Minimal Pair List Vowels 1 and 6, /i/ and /ɒ/ 361 pairs
We see the usual range of spellings for /i/ in this list, with <ee> and <ea> being the commonest. The /ɒ/ vowel is normally <o> in a monosyllable or before two consonants. We also have <oCV> in dolour , <au> in Aussie , and <a> after <w> in swap , was and wand .
In this list we have a long vowel in contrast with a short one, so that all the contrasts occur in closed syllables. The two sounds are sufficiently remote to cause no difficulty for any groups of learners.
The only slight potential for an embarrassing confusion would be wees / was .
Interesting pairs include:
beetle bottle
creeper cropper
fiend fond
needed nodded
Modena madonna
Maureen moron
pieces posses
scenic sonic
sepia soppier
squealer squalor
The mean density is 5.1%. The set makes 181 semantic contrasts giving a loading of almost exactly 50%.
beach botch beached botched beaches botches beaching botching beady body beagle boggle beagles boggles beagling boggling beaks box beam bomb beamed bombed beaming bombing beams bombs bean Bonn beast bossed beech botch beeches botches been Bonn beetle bottle beetled bottled beetles bottles beetling bottling betel bottle betels bottles bleach blotch bleaches blotches bleak bloc bleak block bleat blot bleated blotted bleating blotting bleats blots bean Bonn canteen canton canteens cantons cede sod ceded sodded cedes sods ceding sodding cheap chop cheaper chopper cheek choc cheeks chocs cheek chock cheeked chocked cheeking chocking cheeks chocks cheap chop cheep chop cheeped chopped cheeping chopping cheeps chops chic shock cleat clot cleats clots clique clock cliques clocks creak crock creaked crocked creaking crocking creaks crocks crease cross creased crossed creases crosses creasing crossing creek crock creeks crocks creep crop creeper cropper creepers croppers creeping cropping creeps crops deal doll deals dolls dealer dolour dealers dolours dealer dollar dealers dollars dealing dolling dean don deans dons e'en on E's oz ease oz easy Aussie eases Aussies eater otter eaters otters eked Oct ekes ox Ely Ollie eve of feeder fodder fiend fond fleece floss freak frock freaks frocks gene John genie Johnny greet grot greets grots he'd hod healer holler healers hollers heap hop heaped hopped heaping hopping heaps hops heat hot heated hotted heater hotter heating hotting heats hots heed hod heeds hods jean John Jeanie Johnny keel col keels cols keen con keened conned keening conning keens cons keep cop keeper copper keepers coppers keeping copping keeps cops keeps copse keyed cod knead nod kneaded nodded kneading nodding kneads nods leads Lodz leafed loft league log leagued logged leagues logs leaguing logging leak loch leaks lochs leak lock leaked locked leaking locking leaks locks leak lough leaks loughs leal loll leap lop leaped lopped leaping lopping leaps lops lease loss leased lost leases losses least lost Leeds Lodz leek loch leeks lochs leek lock leeks locks leek lough leeks loughs lied lot liege lodge lieges lodges Lille loll Maureen moron mead mod meads mods meal moll meals molls mealie Molly mealy Molly Meath moth meek mock meeker mocker mead Mod meads Mods mealie Molly meed mod meeds mods meek mock meeker mocker meeker mocha Modena Madonna neat knot neat not need nod needed nodded needing nodding needs nods needle noddle needles noddles peaceable possible peaceably possibly peak pock peaked pocked peaks pocks peaks pox peal poll peals polls peat pot peaty potty peatier pottier peatiest pottiest peed pod peek pock peeked pocked peeks pocks peeks pox peel poll peels polls peep pop peeped popped peeping popping peeps pops peeper poppa peepers poppas peke pock pekes pocks pekes pox Pete pot peter potter petered pottered petering pottering peters potters phoenix phonics pieces posses pique pock piqued pocked piques pocks piques pox plead plod pleaded plodded pleading plodding pleadingly ploddingly pleads plods pleat plot pleated plotted pleating plotting pleats plots protein proton proteins protons quiche cosh quiches coshes read rod reads rods ream rhomb reams rhombs reed rod reeds rods reek roc reeks rocs reek rock reeked rocked reeking rocking reeks rocks Rheims rhombs Rita rotter scenic sonic seal Sol seat sot seats sots seed sod seeded sodded seeding sodding seeds sods seek Soc seek sock seeking socking seeks socks seeker soccer seep sop seeped sopped seeping sopping seeps sops senior Sonia sepia soppier she'd shod sheen shone sheep shop sheet shot sheets shots Sikh sock Sikhs socks skeet Scot skeets Scots sleep slop sleepier sloppier sleepiest sloppiest sleepily sloppily sleepiness sloppiness sleeping slopping sleeps slops sleepy sloppy sleet slot sleeted slotted sleeting slotting sleets slots squealer squalor steep stop steeped stopped steeper stopper steeping stopping steeps stops suite swat suites swats suite swot suites swots sweep swap sweeping swapping sweeps swaps sweet swat sweets swats sweet swot sweets swots team Tom teat tot teats tots teem Tom teeter totter teetered tottered teetering tottering teeters totters team Tom treat trot treated trotted treating trotting treats trots treed trod veal vol wean wan weaned wand weed wad weeded wadded weeding wadding weeds wads weedy wadi weeds wads wean wan weaned wand wees was wheat watt wheat what weep whop weeping whopping weeps whops wheedle waddle wheedled waddled wheedles waddles wheedling waddling wheeze was wreak roc wreaks rocs wreak rock wreaked rocked wreaking rocking wreaks rocks wreath wrath
