Vowel 2, /I/, and consonants, 978 pairs.


   Minimal pair: Vowel, /I/, and consonants, 978 pairs.

It could be argued that none of the pairs below are minimal, since they differ in syllable structure. Vowel /I/ is common as prefix and suffix, which means that it can make an apparent contrast with any consonant which can cluster in such positions, e.g. elide/glide or classy/clasp.

It can also contrast with a syllabic consonant, and there are many pairs with /l/ such as catty/cattle, and with /n/ such as passes/parsons. There are a few cases in which a CVC structure is contrasted with a triple consonant cluster, such as serene/screen and monitor/monster.

The largest groups are the pairs contrasting /I/ with /t/, /d/, /s/, and /z/, nearly all accounted for by pairing a –y ending with plural or past tense.

 
 
      /p/, 33 pairs
      
      Ali alp
      Alice alps
      alley alp
      chummy chump
      clammy clamp
      classy clasp
      dewy dupe
      dummy dump
      Elaine plain
      Elaine plane
      elate plate
      elates plates
      erase praise
      erase prays
      erase preys
      erased praised
      gammy gamp
      grassy grasp
      gullet gulped
      gully gulp
      hooey hoop
      hooey whoop
      illume plume
      illumed plumed
      illumes plumes
      Lewes loops
      Lewis loops
      Louis loop
      lumme lump
      rummy rump
      slummy slump
      suet souped
      tammy tamp
      
      
      /b/, 13 pairs
      
      Ali alb
      alley alb
        alleys albs
      elude blued
      erase braes
      erase braise
        erased braised
      erase brays
      illume bloom
        illumed bloomed
        illumes blooms
        illuming blooming
      Joey Job
      
      
      /t/, 144 pairs
      
      anise ants
      Annie ant
      baccy backed
      basis bastes
      beefy beefed
      belly belt
      Benny bent
      Bernie burnt
      Bessie best
      bookie booked
      bossy bossed
      branchy branched
      Buckie bucked
      bulky bulked
      bumpy bumped
      canny cant
      chalky chalked
      chancy chanced
      cheeky cheeked
      chirpy chirped
      choppy chopped
      classy classed
      cocky cocked
      coffee coughed
      Connie cont
      cookie cooked
      cooky cooked
      coppice Copts
      copy copped
      copy Copt
      cranky cranked
      creaky creaked
      dais dates
      Delhi dealt
      Denis dents
      Dennis dents
      Denny dent
      dressy dressed
      ducky ducked
      ducky duct
      dumpy dumped
      earthy earthed
      erase trays
      Farsi fast
      Fawley fault
      flaky flaked
      flashy flashed
      fleecy fleeced
      floppy flopped
      fluffy fluffed
      flunkey flunked
      Forli fault
      foxy foxed
      freaky freaked
      frothy frothed
      funky funked
      fussy fussed
      gassy gassed
      glassy glassed
      glossy glossed
      goofy goofed
      grassy grassed
      greasy greased
      happy happed
      harpy harped
      hockey hocked
      honey hunt
      hooey hoot
      hooky hooked
      Horley halt
      horny haunt
      huffy huffed
      husky husked
      Jackie jacked
      jenny gent
      Jenny gent
      jerky jerked
      Jessie jest
      jumpy jumped
      Kenny Kent
      kopje copped
      kopje Copt
      lackey lacked
      lacy laced
      leafy leafed
      leaky leaked
      Lenny leant
      Lenny lent
      Lewis loots
      Lewis lutes
      loopy looped
      Louis loot
      Louis lute
      Lucy loosed
      lumpy lumped
      many meant
      massy massed
      messy messed
      Morley malt
      mucky mucked
      nappy knapped
      nappy napped
      Nelly knelt
      parky parked
      patchy patched
      peaky peaked
      peaky peeked
      peaky piqued
      Percy pursed
      perky perked
      plucky plucked
      poppy popped
      puffy puffed
      pulpy pulped
      pursy pursed
      racy raced
      recce wrecked
      rocky rocked
      rookie rooked
      runny runt
      rushy rushed
      sappy sapped
      saucy sauced
      scampi scamped
      scrappy scrapped
      scratchy scratched
      sexy sexed
      sketchy sketched
      sloppy slopped
      smelly smelt
      snaky snaked
      snappy snapped
      sneaky sneaked
      soppy sopped
      sorely salt
      squashy squashed
      squeaky squeaked
      sulky sulked
      swampy swamped
      swanky swanked
      Venice vents
      washy washed
      waxy waxed
      Yankee yanked
      
