Minimal Pair List Vowels 13 and 20, / eɪ / versus / ʊə / 22 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 13 and 20, / eɪ / versus / ʊə / 22 pairs

The / eɪ / diphthong is spelled <aCe>, <ai>, <ay> or <a> in the homograph bass . The / ʊə / diphthong is spelled <our>, <oor> or <ure>.

This is a contrast between two diphthongs. The starting positions are well separated and the direction of movement is different. Confusions are unlikely.

Interesting pairs include:

amaze amours
daily dourly

The density figure is 1.99%. The set makes 13 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 61.9%.

allay allure
  allayed allured
  allays allures
amaze amours   
baize boors
bane bourn
base bourse
  bases bourses
bass bourse
  basses bourses
bay boor
  bays boors
daily dourly	 
lay lure
  lays lures
made moored
maid moored
may moor
Mays moors		 
pay poor
spay spoor
  spays spoors