Minimal Pair List Vowels 6 and 17, / ɒ / versus / aʊ / 100 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 6 and 17, / ɒ / versus / aʊ / 100 pairs

The / ɒ / vowel is spelled <o>, or <a> after <w> in was and wand . The / aʊ / diphthong is spelled <ow> or <ou>.

This contrast is between a short vowel and a diphthong. The starting position of the tongue in the mouth is fairly close. It has been reported as a problem for Farsi and Vietnamese speakers, but it is not a widespread source of confusion.

Interesting pairs include:

consul council
continence countenance
dotty doughty
fondling foundling

The density value is 4.68%. The pairs make 50 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 50%.

bond bound
  bonded bounded
  bonding bounding
  bonds bounds
bronze browns
clod cloud
  clods clouds
clot clout
  clots clouts
  clotted clouted
  clotting clouting
cod cowed
col cowl
  cols cowls
consul council
  consuls councils
cont count
continence countenance
corrie cowrie
  corries cowries
crotch crouch
  crotches crouches
don down
  donned downed
  donning downing
  dons downs
doss douse
  dossed doused
  dossing dousing
  dosses douses
dosser dowser
  dossers dowsers
dot doubt
  dots doubts
  dotted doubted
  dotting doubting
dotty doughty
folly foully
fond found
fonder founder
fondling foundling
font fount
  fonts founts
frond frowned
frosty frowsty
got gout
holler howler
  hollers howlers
jolly jowly
  jollier jowlier
  jolliest jowliest
knot knout
  knots knouts
loss louse
lot lout
  lots louts
moss mouse
  mosses mouses
mossy mousy
  mossier mousier
  mossiest mousiest
moth mouth
  moths mouths
otter outer
plod ploughed
ponce pounce
  ponces pounces
pond pound
  ponds pounds
ponder pounder
  ponders pounders
pot pout
  potted pouted
  potting pouting
  pots pouts
prod proud
rod rowed
rondel roundel
  rondels roundels
rot rout
  rots routs
  rotted routed
  rotting routing
Scot scout
  Scots scouts
shot shout
  shots shouts
snot snout
spot spout
  spots spouts
  spotted spouted
  spotting spouting
tot tout
  tots touts
  totted touted
  totting touting
trot trout
  trots trouts
wand wound
was wows