      
      /d/, 118 pairs
      
      Annie and
      any end
      army armed
      assembly assembled
      baggy bagged
      Batley battled
      belly belled
      Benny bend
      Bernie burned
      bobby bobbed
      boggy bogged
      bonny bond
      booby boobed
      boozy boozed
      breezy breezed
      bubbly bubbled
      Buckley buckled
      budgie budged
      buggy bugged
      canny canned
      chummy chummed
      clammy clammed
      cloggy clogged
      Connie conned
      coolie cooled
      corny corned
      Crawley crawled
      creamy creamed
      crumbly crumbled
      curly curled
      easy eased
      edgy edged
      equally equalled
      Ernie earned
      fanny fanned
      foggy fogged
      funny fund
      gluey glued
      granny grand
      groovy grooved
      grubby grubbed
      gully gulled
      gummy gummed
      gunny gunned
      Hagley haggled
      Harvey halved
      hooey who'd
      Horley hauled
      horny horned
      Hughie hewed
      Hughie hued
      humbly humbled
      jaggy jagged
      jazzy jazzed
      jelly gelled
      jemmy gemmed
      jenny genned
      Kenny kenned
      Kirkby curbed
      knobbly nobbled
      Lenny lend
      lobby lobbed
      lolly lolled
      many mend
      moony mooned
      Morley mauled
      motley mottled
      movie moved
      muggy mugged
      nervy nerved
      Netley nettled
      oozy oozed
      pally palled
      palmy palmed
      parsley parcelled
      pearly pearled
      pearly purled
      Peggy pegged
      penny penned
      phooey food
      plummy plumbed
      pulley pulled
      rankly rankled
      roomy roomed
      roughly ruffled
      ruinous rudeness
      salami salaamed
      scraggy scragged
      screwy screwed
      scrubby scrubbed
      seamy seamed
      seamy seemed
      shaggy shagged
      shammy shammed
      slangy slanged
      slummy slummed
      smelly smelled
      smudgy smudged
      smugly smuggled
      snugly snuggled
      sonny sunned
      spongy sponged
      squally squalled
      steamy steamed
      steely steeled
      stele steeled
      stormy stormed
      straggly straggled
      stubby stubbed
      sunny sunned
      tourney turned
      tunny tonned
      unequally unequalled
      Warley walled
      weeny weaned
      wheezy wheezed
      wobbly wobbled
      wormy wormed
      
      
      /k/, 15 pairs
      
      dewy duke
      elapse claps
      Ellie elk
      elude clewed
      erase craze
        erased crazed
      hussy husk
      Louis Luke
      mossy mosque
      mullet mulct
        mullets mulcts
      serene screen
      sully sulk
      tally talc
      tangy tank
      
      
      
      /g/, 8 pairs
      
      elide glide
        elides glides
      elude glued
      erase graze
        erased grazed
      erase greys
      illume gloom
        illumes glooms
      
      
      /tS/, 13 pairs
      
      belly belch
      Benny bench
      blarney blanch
      bunny bunch
      Connie conch
      gully gulch
      honey hunch
      hooey hooch
      horny haunch
      money munch
      mullet mulched
      punnet punched
      rennet wrenched
      
      
      /dZ/, 2 pairs
      
      Hughie huge
      screwy Scrooge
      
      
      /f/, 17 pairs
      
      Ali Alf
      alley Alf
      Delhi delf
      elapse flaps
      elect flecked
      Ellie elf
      erase frays
      erase phrase
        erased phrased
      golly golf
      gooey goof
      gully gulf
      hooey hoof
      illume flume
        illumes flumes
      rally Ralph
      woolly wolf
      
