Minimal Pair List Consonants /b/ versus /ʃ/, 240 pairs


   Minimal pair: Consonants /b/ versus /ʃ/, 240 pairs

The spelling of /b/ is either <p> or <pp>. The spelling of /ʃ/ is usually <sh> but we also see <ch> in chalet and <ci> in social .

The contrast is between a voiced stop and a voiceless fricative, well separated in the mouth. There are no problems for any learners.

There are two taboo word pairs: bag/shag , and bat/shat . .

Interesting pairs include

bacon shaken
bandoleer chandelier
Beccles shekels
billing shilling
bunting shunting
fable facial
harbour harsher
marble marshal
soberly socially

The mean density value is 2.3%. The list makes 135 semantic distinctions, a loading of 56%.

abbey ashy
abbeys ashes
B she
baa shah
  baas shahs
baa'd shard
back shack
  backed shacked
  backing shacking
  backs shacks
bacon shaken
bad shad
bag shag
  bagged shagged
  bagging shagging
  bags shags
baggy shaggy
  baggier shaggier
  baggiest shaggiest
bail shale
bake shake
  bakes shakes
  baking shaking  
baker shaker
  bakers shakers
bale shale
ball shawl
  balls shawls
ballet chalet
  ballets chalets
bandy shandy
  bandies shandies
bandoleer chandelier
  bandoleers chandeliers
bank shank
  banks shanks
bar shah
  bars shahs
bard shard
  bards shards
bare share
  bared shared
  bares shares
  baring sharing
bark shark
  barks sharks
baron Sharon   
barred shard
barren Sharon
bat shat
batter shatter
  battered shattered
  battering shattering
  batters shatters
bawd shored
bayed shade	
bays chaise
be she
beak chic
bear share
  bears shares
  bearing sharing
beard sheared
beat sheet
  beating sheeting
  beats sheets
beau show
  beaux shows
Beccles shekels
bed shed
  bedding shedding
  beds sheds
bee she
beef sheaf
  beeves sheaves
beep sheep
beer shear
  beers shears
beer sheer
beet sheet
  beets sheets
bell shell
  belled shelled
  belling shelling
  bells shells
belle shell
  belles shells
berry sherry
  berries sherries
Bertie shirty
beys chaise
bide shied
bier shear
  biers shears
bier sheer  
biffed shift
billing shilling
bine shine
  bines shines
bin shin
  bins shins
boar shore
  boars shores
board shored
Bob Boche
bode showed
body shoddy
bold shoaled
bolder shoulder
bole shoal
  boles shoals
bone shown
Bonn shone
boo shoe
  boos shoes
  booing shoeing
boo shoo
  booing shooing
  booed shooed
  boos shoos  
book shook
boor sure
boot chute
  boots chutes
boot shoot
  booting shooting
  boots shoots
bore shore
  boring shoring
  bores shores
  bored shored
bought short
boulder shoulder
  boulders shoulders
Bourne Sean
bout shout
  bouts shouts
bower shower
  bowers showers
bow show
  bowing showing  
  bows shows
bowl shoal
  bowling shoaling
  bowled shoaled
  bowls shoals
bowman showman
  bowmen showmen
box shocks
bread shred
brew shrew
  brews shrews
brewed shrewd
brill shrill
brine shrine
  brines shrines
brink shrink
  brinks shrinks
buck shuck
  bucked shucked
  bucking shucking
  bucks Shucks
bun shun
  buns shuns
bunting shunting
burke shirk
  burked shirked
  burkes shirks
  burking shirking
burly Shirley
bury sherry
bush shush
  bushes shushes
but shut
butt shut
  butting shutting
  butts shuts
butter shutter
  buttered shuttered
  buttering shuttering
  butters shutters
buy shy	 
  buys shies
  buying shying
buyer shire
  buyers shires		 
buyer shier  
buys shies		 
by shy
bye shy
  byes shies
byre shire
byre shier
cab cache
cabbies caches
cob cosh
crab crash
  crabbing crashing
  crabbed crashed
dab dash
  dabbing dashing
  dabbed dashed
fable facial
  fables facials
fib fish
  fibbing fishing
  fibbed fished
fibber fisher
  fibbers fishers
flabby flashy
  flabbier flashier
  flabbiest flashiest
  flabbily flashily
gab gash
gob gosh
harbour harsher
hub hush
hubbies hushes
job Josh
knob nosh
lab lash
lubber lusher
marble marshal
  marbled marshalled
  marbles marshals
marble martial
nab gnash
  nabbing gnashing
  nabbed gnashed
rub rush
  rubbing rushing
  rubbed rushed
slab slash
slob slosh
soberly socially
squab squash
stab stash
  stabbing stashing
  stabbed stashed

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