Minimal Pair List Vowels 4 and 8, /æ/ versus / ʊ / 58 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 4 and 8, /æ/ versus / ʊ / 58 pairs

The /æ/ vowel is spelled <a> followed by two consonants or by one consonant in a monosyllable. The normal spelling of the / ʊ / vowel is <oo> or <u> but there is also <ou> in should .

The sounds are both short but are well separated in the mouth and so should not cause problems for learners.

Interesting pairs include:

lacquer looker
palette pullet

The mean density is 0.9%. The set makes 28 sematic contrasts giving a semantic loading of 48%.

baccy bookie
back book
  backed booked
  backing booking
  backings bookings
  backs books
bally bully
bash bush
  bashes bushes
bract brooked
cad could
camel kummel
carrier courier
  carriers couriers
crack crook  
  cracked crooked
  cracking crooking
  cracks crooks
fat foot
  fats foots
  fatted footed
fatter footer
gad good
  gads goods
hack hook
  hacked hooked
  hacking hooking
  hacks hooks
had hood
knack nook
  knacks nooks
lack look
  lacked looked
  lacking looking
  lacks looks
lacquer looker
  lacquers lookers
pad pud
padding pudding
pal pull
  pals pulls
palette pullet
  palettes pullets
palled pulled
  palling pulling
pally pulley
pat put
  pats puts
  patting putting
patch putsch
  patches putsches
rack rook
  racked rooked
  racking rooking
  racks rooks
shack shook
shad should
tack took