      
      /v/, 7 pairs
      
      clayey clave
      Delhi delve
      sally salve
        sallied salved
        sallies salves
      solid solved
      woolies wolves
      
      
      /Z/, 1 pair
      
      Louis luge
      
      
      /s/, 161 pairs
      
      ante ants
      arty arts
      auntie aunts
      baccy backs
      batty bats
      beefy beefs
      Betty bets
      bookie books
      booty boots
      Buckie bucks
      bulky bulks
      bumpy bumps
      carroty carats
      carroty carrots
      catty cats
      chalky chalks
      chatty chats
      cheeky cheeks
      chirpy chirps
      choppy chops
      chunky chunks
      cocky cocks
      cocky cox
      coffee coughs
      Connie Cons
      cookie cooks
      copy cops
      copy copse
      crafty crafts
      cranky cranks
      creaky creaks
      creaky creeks
      creepy creeps
      Denny dense
      dewy deuce
      dotty dots
      draughty drafts
      draughty draughts
      ducky ducks
      dumpy dumps
      earthy earths
      eightpenny eightpence
      eighty eights
      Elaine slain
      elate slate
      Ellie else
      elude slewed
      enough snuff
      fatty fats
      faulty faults
      Fawley false
      flaky flakes
      floppy flops
      fluffy fluffs
      flunkey flunks
      forty forts
      freaky freaks
      frothy froths
      fruity fruits
      frumpy frumps
      funky funks
      gawky gawks
      gooey goose
      goofy goofs
      Gorky gawks
      grotty grots
      Haiti hates
      hanky hanks
      happy haps
      harpy harps
      hearty harts
      hearty hearts
      hockey hocks
      hooky hooks
      huffy huffs
      inapt snapped
      Jackie jacks
      jaunty jaunts
      jerky jerks
      jetty jets
      jumpy jumps
      junkie junks
      junky junks
      Kelty Celts
      kepi capes
      knotty knots
      kopje cops
      kopje copse
      lackey lacks
      lackey lax
      leafy leafs
      leaky leaks
      leaky leeks
      lengthy lengths
      lofty lofts
      loopy loops
      Louis loose
      lucky luxe
      lumpy lumps
      maggoty maggots
      matey mates
      meaty meats
      meaty meets
      meaty metes
      monarchy monarchs
      monitor monster
      monitors monsters
      monkey monks
      mucky mucks
      nappy knaps
      nappy naps
      natty gnats
      naughty naughts
      naughty noughts
      nutty nuts
      parky parks
      party parts
      patty pats
      Patty pats
      peaky peaks
      peaky peeks
      peaky pekes
      peaky piques
      penny pence
      perky perks
      petty pets
      plucky plucks
      poppy pops
      potty pots
      puffy puffs
      pulpy pulps
      puppy pups
      puttee putts
      putty putts
      ratty rats
      recce Rex
      recce wrecks
      rocky rocks
      rocky rocs
      rookie rooks
      shaky shakes
      shaky sheikhs
      shaky sheiks
      shirty shirts
      tacky tacks
      tacky tax
      talkie talks
      talkie torques
      tatty tats
      tenet tensed
      threepenny threepence
      toffee toffs
      toughie toughs
      treaty treats
      tuppenny tuppence
      turkey Turks
      Warley waltz
      warranty warrants
      weighty waits
      weighty weights
      Yankee yanks
      
