Minimal Pair List Vowels 6 and 9, / ɒ / versus /u/ 150 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 6 and 9, / ɒ / versus /u/ 150 pairs

The /ɒ/ vowel is usually spelled <o> but we also find <au> in Aussie and <a> after <w> in wad . The /u/ vowel is normally spelled <oo>, but we also find <u> in truly , <ui> in juice , <ew> in clewed or <ou> in wound .

This contrast is between a short and a long vowel, both rounded but well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for any particular set of learners.

The only taboo word pair is con/coon .

Interesting pairs include:

hover Hoover
locker lucre
roster rooster
trolley truly

The density value is 3.16%. The pairs make 75 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 50%.

Aussie oozy
  Aussies oozes
bob boob
  bobbed boobed
  bobbing boobing
  bobs boobs
bobby booby
  bobbies boobies
boggy boogie
bomb boom
  bombed boomed
  bombing booming
  bombs booms
Bonn boon
bossed boost
bottle Bootle
Bros Bruce
choler cooler
  cholers coolers
clod clewed 
cod cooed
col cool
  cols cools
collie coolie
  collies coolies
con coon
  cons coons
cop coop
  copped cooped
  copping cooping 
  cops coops 
copper Cupar 
copper cooper
  coppers coopers 
Copt cooped
cot coot 
  cots coots 
crop croup
  crops croups
drop droop 
  dropped drooped 
  dropping drooping 
  drops droops 
flock fluke
  flocks flukes
from Frome 
hod who'd
hollers hulas
hop hoop 
  hopped hooped 
  hopping hooping 
  hops hoops 
hot hoot 
  hots hoots 
  hotted hooted 
  hotting hooting 
hotter hooter 
hover Hoover 
  hovered Hoovered 
  hovering Hoovering 
  hovers Hoovers 
John June
joss juice
  josses juices
jot jute
jolly Julie
loch Luke 
lock Luke
locker lucre
lop loop 
  lopped looped 
  lopping looping 
  lops loops 
loss loose 
  losses looses 
  lost loosed 
lot loot 
  lots loots 
Mod mood
  Mods moods
moss moose 
  mosses mooses 
noddle noodle 
  noddles noodles
overshot overshoot 
oz ooze 
poll pool
  polls pools
pop poop 
  pops poops 
  popped pooped
  popping pooping
prod prude
  prods prudes
Prof proof
rhomb rheum 
rhomb room
  rhombs rooms
rod rood
  rods roods
Ron rune
roster rooster 
  rosters roosters 
rot root 
  rots roots 
  rotted rooted 
  rotting rooting 
Scot scoot
  Scots scoots
shod shooed
shot chute 
  shotts chutes
shot shoot
  shots shoots
slop sloop 
  slops sloops 
snotty snooty 
  snottier snootier 
  snottiest snootiest 
sop soup
  sopped souped
  sopping souping
  sops soups
sot suit
  sots suits
stodge stooge
stop stoop 
  stopped stooped 
  stopping stooping 
  stops stoops 
swan swoon
  swanned swooned
  swanning swooning
  swans swoons
swap swoop
  swapped swooped
  swapping swooping
  swaps swoops
Tom tomb
tot toot
  tots toots 
  totted tooted 
  totting tooting 
trod trued
trolley truly
undershot undershoot 
wad wooed
wand wound
  wands wounds
was woos