Minimal Pair List Consonants /f/ versus /l/, 345 pairs
![Minimal pair: Consonants /f/ versus /l/, 345 pairs](/../../img/english-pronunciation-tools/minimal-pairs/minimal-pair-consonants-f-versus-l-345-pairs.png)
The /f/ sound is spelled with <ff> or <gh> as in rough . The /l/ sound is spelled <ng> or <ngue> in tongue .
The contrast is between a voiceless labio-dental fricative and a voiced lateral continuant. It is not a problem.
Taboo word pairs include fuck/luck and fucks/luxe .
Interesting pairs include:
curfew curlew
feather leather
femur lemur
ferment lament
focal local
focused locust
scoffer scholar
sphinx slinks
staffing starling
wafer whaler
The mean density value is 2%. The list makes 188 semantic distinctions, a loading of 54%.
affiance alliance affiances alliances affix Alex biff bill biffing billing biffed billed biffs bills biffed built buffoon balloon buffoons balloons calf Carl chef shell chef shells coffee collie coffees collies coffer choler coffers cholers coffer collar coffers collars coffin Colin coif coil comfy comely comfier comelier comfiest comeliest cough col coughs cols Crieff creel cuff cull cuffs culls cuffed culled cuffing culling cuffed cult curfew curlew curfews curlews deaf dell defeat delete defeated deleted defeating deleting defeats deletes deft dealt doff doll doffing dolling doffed dolled doffs dolls duffer duller effect elect effected elected effecting electing effective elective effects elects F L F's L's F's else fa la fab lab fable label fabled labelled fables labels face lace faced laced faces laces facing lacing fact lacked fad lad fads lads faddy laddie fade lade fading lading fades lades fag lag fagged lagged fagging lagging fags lags fain lain fain lane fair lair fairs lairs fake lake fakes lakes fame lame famed lamed fanned land far la fare lair fares lairs fared laird farmer lama farmers lamas fast last fasted lasted fasting lasting fasts lasts fat lat fate late father lather fathered lathered fathering lathering fatter latter fattest latticed faugh law faugh lore faun lawn fauns lawns fawn lawn fawns lawns fauna Lorna fear leer feared leered fearing leering fears leers feather leather feathers leathers feathery leathery fed lead fee Leigh fee lea fees leas fee lee feed lead feeding leading feeds leads fed led feeder leader feeders leaders feeder Lieder feeds Leeds feet Lied feign lane feigns lanes femur lemur femurs lemurs fen Len fend lend fending lending fends lends fender lender fenders lenders fens lens feoff feel feoff leaf feoffs leafs ferment lament fermented lamented fermenting lamenting ferments laments fern learn ferns learns fester Leicester fetter letter fettered lettered fettering lettering fetters letters feud lewd fever lever fevered levered fevers levers fey lay fez Les fib Lib fie lie fiend leaned fife file fifes files fife life fifth filth fight light fighting lighting fights lights fighter lighter fighters lighters filly lily fillies lilies finch lynch finches lynches find lined fine line fines lines fining lining finer liner finger linger fingered lingered fingering lingering fingers lingers Finn Lynn fin Lynn fire liar fires liars fist list fists lists five live fives lives fizzy Lizzy foam loam foamy loamy foamier loamier foamiest loamiest fob lob fobbed lobbed fobbing lobbing fobs lobs focal local focus locus foci loci focused locust foe low foes lows fog log fogged logged fogging logging fogs logs Foggia loggia folly lolly follies lollies foment lament fomented lamented fomenting lamenting foments laments fop lop fops lops for law for lor for lore fore law fore lor fore lore four law fours laws four lor four lore ford laud forded lauded fording lauding fords lauds fordable laudable ford lord fords lords fording lording forded lorded fosse loss fosses losses fox lochs fuck luck fucks luxe fug lug fugs lugs fussed lust fusty lusty gaff gal Geoff gel gift gilt goof Goole hoof who'll huff hull huffing hulling huffs hulls huffed hulled if ill life lisle lift lilt lifted lilted lifting lilting lifts lilts luff lull luffing lulling luffs lulls luffed lulled muff mull muffin mullein muffins mulleins niff nil pharynx larynx pharynxes larynxes pharyngitis laryngitis phase lays phase laze phased lazed phases lazes phasing lazing phone loan phoned loaned phones loans phoning loaning phooey Louis poof Poole puffs pulse quiff quill quiffs quills reef reel reefing reeling reefed reeled reefs reels rife rile riff rill riffs rills roof rule roofing ruling roofs rules roofed ruled safe sale safer sailor scoffer scholar scoffers scholars scuff scull scuffing sculling scuffs sculls scuffed sculled scuff skull scuffs skulls scurf skirl sheaf she'll sheafed shield sift silt sifted silted sifting silting sifts silts skiff skill skiffs skills soft salt Sophie solely sophist solaced sphinx slinks spoof spool spoofs spools staffing starling stiff still stiffer stiller stiffest stillest stiffness stillness Taffy tally Taffies tallies tiff till tiffs tills unfermented unlamented wafer whaler wafers whalers waif wail waifs wails weft welt wefts welts wharf wall wharfs walls wharfs waltz whiff will whiff wills wife while
October