Minimal Pair List Consonants /z/ versus /ʤ/, 106 pairs


   Minimal pair: Consonants /z/ versus /ʤ/, 106 pairs

The /z/ sound is spelled with <z>, <zz>, <s> or <se>. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled with <j>, <g> or <ge>. A good many pairs arise from contrasting a word ending in -ge with a plural or 3rd-person inflection, which acounts for the relatively high semantic loading.

This is a contrast between a sibilant and an affricate, both voiced and in the same region of the mouth. Some learners may have problems especially when the /ʤ/ sound is final.

The mean density value is 1.2%. The list makes 85 semantic distinctions, a loading of 81%.

arraigns arrange
A's age
assemblies assemblage 
baas barge
backstays backstage 
bandies bandage 
baronies baronage 
bills bilge 
bins binge 
buzz budge 
  buzzed budged 
  buzzes budges 
  buzzing budging 
cabbies cabbage 
carries carriage 
chains change
chars charge 
collies college
curries courage 
dhotis dotage
does doge
doses dosage 
doze doge
  dozes doges 
errs urge
flans flange 
fours forge 
frizz fridge 
  frizzes fridges 
fuzz fudge 
gauze gorge
gays gage 
gaze gage
  gazed gaged 
  gazes gages 
  gazing gaging 
grains grange
hews huge
ill-uses ill-usage 
intermarries intermarriage 
jaws George 
K's cage
leas liege
lees liege
Les ledge
mains mange
marries marriage 
Mars Marge 
maser major
  masers majors 
messes message 
miscarries miscarriage 
Ms midge
overzealous overjealous 
pays page 
peonies peonage
peris peerage 
potties pottage 
presses presage 
purrs purge 
rains range 
raise rage 
  raised raged 
  raises rages 
  raising raging 
rays rage
reason region
  reasons regions
recces wreckage
remarries remarriage 
res Reg 
says sedge
screws Scrooge 
seas siege
sees siege
seize siege
  seizes sieges
sirs serge 
sirs surge
spinneys spinach 
stays stage 
storeys storage 
stories storage
strains strange
Tsar jar
  Tsars jars
tunnies tonnage 
twins twinge 
uses usage 
ways wage 
weighs wage
zany Janie 
zealous jealous 
  zealously jealously 
zee G 
  zees G's 
Zen gen
zest jest 
zip gyp
  zipped gypped 
  zipping gypping 
  zips gyps
Zoe Joey 
zone Joan 
zoo Jew 
  zoos Jews 

.