Minimal Pair List Vowels 6 and 13, / ɒ / versus / eɪ / 231 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 6 and 13, / ɒ / versus / eɪ / 231 pairs

The /ɒ/ vowel is usually spelled <o> but we also find <a> in yacht and wad and unusually <oCe> in scone . The / eɪ / diphthong is normally spelled <aCe>, but we also find <ai> and <ay> and the letter name A .

This contrast is between a short vowel and a diphthong, well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for any learners.

The only mildly taboo word pair is cock/cake .

Interesting pairs include:

bother bather
copy kepi
fond feigned
knocker nacre
modern maiden
office aphis
trotter traitor

The density value is 2.98%. The pairs make 122 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 52.8%.

bob babe
  bobs babes 
bobby baby
  bobbies babies 
Bonn bane
boss base 
  bossed based 
  bosses basses 
  bossing basing 
bother bather 
  bothers bathers 
box bakes 
bronze brains 
Bros brace
cobber caber 
  cobbers cabers 
cobble cable 
  cobbled cabled 
  cobbles cables 
  cobbling cabling 
cock cake 
  cocked caked 
  cocking caking 
  cocks cakes 
col kail
common caiman 
  commons caimans 
con cane
  conned caned 
  conning caning 
  cons canes 
cop cape 
  cops capes 
copy kepi
  copies kepis
copper caper 
  coppered capered 
  coppering capering 
  coppers capers 
cos case 
cot Kate 
cottar cater 
  cottars caters 
crock crake 
  crocks crakes 
crop crêpe	
  crops crêpes
doggo dago 
doll dale 
  dolls dales 
dolly daily
  dollies dailies 
don Dane 
  dons Danes
don deign  
  donned deigned 
  donning deigning 
  dons deigns
donnish Danish 
doss dace 
dot date 
  dots dates 
  dotted dated 
  dotting dating 
drop drape 
  dropped draped 
  dropping draping 
  drops drapes 
flock flake 
  flocked flaked 
  flocking flaking 
  flocks flakes 
fond feigned 
font faint 
  fonts faints 
fosse face 
  fosses faces 
fox fakes 
from frame 
gobble gable 
  gobbled gabled 
  gobbles gables 
  gobbling gabling
golly gaily 
gone gain 
got gait 
grot grate 
  grots grates 
hock hake 
hollow halo 
  hollows haloes 
hot hate 
  hots hates 
  hotted hated 
  hotting hating 
hovering Havering 
John Jane 
Johnny Janie 
knocker nacre
loch lake 
  lochs lakes 
lock lake
  locks lakes  
loss lace 
  losses laces 
  lost laced 
lot late 
mock make 
  mocking making 
  mocks makes 
mocker maker 
  mockers makers 
mock-up make-up
  mock-ups make-ups 
Mod made
modern maiden 
  moderns maidens 
Mods maids
moll mail 
  molls mails 
moss mace 
  mosses maces 
nod neighed 
Nov knave
novel naval 
novel navel
  novels navels 
nozzle nasal 
  nozzles nasals 
ob Abe 
Oct ached
odd aid 
  odds aids 
office aphis 
op ape 
opt aped 
ox aches 
oz A's 
plod played 
plot plate 
  plots plates 
  plotted plated 
pod paid 
polish palish 
poll pail 
  polls pails 
pond pained 
poppa paper
  poppas papers 
popper paper
  poppers papers  
pot pate 
  pots pates 
prod prayed 
rock rake 
  rocked raked 
  rocking raking 
  rocks rakes 
rod raid
  rods raids 
Ron rain
Ronnie rainy
rot rate 
  rots rates 
  rotted rated 
  rotting rating 
scone skein
  scones skeins
Scot skate
  Scots skates
shock shake 
  shocking shaking 
  shocks shakes 
shocker shaker 
  shockers shakers 
shod shade 
shoddy shady 
  shoddier shadier 
  shoddiest shadiest 
shop shape 
  shopped shaped 
  shopping shaping 
  shops shapes 
slot slate 
  slots slates 
  slotted slated 
  slotting slating 
Soc sake
softie safety 
Sol Sale 
sophist safest 
sot sate
  sots sates 
spot spate 
  spots spates 
stock stake 
  stocked staked 
  stocking staking 
  stocks stakes 
stodge stage 
  stodgy stagy 
swan swain 
  swans swains 
Tom Thame 
top tape 
  topped taped 
  topping taping 
  tops tapes 
topper taper 
  toppers tapers 
tossed taste 
trod trade 
trot trait 
  trots traits 
trotter traitor 
  trotters traitors 
vol vale 
  vols vales 
wad wade
  wadded waded
  wadding wading
  wads wades 		  
wallah haler
  wallahs whalers
wan Wayne 
wand waned
was ways
watt wait  
  watts waits
wrath wraith 
yacht Yate