Minimal Pair List Vowels 2 and 9, / ɪ / versus /u/ 235 pairs
Many different spellings of / ɪ / occur in this list, including <i>, <u> in busy , and <y>. The /u/ vowel is most often spelled <oo>, but we also find <ou> in ghoul , <ew> in bestrewed , <uCe> in brute and brusque , <ui> in suitor and <o> in womb . The homograph gill occurs in two pairs: gill/ghoul and gill/joule .
The sounds are different in length and sufficiently far apart in the mouth to cause no problems to learners.
Interesting pairs include:
caches cachous
collision collusion
eliminate illuminate
linear loonier
Pairs involving taboo words are bib/boob , kin/coon , shit/shoot and tit/toot .
The mean density is 1.1%. The list makes 112 semantic distinctions, giving a loading of 48%.
baccy Baku bestrid bestrewed bib boob bibbed boobed bibbing boobing bibs boobs Bicester booster bid booed bill buhl bin boon bins boons bit boot bits boots biz boos biz booze brim broom brims brooms brisk brusque briskly brusquely Brit bruit Brits bruits Brit brute Brits brutes British brutish brittle brutal busy boozy busier boozier busies boozes busiest booziest caches cachous cashes cachous chid chewed collision collusion cookie cuckoo cookies cuckoos diddle doodle diddled doodled diddles doodles diddling doodling dim doom dimmed doomed dimming dooming dims dooms dish douche dishes douches djinn June djinns Junes drill drool drilled drooled drilling drooling drills drools drip droop dripped drooped dripping drooping drips droops eliminate illuminate eliminated illuminated eliminates illuminates eliminating illuminating elimination illumination eliminations illuminations elision illusion elisions illusions fill fool filled fooled filling fooling fills fools flick fluke flicks flukes flit flute flits flutes flitted fluted flitting fluting gift goofed gill Goole gill ghoul gills ghouls gill joule gills joules Gillian Julian gin June gins Junes grim groom grip group gripped grouped gripping grouping grips groups hid who'd hill who'll him whom hip hoop hipped hooped hips hoops his who's hit hoot hits hoots hitting hooting is ooze kid cooed kill cool killed cooled killer cooler killers coolers killing cooling kills cools kin coon kip coop kipped cooped kipper cooper kippers coopers kipping cooping kips coops kipper Cupar kit coot kits coots lick Luke limb loom limbed loomed limbs looms limn loom limning looming limns looms linear loonier lip loop lipped looped lips loops liquor lucre list loosed listen loosen listened loosened listening loosening listens loosens lit loot litter looter litters looters liver louvre livers louvres Liz loos Lymme loom mid mood middy moody miss moose misses mooses mitt moot Ms moos piddle poodle piddles poodles pill pool pills pools pill Poole pip poop pips poops rid rood rids roods riff roof riffs roofs rift roofed rill rule rills rules rim rheum rimmed roomed rimming rooming rims rooms shit chute shits chutes shit shoot shitting shooting shits shoots sinner sooner sip soup sipped souped sipping souping sips soups sitter suitor sitters suitors sitting suiting skill school skilled schooled skills schools skip scoop skipped scooped skipping scooping skips scoops skit scoot skits scoots skitter scooter skitters scooters slid slewed slip sloop slips sloops snick snook snicks snooks snicker snooker snickers snookers snip snoop snipped snooped snipping snooping snips snoops spick spook spill spool spills spools spin spoon spinning spooning spins spoons still stool stills stools till tool tilled tooled tilling tooling tills tools Tim tomb tit toot tits toots tittle tootle trip troop tripped trooped tripper trooper trippers troopers tripping trooping trips troops Turkey Turku whiff woof whiffs woofs whim womb whims wombs whiz woos wind wound winded wounded winding wounding winds wounds wrist roost wrists roosts writ root writs roots Writtle rootle