      
      /z/, 264 pairs
      
      Amy aims
      any N's
      army alms
      army arms
      assembly assembles
      baby babes
      baggy bags
      bailey bails
      bailey bales
      bandy bands
      barony barons
      bastardy bastards
      Batley battles
      bawdy bawds
      bawdy boards
      beady beads
      belly belles
      belly bells
      Benny bens
      Bernie burns
      bloody bloods
      bobby bobs
      boggy bogs
      booby boobs
      brainy brains
      brandy brands
      broody broods
      bubbly bubbles
      Buckley buckles
      buddy buds
      buggy bugs
      bully bulls
      bunny buns
      cabby cabs
      caddie cads
      caddy cads
      canny cans
      centrally centrals
      Charlie Charles
      chummy chums
      clammy clams
      cloggy clogs
      collie cols
      commercially commercials
      Connie cons
      coolie cools
      corny corns
      craggy crags
      Crawley crawls
      creamy creams
      crumbly crumbles
      cuddly cuddles
      curly curls
      curtly kirtles
      custody custards
      daddy dads
      daily dales
      Debbie debs
      Delhi dells
      demagogy demagogues
      Denny dens
      dewy dues
      doggy dogs
      dolly dolls
      doubly doubles
      dreamy dreams
      early earls
      Ellie L's
      Ely eels
      equally equals
      Ernie earns
      Ernie urns
      faddy fads
      fanny fans
      Fawley falls
      felony felons
      ferny ferns
      foggy fogs
      fondly fondles
      fuggy fugs
      gaily Gaels
      gaily gales
      galley gals
      gamy games
      gaudy gauds
      generally generals
      genie genes
      genie jeans
      Germany Germans
      gloomy glooms
      gluey glues
      gluttony gluttons
      goody goods
      gravy graves
      greyly grails
      groovy grooves
      grubby grubs
      gully gulls
      gummy gums
      gunny guns
      gutturally gutturals
      Hagley haggles
      handy hands
      Harvey halves
      heady heads
      hobby hobs
      honey Huns
      hooey who's
      hooey whose
      Horley halls
      Horley hauls
      horny horns
      hubby hubs
      Hughie hews
      Hughie hues
      humbly humbles
      jaggy jags
      Jeanie genes
      Jeanie jeans
      jelly gels
      jelly jells
      jemmy gems
      jenny gens
      Julie joules
      jungly jungles
      Kenny kens
      Kirkby curbs
      Kirkby kerbs
      knobbly nobbles
      laddie lads
      leggy legs
      Lenny lens
      lobby lobs
      lolly lolls
      loony loons
      Louis loos
      Louis lose
      Maggie mags
      Mamie maims
      mealie meals
      meany means
      meany miens
      medley medals
      medley meddles
      Molly molls
      moody moods
      moony moons
      morally morals
      Morley mauls
      motley mottles
      movie moves
      muddy muds
      muggy mugs
      mummy mums
      nationally nationals
      naturally naturals
      navy knaves
      navy naves
      needy kneads
      needy needs
      nervy nerves
      Netley nettles
      orally orals
      paddy pads
      Paddy pads
      paeony paeans
      paeony peons
      pally pals
      palmy palms
      parsley parcels
      pearly pearls
      pearly purls
      pebbly pebbles
      Peggy pegs
      penny pens
      Penny pens
      peony paeans
      peony peons
      plaguy plagues
      plummy plumbs
      plummy plums
      Polly polls
      poly polls
      pommy poms
      portly portals
      possibly possibles
      probably probables
      professionally professionals
      pulley pulls
      rainy rains
      rainy reigns
      rainy reins
      randy rands
      rankly rankles
      ready reds
      reedy reads
      reedy reeds
      roomy rooms
      roughly ruffles
      Rudy roods
      runny runs
      sadly saddles
      salami salaams
      sandy sands
      scabby scabs
      scaly scales
      scraggy scrags
      screwy screws
      scrubby scrubs
      seamy seams
      seamy seems
      seedy cedes
      seedy seeds
      shady shades
      shaggy shags
      shammy shams
      slangy slangs
      slavey slaves
      slummy slums
      smelly smells
      smugly smuggles
      snugly snuggles
      sonny sons
      sonny suns
      speedy speeds
      squally squalls
      steamy steams
      steely steals
      steely steels
      steeply steeples
      stele steals
      stele steels
      stormy storms
      straggly straggles
      stubby stubs
      study studs
      sunny sons
      sunny suns
      tabby tabs
      tangy tangs
      teddy Teds
      teeny teens
      telly tells
      thorny thorns
      tourney terns
      tourney turns
      trendy trends
      tubby tubs
      tunny tons
      tunny tuns
      volley vols
      wadi wads
      Warley walls
      wavy waives
      wavy waves
      weedy weeds
      weeny weans
      Wendy wends
      wobbly wobbles
      woody woods
      woolly wools
      wooly wools
      wordy words
      wormy worms
      
