gaels 
bail gale
  bails gales
Bailey gaily
bait gait
bait gate
  baited gated
  baiting gating
  baits gaits
bald galled
bale Gael
  bales Gaels
bale gale
  bales gales  
balk gawk
  balks gawks
ball gall 
  balling galling
  balls galls
  balling galling
ball Gaul
  balls Gauls 
bally galley
bane gain
baneful gainful
  banefully gainfully
bang gang
  bangs gangs
Bantry gantry
barb garb
  barbed garbed
  barbs garbs	 
barbel garble
  barbels garbles
bard guard
  bards guards
Barnet garnet
barrage garage
  barrages garages
Barry Gary
barter garter
  barters garters
bash gash
  bashing gashing
  bashes gashes
bass gas
bat GATT 
bate gait
bate gate
  bates gates
  bated gated
  bating gating
bawd gaud
  bawds gauds
bawdy gaudy
  bawdier gaudier
  bawdiest gaudiest
  bawdily gaudily
bawl gall
  bawls galls
  bawled galled
  bawling galling
bawl Gaul
  bawls Gauls  
bay gay		 
  bays gays
be ghee
beard geared
bearish garish
beau go
  beaux goes	
bee ghee
beer gear
  beers gears
belled geld
bent Ghent 	 
berth girth
  berths girths
Bertie Gertie
Bess guess
best guessed
best guest
  bests guests
bet get
  bets gets
  betting getting
bey gay
  beys gays
bhang gang
bib big
bide guide
  bided guided
  bides guides
  biding guiding
bier gear
  biers gears
biffed gift
big gig
bile guile
bill gill
  bills gills
billed gild
billed guild
billy gillie
  billies gillies
bird gird
  birds girds
birth girth
  births girths
blade glade
  blades glades
bland gland
blare glare
  blared glared
  blares glares
  blaring glaring
blast glassed
blaze glaze
  blazed glazed
  blazes glazes
  blazing glazing
blew glue
blimps glimpse
blister glister
  blistered glistered
  blistering glistering
  blisters glisters
bloat gloat
  bloated gloated
  bloats gloats
  bloating gloating
bloom gloom
  blooms glooms
blow glow
  blowed glowed
  blowing glowing
  blows glows
blue glue
  blued glued
  blues glues
  bluing gluing
boar gore
  boars gores
boars gauze
boast ghost
  boasted ghosted
  boasting ghosting
  boasts ghosts
boat goat
  boats goats
bob bog
  bobbed bogged
  bobbing bogging
  bobs bogs
bobby boggy
bode goad
  boded goaded
  bodes goads
  boding goading
bodice goddess
  bodices goddesses
bold gold
bole goal
  boles goals
Bonn gone
boo goo
booby boogie
  boobies boogies
boon goon
  boons goons
bore gore
  bored gored
  bores gores
  boring goring
bores gauze
bought ghat
bound gowned
bourbon Bergen 
bout gout
bow go
  bowing going
bowl goal
  bowls goals
bowled gold  
brace grace
  braced graced
  braces graces
  bracing gracing
brae gray
  braes grays
braid grade
  braided graded
  braiding grading
  braids grades
braille grail
brain grain
  brained grained
  brains grains
braise graze
  braised grazed
  braises grazes
  braising grazing
brand grand
brass grass
  brasses grasses
brassy grassy
  brassier grassier
  brassiest grassiest
brave grave
  braves graves
  bravely gravely
  braver graver
  bravest gravest	   
bray grey
  braying graying
  brayed greyed
  brays greys
brays graze  
brayed grade
brazier grazier
  braziers graziers
breed greed
breve grieve
  breves greaves
brew grew
brief grief
  briefs griefs
brill grill
brim grim
bristle gristle
broom groom
  brooms grooms
browned ground
brunt grunt
  brunts grunts
buhl Goole 
build gild
  builds gilds
builder gilder
  builders gilders
building gilding
built gilt	 
built guilt
bum gum
  bummed gummed
  bumming gumming
  bums gums
bunny gunny
bun gun
  buns guns
burble burgle
  burbled burgled
  burbles burgles
  burbling burgling
burgle gurgle
  burgled gurgled
  burgles gurgles
  burgling gurgling
bust gust
  busts gusts
but gut
butt gut
  butted gutted
  butting gutting
  butts guts
butter gutter
  buttered guttered
  buttering guttering
  butters gutters
buy guy 
  buying guying
  buys guise
buys guise
by guy
bye guy
  byes guys
byes guise
cob cog
  cobs cogs
Corby corgi
crab crag
  crabbed cragged
  crabs crags
dibber digger
  dibbers diggers
drab drag
drub drug
  drubbed drugged
  drubbing drugging
  drubs drugs
dub dug
  dubs dugs
ebb egg
  ebbed egged
  ebbing egging
  ebbs eggs
fab fag
fib fig
  fibs figs
fibber figure
  fibbers figures
fob fog
  fobbed fogged
  fobbing fogging
  fobs fogs
gab gag
  gabs gags
gabble gaggle
  gabbles gaggles
garble gargle
  garbled gargled
  garbles gargles
  garbling gargling
gibber jigger
  gibbered jiggered
  gibbers jiggers
gobble goggle
  gobbled goggled
  gobbles goggles
  gobbling goggling
hob hog
  hobs hogs
hub hug
  hubs hugs
jab jag
  jabbed jagged
  jabbing jagging
  jabs jags
jib jig
  jibbed jigged
  jibbing jigging
  jibs jigs
job jog
  jobbed jogged
  jobbing jogging
  jobs jogs
jobber jogger
  jobbers joggers
lab lag
  labs lags
lob log
  lobbed logged
  lobbing logging
  lobs logs
lubber lugger
  lubbers luggers
nab nag
  nabbed nagged
  nabbing nagging
  nabs nags
nibble niggle
  nibbled niggled
  nibbles niggles
  nibbling niggling
pub pug
  pubs pugs
rabid ragged
rib rig
  ribbed rigged
  ribbing rigging
  ribs rigs
robe rogue
  robes rogues
rub rug
  rubs rugs
rubber rugger
shabby shaggy
  shabbier shaggier
  shabbiest shaggiest
  shabbily shaggily
  shabbiness shagginess
shrub shrug
  shrubs shrugs
slab slag
  slabs slags
slob slog
  slobs slogs
slobber slogger
  slobbers sloggers
snob snog
  snobs snogs
snub snug
  snubs snugs
stab stag
  stabs stags
stabber stagger
  stabbers staggers
tab tag
  tabs tags
tub tug
  tubs tugs
upbraid upgrade
  upbraided upgraded
  upbraiding upgrading
  upbraids upgrades

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