Minimal Pair List Vowels 13 and 17, / eɪ / versus / aʊ / 187 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 13 and 17, / eɪ / versus / aʊ / 187 pairs

The / eɪ / diphthong is spelled <aCe>, <ai>, <ay> or <ei> in eight , and occurs in the letter names A , H and K . The / aʊ / diphthong is spelled <ou> or <ow>, and <au> in the loan word Frau .

This is a contrast between two diphthongs with different starting positions and direction of movement. It is not a problem for any learners.

Interesting pairs include:

abate about
profaned profound

The density figure is 8.76%. The set makes 96 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 53%.

A ow
abate about
ail owl
  ails owls
allay allow
  allayed allowed
  allaying allowing
  allays allows
arraigned around 
arrays arouse 
ate out
bait bout
  baits bouts
baize boughs
baize bows
bate bout
  bates bouts  
bay bough
  bays boughs
bay bow
  bays bows
  bayed bowed
  baying bowing
bey bough
  beys boughs
bey bow
  beys bows    
blaze blouse
  blazes blouses
brae brow
  braes brows
bray brow
  brays brows
brain brown
  brained browned
  braining browning
  brains browns
brainy brownie
braise browse
  braised browsed
  braises browses
  braising browsing
braise brows
crane crown
  craned crowned
  cranes crowns
  craning crowning
dace douse
Dane down
  Danes downs
date doubt
  dated doubted
  dates doubts
  dating doubting
day dhow
  days dhows
daze dhows
daze dowse
  dazing dowsing
deign down
  deigned downed
  deigning downing
  deigns downs
drain drown
  drained drowned
  draining drowning
  drains drowns
drays drowse
eight out
fail foul
  failed fouled
  failing fouling
  fails fouls
faint fount
  faints founts
feigned found
fray Frau 
gage gouge
  gages gouges
gauge gouge
  gaged gouged
  gauges gouges
  gauging gouging
gain gown
  gained gowned
  gaining gowning
  gains gowns
gait gout
gaol jowl
  gaols jowls
gate gout
grace grouse
  graced groused
  graces grouses
  gracing grousing
grail growl
  grails growls
grained ground
H ouch
hail howl
  hailed howled
  hails howls
  hailing howling
hay how
haze house
  hazed housed
  hazes houses
  hazing housing
K cow
  K's cows 
kail cowl 
lace louse
late lout
latish loutish
layer lour
  layered loured
  layering louring
  layers lours
lazy lousy
  lazier lousier
  laziest lousiest
mace mouse
  maces mouses
maser mouser
  masers mousers
May mow
  Mays mows
nay now
née now
neigh now
pained pound 
pate pout
payer power
  payers powers
play plough
  played ploughed
  playing ploughing
  plays ploughs
playboy ploughboy
  playboys ploughboys
praise prows
pray prow
  prays prows
prayed proud
profaned profound
raid rowed
rained round
reigned round
raise rouse
  raised roused
  raises rouses
  raising rousing
rate rout
  rated routed
  rates routs
  rating routing
ray row
  rays rwos
say sow
scale scowl
  scaled scowled
  scales scowls
  scaling scowling
skate scout 
  skated scouted
  skating scouting
  skates scouts 
seined sound
slay slough
  slays sloughs
  slaying sloughing
  slayed sloughed
sleigh slough
  sleighs sloughs
  sleighing sloughing
  sleighed sloughed
spate spout
  spates spouts
spays spouse
state stout
stately stoutly
strayed Stroud
they thou
trait trout
waned wound
way wow
  ways wows