      
      /T/, 3 pairs
      
      eighty eighth
      money month
      tennis tenths
      
      
      /m/, 4 pairs
      
      Ellie elm
      gluey gloom
      hooey whom
      Louis loom
      
      
      /n/, 63 pairs
      
      ashy ashen
      batted battened
      batty batten
      Bertie burton
      butted buttoned
      corded cordoned
      corses coarsens
      courses coarsens
      covey coven
      coveys covens
      coxes coxswains
      curly Koln
      cushy cushion
      dewy dune
      earthy earthen
      farces fastens
      Farsi fasten
      fatted fattened
      fatty fatten
      gaudy Gordon
      gooey goon
      guarded gardened
      hardy harden
      haughty Houghton
      hearted heartened
      hearty hearten
      heavy heaven
      Hughie hewn
      levee leaven
      levee Leven
      levees leavens
      levied leavened
      levies leavens
      levy leaven
      levy Leven
      looses loosens
      Louis loon
      lucid loosened
      Lucy loosen
      Maddy madden
      marshes Martians
      marshy Martian
      passes parsons
      patted patterned
      patties pattens
      patties patterns
      patty patten
      patty pattern
      Percy person
      purses persons
      pursy person
      rashes rations
      readies reddens
      ready redden
      saxes Saxons
      seizes seasons
      shorted shortened
      smarted smartened
      sweetie sweeten
      sweeties sweetens
      toughie toughen
      toughies toughens
      woody wooden
      
      
      /l/, 111 pairs
      
      added addled
      axes axles
      batted battled
      batty battle
      beady beadle
      bevies bevels
      bevy bevel
      boggy boggle
      booty Bootle
      Buckie buckle
      buses bustles
      bushes bushels
      bushy bushel
      candies candles
      candy candle
      catty cattle
      chances chancels
      chancy chancel
      chatty chattel
      cocky cockle
      codded coddled
      Corby corbel
      dandy dandle
        dandies dandles
      dotty dottle
      druid drooled
      eases easels
      easy easel
      fjord flawed
      fjord floored
      fosses fossils
      funny funnel
      girded girdled
      gooey ghoul
      gooey Goole
      gunny gunwale
      handed handled
      handy handle
      herded hurdled
      hobbies hobbles
      hobby hobble
      hooey who'll
      hussies hustles
      hussy hustle
      josses jostles
      journey journal
      journeys journals
      Kenny kennel
      kneaded needled
      mammies mammals
      mammy mammal
      marshes marshals
      marshy marshal
      marshy martial
      monarchies monocles
      monarchy monocle
      mucky muckle
      muddied muddled
      muddies muddles
      muddy muddle
      musses muscles
      musses mussels
      muzzy muzzle
      needed needled
      needy needle
      nesses nestles
      netted nettled
      oozes ouzels
      oozy ouzel
      padded paddled
      paddies paddles
      paddy paddle
      passes parcels
      pasties pastels
      pasty pastel
      peruses perusals
      petted petaled
      petty petal
      Phoebe feeble
      phooey fool
      pommies pommels
      pommy pommel
      ratted rattled
      ratty rattle
      rooted rootled
      routed rootled
      rubies roubles
      ruby rouble
      ruddy ruddle
      runny runnel
      sanded sandalled
      sandy sandal
      started startled
      stubby stubble
      tacky tackle
      tatted tattled
      tatty tattle
      teases teasels
      toddies toddles
      toddy toddle
      tooted tootled
      tresses trestles
      tunnies tunnels
      tunny tunnel
      wadded waddled
      wadi waddle
      wadis waddles
      weeded wheedled
      weedy wheedle
      wheezes weasels
      wheezy weasel
      
      
      
      /r/, 2 pairs
      
      fjord fraud
      fjords frauds
      
      

May