Minimal Pair List Consonants /t/ versus /g/, 396 pairs
The spelling of /t/ is usually <t> or <tt>, but we also often see <ght>, <th> in Thai . The /g/ sound is usually <g>, <gg>, <gu> before <i> or <gue>. The two different pronunciations of tilde make pairs with guild and guilder . I have included plural pairs sich as bats/bags , even though they are not strictly minimal, on the grounds discussed under "Problems" in the main article.
The contrast is between two plosives, one voiceless and one voiced and well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for learners.
Pairs involving taboo words are butter/bugger , knitter/nigger , shat/shag and turd/ gird .
Interesting pairs include:
beetle beagle
fitter figure
irritate irrigate
meter meagre
tarnish garnish
tighter tiger
traffic graphic
travel gravel
tunnel gunwale
The mean density value is 2.2%. The list makes 197 semantic distinctions, a loading of 49%.
ate egg bat bag batting bagging bats bags batty baggy beetle beagle beetles beagles beetling beagling Bert berg bet beg bets begs betting begging better beggar bettered beggared bettering beggaring betters beggars bit big bitter bigger booty boogie bottle boggle bottled boggled bottles boggles bottling boggling brat brag brats brags Brit brig but bug butt bug butting bugging butts bugs butter bugger buttered buggered buttering buggering butters buggers buttery buggery clot clog clots clogs clotting clogging cot cog cots cogs dot dog dots dogs dotting dogging dotted dogged dotty doggie drat drag drats drags dratting dragging eater eager entreat intrigue entreat intrigues entreating intriguing fat fag fats fags fatting fagging fit fig fits figs fitment figment fitments figments fitter figure fitters figures flat flag flats flags GATT gag grot grog grotty groggy grottier groggier grottiest groggiest hat hag hats hags hot hog hots hogs hotting hogging hut hug huts hugs irritate irrigate irritated irrigated irritates irrigates irritating irrigating irritation irrigation jitter jigger jitters jiggers jot jog jots jogs jotting jogging jotter jogger jotters joggers jut jug juts jugs jutting jugging knitter nigger knitters niggers lat lag let leg lets legs letting legging lettings leggings lied league lot log lots logs mat mag mats mags matt mag met Meg meter meagre mutt mug mutts mugs mutter mugger mutters muggers Nat nag natter nagger natters naggers pet peg pets pegs petting pegging petty Peggy phut fug pit pig pits pigs pitting pigging pity piggy pities piggies plate plague plates plagues plating plaguing putt pug putts pugs rat rag rats rags ratted ragged ratting ragging retain regain retained regained retaining regaining retains regains retard regard retarded regarded retarding regarding retards regards Rita Riga rotary roguery rotaries rogueries rotation rogation rotations rogations rote rogue rut rug ruts rugs rutted rugged sat sag shat shag sitar cigar sitars cigars slat slag slats slags slot slog slots slogs slotting slogging slut slug sluts slugs sluttish sluggish smut smug snot snog sprit sprig sprit sprigs T ghee tab gab table gable tabled gabled tables gables tag gag tagged gagged tagging gagging tags gags tail Gael tails Gaels tail gale tails gales tale Gael tales Gaels tale gale tales gales talent gallant talk gawk talks gawks talkie Gorky tall Gaul tall gall tally galley tallies galleys talon gallon talons gallons tame game tames games tamed gamed taming gaming tamely gamely tammy gammy tamp gamp tamps gamps tangling gangling tang gang tangs gangs tap gap taps gaps tape gape taped gaped tapes gapes taping gaping tarnish garnish tarnished garnished tarnishes garnishes tarnishing garnishing tarred guard tarry Gary tarry gharry tarries gharries tartar garter tartars garters tat gat tats gats tat tag tats tags tatting tagging tattle gaggle tattles gaggles taught ghat taunt gaunt tawse gauze tea ghee tear gear tears gears teaser geezer teasers geezers tee ghee tent Ghent Tess guess test guessed test guest tests guests Thai guy Thais guys Thame game tide guide tided guided tides guides tiding guiding tide guyed tie guy ties guys tied guyed tying guying tied guide tiger Geiger tigers Geigers tighter tiger tilde gild tildes gilds tilde guilder tildes gilders tile guile till gill tills gills tilled gild tilled guild tilt gilt tilt guilt tilts guilts to goo toad goad toads goads toadied goaded toast ghost toasted ghosted toasting ghosting toasts ghosts toe go toeing going toes goes toggle goggle toggles goggles told gold toll goal tolls goals tolled gold ton gun tons guns tonning gunning tong gong tongs gongs too goo tool ghoul tools ghouls tor gore tors gores tore gore Tory gory tosh gosh tot tog tots togs totting togging tote goat totes goats toured gourd tout gout tow go towing going tows goes town gown towns gowns trace grace traced graced traces graces tracing gracing trade grade traded graded trades grades trading grading traffic graphic traffics graphics trail grail trails grails train grain trained grained trains grains training graining traipse grapes trait grate traits grates traitor grater traitors graters traitor greater tram gram trams grams travel gravel traveled gravelled travelling gravelling travels gravels tray gray trays grays trill grill trilled grilled trilling grilling trills grilles trim grim trimly grimly trimmer grimmer trimmest grimmest trip grip tripped gripped tripping gripping trips grips troop group trooped grouped trooping grouping troops groups troupe group troupes groups trope grope tropes gropes trot grot trots grots troth growth trove grove troves groves trudge grudge trudged grudged trudges grudges trudging grudging true grew tryst grist tummy gummy tun gun tuns guns tunnel gunwale tunnels gunwales tunny gunny turd gird turds girds tut tug tutted gutted tutting tugging tuts tugs twit twig twitting twigging twits twigs two goo veto Vigo vote vogue votes vogues Whit Whig whittle wiggle whittled wiggled whittles wiggles whittling wiggling writ rig writs rigs
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