Minimal Pair List Consonants /h/ versus /j/, 84 pairs


   Minimal pair: Consonants /h/ versus /j/, 84 pairs

The /h/ sound is spelled with <h> or <wh> in whose . The /j/ sound is spelled with <y>. Notice how the unstable pronunciation of year allows pairs with her and hear .

This is a contrast between a voiceless glottal fricative and a voiced palatal semivowel, only occurring in syllable-initial position. It is not a problem.

The mean density value is 2.4%. The lists make 50 semantic distinctions, a loading of 60%.

ha yah
hack yak
  hacks yaks
hall yawl
  halls yawls
ham yam
  hams yams
hammer yammer
  hammered yammered
  hammering yammering
  hammers yammers
hank Yank 
  hanks Yanks 
hanky Yankee 
  hankies Yankees 
hap yap
  happed yapped
  happing yapping
  haps yaps
hard yard
harrow yarrow
  harows yarrows
hate Yate 
haul yawl
  hauls yawls
haw yaw
  hawed yawed
  hawing yawing
  haws yaws
haw yore
haw your
hawk York 
hay yea
haze yeas
he ye
healed yield
heeled yield
hear year
  hears years
held yelled
hell yell
  hells yells
help yelp
  helped yelped
  helping yelping
  helps yelps
hen yen
  hens yens
her year
  hers years
Herne yearn
hippie yippee
hoar yore
hoar your
hoax yokes
hob yob
  hobs yobs
Hon yon
Hoo ewe
Hoo U  
Hoo you
horn yawn
  horned yawned
  horning yawning
  horns yawns
hot yacht
  hots yachts
  hotted yachted
  hotting yachting
howl yowl
  howled yowled
  howling yowling
  howls yowls
hung young
hunger younger
hurling yearling
who ewe
who U
who you
whose U's 
whore yaw
  whores yaws
whore yore
whore your

.