Minimal Pair List Consonants /s/ versus /n/, 496 pairs
The /s/ sound is spelled with <s>, <ss>, <ce>, <ps> in pseud or <sw> in sword . The /n/ sound is spelled with <n>, <nnm> or <gn> in gnaw . Notice how the homographs bass makes pairs with bane and ban , sow with know and now , and the pair contest/content appears in the list twice since both words are homographs. Sometimes the contrast arises when an adjective is derived from a noun ending in -[i]on such religious/religion , or when two different adjective can be derived from one root, as in victorious/Victorian .
This is a contrast between a voiceless sibilant fricative and a voiced nasal continuant, fairly close together in the mouth. It causes no problems.
The only taboo word pair is piss/pin .
The computer has brought up several pairs in which /s/ contrasts with a syllabic /n/ such as browbeats/browbeaten and mistakes/mistaken . These do not feel like minimal pairs since the syllable count is different, but I have left them in the list. Other interesting pairs include:
castle carnal
compasses companies
coxes cockneys
juicier junior
sabre neighbour
savory knavery
seasick scenic
sector nectar
sibling nibbling
vesture venture
The mean density value is 1.8%. The list makes 303 semantic distinctions, a loading of 61%.
alias alien amphibious amphibian ascent anent ass Ann assessed ascent baas barn base bane bass bane bass ban bast bant Bess Ben Bessie Benny best bent bests bents bluster blunter boss Bonn bossy bonny bossier bonnier bossiest bonniest bourse bourn brace brain bracing braining braced brained breast Brent Brest Brent browbeats browbeaten bursar burner bursars burners burst burnt bus bun buses bunnies busting bunting butts button C knee C's knees case cane casing caning cased caned cassock Cannock cast can't castle carnal cease Nice cease niece cease scene Cecil nestle cede knead ceded kneaded cedes kneads ceding kneading ceiling kneeling cell knell cells knells cell Nell chase chain chasing chaining chased chained cite knight cited knighted cites knights citing knighting cite night cites nights citrous citron close clone coarse corn coarser corner compasses companies complacent complainant concise consign contagious contagion contest content contests contents contest content contested contented contesting contenting contests contents corset cornet corsets cornets cos con cost cont course corn coursing corning coursed corned courser corner coursers corners coxes cockneys cymbal nimble dace Dane dace deign decide denied deuce dune device divine dice dine dicing dining diced dined dosed don't doss don dossing donning dossed donned douse down dousing downing doused downed Erse earn Erse urn Esther enter face fain face feign facing feigning faced feigned faced faint force faun force fawn forcing fawning forced fawned fuss fun fussy funny fussier funnier fussiest funniest fussily funnily fussiness funniness goose goon grace grain grassed grant grease green greaser greener gross groan grossing groaning grossed groaned guessed Ghent guest Ghent hearse Herne hissed hint hoarse horn Honduras Honduran horse horn horsy horny humus human hussy honey hussies honeys invest invent invested invented investing inventing invests invents investor inventor investors inventors Jess gen 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