Minimal Pair List Consonants /ʃ/ versus /n/, 162 pairs


   Minimal pair: Consonants /ʃ/ versus /n/, 162 pairs

The /ʃ/ sound is spelled with <sh> or <ch>. The /n/ sound is spelled with <n>, <nn> or <gn> in gnaw .

This is a contrast between a voiceless fricative and a voiced nasal continuant, both in the alveolar region of the mpouth. It is not a problem.

Taboo word pairs include shag/nag and shit/knit .

The contrast occurs in the common collocation "naming and shaming" applied to newspaper exposure of wrongdoing or inefficiency. Other interesting pairs include:

famish famine
shadier nadir
shield kneeled

The mean density value is 0.9%. The list makes 97 semantic distinctions, a loading of 60%.

ash Ann 
ashy Annie 
bash ban 
  bashing banning 
  bashed banned
bashed bant 
blushed blunt 
Boche Bonn 
borsch Bourne 
brash bran 
brushed brunt 
cache can 
  caching canning 
cached cant 
cash can
  cashing canning
  cashed canned
cashed cant
chaise neighs 
clash clan 
cosh con 
  coshing conning 
  coshed conned
crèche crane 
crashes crannies 
dash Dan 
dish din 
  dishing dinning 
  dished dinned
dished dint 
elfish elfin 
famish famine 
fish Finn 
fish fin
flash flan 
gnashes nannies 
gosh gone 
gush gun 
  gushing gunning 
  gushed gunned
gusher gunner 
  gushers gunners 
hush Hun 
hushed hunt 
hushes honeys 
Josh John 
leash lean 
mash man 
  mashing manning 
  mashed manned
masher manner 
  mashers manners 
mesh men 
meshed meant 
mushy money 
plash plan 
  plashing planning 
rash ran 
rush run 
  rushing running 
rushy runny 
  rushier runnier 
  rushiest runniest 
rushed runt 
shack knack 
  shacks knacks 
shade neighed 
shadier nadir 
shag nag 
  shagged nagged 
  shagging nagging 
  shags nags 
shaker nacre 
shale nail 
shame name 
  shamed named 
  shames names 
  shaming naming 
shape nape 
  shapes napes 
share ne'er 
shark nark 
  sharks narks 
shat Nat 
shat gnat
shatter natter 
  shattered nattered 
  shattering nattering 
  shatters natters 
shave knave 
  shaves knaves 
she knee 
shear near 
  sheared neared 
  shears nears 
  shearing nearing
sheer near
  sheerer nearer 
  sheerest nearest 
shed Ned 
shell Nell 
shield kneeled 
shifty nifty 
  shiftier niftier 
  shiftiest niftiest 
shine nine 
  shines nines 
ship nip
  shipped nipped 
  shipping nipping 
  ships nips
shipper nipper 
  shippers nippers 
shire nigher 
shock knock 
  shocked knocked 
  shocking knocking 
  shocks knocks 
shocker knocker 
  shockers knockers 
shoal knoll 
  shoals knolls 
shod nod 
shoe gnu 
  shoes gnus 
shoo gnu 
  shoos gnus 
shook nook 
shore gnaw
  shored gnawed 
  shores gnaws 
shore nor 
short nought 
  shorts noughts 
shorten Norton 
shot knot 
  shots knots 
shout knout 
  shouts knouts 
show know 
  showing knowing 
  shown known 
  shows knows 
show no
showed node 
shows nose
shun none 
shun nun
  shuns nuns 
shut nut 
  shuts nuts 
  shutting nutting 
shy nigh 
  shyer nigher
  shyest nighest 
stash Stan 
wash wan 
washed want 
wish whin 
wishes whinnies 
wish win
  wishing winning 

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