Minimal Pair List Vowels 6 and 14, / ɒ / versus / aɪ / 190 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 6 and 14, / ɒ / versus / aɪ / 190 pairs

The /ɒ/ vowel is usually spelled <o> but we also find <a> after <w> in wad . The / aɪ / diphthong is normally spelled <iCe>, but we also find <igh> and <ay> and the letter name Y .

This contrast is between a short vowel and a diphthong. The starting position of the tongue in the mouth is fairly close, but it is not a problem for any learners.

Interesting pairs include:

borrowed byroad
crossed Christ
knotty nightie
toddle tidal
upon opine

The density value is 2.62%. The pairs make 97 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 51.1%.

allot alight 
  allots alights 
  allotted alighted 
  allotting alighting 
blonde blind 
  blondes blinds 
blot blight 
  blotted blighted 
  blotting blighting 
  blots blights
blotter blighter 
  blotters blighters 
bodied bided 
bond bind 
  bonding binding 
  bonds binds 
Bonn bine
borrowed byroad
box bikes 
bronze brines 
con kine
conned kind
cot kite
  cots kites
crops cripes 
crossed Christ 
dock dike 
  docked diked 
  docking diking 
  docks dikes 
don dine
  donned dined 
  donning dining 
  dons dines 
doss dice 
  dossed diced 
  dosses dices 
  dossing dicing 
fond find 
fonder finder 
god guide
  gods guides
hock hike 
  hocked hiked 
  hocking hiking 
  hocks hikes 
hod hide 
  hods hides 
Holland Highland 
  Hollander Highlander 
  Hollanders Highlanders 
holly highly 
hot height 
  hots heights 
job gibe 
  jobbed gibed 
  jobbing gibing 
  jobs gibes 
knot knight 
  knots knights 
  knotted knighted 
  knotting knighting 
knotty nightie
loch like 
  lochs likes 
lock like
  locked liked 
  locking liking 
  locks likes
loll lisle 
loss lice 
lot light 
  lots lights 
mocha mica 
mock mike 
  mocks mikes 
moll mile 
  molls miles 
moss mice 
odd I'd 
oddly idly 
odds ides 
of I've 
outshone outshine 
oz I's 
plod plied 
plot plight 
  plots plights 
  plotted plighted 
  plotting plighting 
pock pike 
  pocks pikes 
pod pied 
poll pile 
  polls piles 
pond pined 
pop pipe 
  popped piped 
  popping piping 
  pops pipes 
poppa piper
  poppas pipers 
popper piper
  popper pipers  
prod pride 
  prodded prided 
  prodding priding 
  prods prides 
prom prime 
  proms primes 
rhomb rhyme
  rhombs rhymes
rock Reich 
  rocks Reichs 
Rod Ryde 
rod ride
  rods rides 
Ron Rhine 
rot Rheydt 
rot right
  rots rights 
  rotted righted 
  rotting righting 
rot write
  rotting writing
  rots writes  
rotter writer
  rotters writers
shod shied 
shone shine 
slot sleight 
  slots sleights 
  slotted slighted 
  slotting slighting 
sod side 
  sodded sided 
  sodding siding 
  sods sides 
sot cite
  sots cites 
sot site
  sots sites
sot sight
  sots sights    
spot spite 
  spots spites 
  spotted spited 
  spotting spiting 
strop stripe 
  stropped striped 
  strops stripes 
stroppy stripy 
swan swine
swap swipe
  swapped swiped
  swapping swiping 
  swaps swipes
toddy tidy 
  toddies tidies 
toddle tidal 
Tom thyme 
top type
  topped typed
  topping typing
  tops types
topographical typographical
  topographically typographically
tot tight 
  tots tights 
totter tighter 
trod tried 
trot trite 
upon opine 
vol vile 
wad wide
Wally wily
wan whine
wand whined
  wands winds
wanner whiner
was Y's 
watt Wight 
watt white
  watts whites
whop wipe
  whopping wiping
  whops wipes
  whopped wiped
whopper wiper
  whoppers wipers