Minimal Pair List Consonants /b/ versus /d/: 446 pairs
There are no spelling problems, since the spelling of /b/ is always either <b> or <bb>, and /d/ is either <d> or <dd> apart from the one case of <dh> in dhow . There is a silent <b> in doubt . Notice that the homographs abuse and bow turn up making two different contrasts. I have removed, with regret, some pairs found by the computer where the contrast occurs twice or in complementary positions, such as bauble/dawdle , bestirred/disturb , bawd/daub and bubbly/Dudley .
The contrast is between two voiced plosives, fairly well apart in the mouth. There might be a small problem when the contrast is word-final using an unreleased allophone, but I have not heard of it being a problem even for Dutch and German speakers who tend not to voice final stops. The distinction could be neutralised by assimilation. If these was such a term as "lobe-bearing", it would readily become a homophone of "load-bearing". Some rhyming pairs from this set have become familiar phrases, such as "brain drain" and "Boris and Doris".
There is a slight potential for embarrassment with the pair boob/booed .
Interesting pairs include
aberration adoration
Basil dazzle
beacon deacon
blurb blurred
boner donor
briar drier
buckling duckling
cube queued
herbal hurdle
treadle treble
The mean density value is 3%. The list makes 239 semantic distinctions, a loading of 54%.
Abe aid aberration adoration aboard adored abreast addressed abuse adduce abuses adduces abuse adieux arbour ardour arbours ardours audit orbit audited orbited auditing orbiting audits orbits awed orb B D B's D's babble dabble babbles dabbles babbling dabbling babbled dabbled babbler dabbler babblers dabblers babe bayed babe bade backer Dakar bail dale bailey daily baileys dailies bail dale bails dales bait date baited dated baiting dating baits dates baize days bale dale bales dales balking Dorking bally dally ban Dan bandy dandy bandies dandies bane Dane bangle dangle bangles dangles bank dank banker danker barb bard barbs bards barb baa'd bare dare bared dared bares dares baring daring bark dark barker darker barn darn barns darns base dace bash dash bashes dashes bashing dashing Basil dazzle bate date bated dated bating dating bates dates bay day bays days be D beacon deacon beacons deacons beam deem beamed deemed beaming deeming beams deems bean dean beans deans been dean beau do beaux does beauty duty beauties duties beautiful dutiful beauteous duteous beck deck becks decks bed dead bedpan deadpan bee D bees D's beep deep beeps deeps beer dear beers dears beer deer beery dearie belay delay belayed delayed belaying delaying belays delays bell dell bells dells belle dell belles dells belly Delhi belt dealt ben den bens dens benison denizen benisons denizens Benny Denny bent dent bents dents berth dearth berths dearths Bertie dirty beside decide besides decides better debtor betters debtors bevel devil bevelled devilled bevelling devilling bevels devils bey day beys days bib bid bibbing bidding bibs bids bicker dicker bickered dickered bickering dickering bickers dickers bidder dibber bidders dibbers bide died bier dear biers dears bier deer big dig bigger digger bike dike biked diked bikes dikes biking diking bin din bins dins bind dined bine dine bines dines birth dearth births dearths bitch ditch bitched ditched bitches ditches bitching ditching blabber bladder blabbers bladders blurb blurred boar daw boars daws boar door boars doors boast dosed boat dote boated doted boating doting boats dotes bobby body bobbies bodies bobbin dobbin bobbins dobbins bog dog bogged dogged bogging dogging bogs dogs boggy doggie bold doled bole dole boles doles bolt dolt bolts dolts bond donned boner donor boners donors Bonn Don boo do boos do's booing doing boob booed boom doom boomed doomed booming dooming booms dooms boor dour booze do's bore daw bores daws bore door bores doors Boris Doris boss doss bossed dossed bosses dosses bossing dossing bottle dottle bottles dottles bough dhow boughs dhows bound downed bourbon Durban Bourne Dawn bout doubt bouts doubts bow dhow bows dhows bow doe bows does bowel dowel bowels dowels bower dower bowers dowers bowl dole bowling doling bowled doled bowls doles bows doze box docks brae dray braes drays brag drag bragged dragged bragging dragging brags drags brain drain brained drained braining draining brains drains brake drake brakes drakes brat drat brats drats brawl drawl brawled drawled brawling drawling brawls drawls brawn drawn bread dread bred dread breast dressed brew drew briar drier briars driers bribe bride bribes brides bride dried brill drill brink drink brinks drinks brogue drogue brogues drogues Bros dross brown drown browned drowned browning drowning browns drowns brows drowse browse drowse browsed drowsed browses drowses browsing drowsing BSc DSc bubble double bubbled doubled bubbles doubles bubbling doubling bubbly doubly buck duck bucked ducked bucking ducking bucks ducks Buckie ducky buckling duckling bud dub buds dubs buffer duffer buffers duffers bug dug bugs dugs bum dumb bump dump bumped dumped bumping dumping bumps dumps bumper dumper bumpers dumpers bumpy dumpy bumpier dumpier bumpiest dumpiest bun done bun dun buns duns bunk dunk bunked dunked bunking dunking bunks dunks burke dirk burkes dirks burst durst bused dost bused dust bust dost bust dust busted dusted busting dusting busts dusts busy dizzy busied dizzied busying dizzying busier dizzier busies dizzies busiest dizziest busily dizzily buster duster busters dusters bust-up dust-up bust-ups dust-ups buy Di buy die buys dies buying dying by Di by die buyer dire buyer dyer buyers dyers buzz does cab cad cabby caddie cabbies caddies cob cod cobs cods cobble coddle cobbled coddled cobbles coddles cobbling coddling cub cud cube queued curb curd curbs curds dab dad dabs dads deb dead describe descried dibble diddle dibbled diddled dibbles diddles dibbling diddling dub dud dubs duds ebb Ed fab fad Feb Fed gab gad garb guard garbing guarding garbs guards globe glowed gob god gobs gods grebe greed harbour harder herb heard herb herd herbs herds herbal hurdle hob hod hobs hods knob nod knobs nods knobble noddle knobbles noddles lab lad labs lads label ladle labelled ladled labels ladles Libya Lydia lobe load lobes loads lobe lode lobes lodes lobs Lodz MB MD mob Mod mobs Mods ob odd outbid outdid overbid overdid pebble pedal pebbles pedals pleb pled rebound redound rebounded redounded rebounding redounding rebounds redounds rib rid ribbing ridding ribs rids robe road robes roads rob rod robs rods rubber rudder rubbers rudders rubble ruddle ruby Rudy sob sod sobbing sodding sobs sods squab squad squabs squads squib squid squibs squids stub stud stubs studs stubbing studding stubbly Studley stubby study subs suds Toby toady treadle treble treadled trebled treadles trebles treadling trebling tribe tried web wed webbing wedding wobble waddle wobbled waddled wobbles waddles wobbling waddling
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