Minimal Pair List Consonants /t/ versus / ʧ /, 271 pairs
The spelling of /t/ in this list is <t> or <tt>. The / ʧ / sound is <ch>, <tch> or <tu> where assimilation has occurred as in torture , and it occurs in the letter name H . There are several pairs which use the contrast to distinguish an agent noun from an abstract noun, as in captor/capture . I have misgivings about the status of the pair overeat/overreach , where there may be a difference in the length of the /r/ sound or in the stress pattern as well. Notice how the homograph tear makes pairs with chair and with cheer , and how the two pronunciations of ate make pairs with etch and H .
The contrast is between a plosive and an affricate, both voiceless and close together in the mouth. Some learners may have problems, especially Scandinavians and Japanese, while Thai speakers have difficulties with the / ʧ / sound in syllable-final position.
Interesting pairs include:
artery archery
jester gesture
pastor pasture
tearful cheerful
topknot topnotch
The mean density value is 1.7%. The list makes 168 semantic distinctions, a loading of 62%.
art arch artery archery ate etch ate H bat batch beat beach beat beech beating beaching beet beach beet beech belt belch belting belching bent bench Bert birch bit bitch bleat bleach bleating bleaching blent blench blot blotch bought bortsch brunt brunch bunting bunching captor capture captors captures cat catch catty catchy cattier catchier cattiest catchiest cert search coat coach coating coaching cont conch ditties ditches eat each eight H eighties H's flint flinch hat hatch haunt haunch hit hitch hitting hitching hoot hooch hunt hunch hunting hunching hut hutch impostor imposture impostors impostures it itch jester gesture jesters gestures karate Karachi kit kitsch knot notch knotting notching lat latch lathis larches legislator legislature legislators legislatures letter lecher letters lechers lied leach lint lynch mart march martyr marcher martyrs marchers Matlock matchlock matt match matting matching milt milch moot mooch mooting mooching mutt much nautch nought nit niche out ouch overeat overreach overeating overreaching part parch parting parching parties parches pastor pasture pastors pastures pat patch patting patching patties patches patty patchy peat peach peaty peachy pert perch Pete peach pit pitch pitting pitching pities pitches pleat pleach pleating pleaching port porch pout pouch pouting pouching praetor preacher praetors preachers punt punch punting punching put putsch rat ratch rent wrench renting wrenching ret retch retting retching retted wretched rote roach Scot Scotch sculptor sculpture sculptors sculptures start starch starting starching stricter stricture suitor suture suitors sutures ta char talk chalk talking chalking talks chalks talked chalked talkie chalky tamp champ tamped champed tamping champing tamps champs tap chap tapped chapped tapping chapping taps chaps tar char tarring charring tars chars tarred charred tare chair tares chairs tarred Chard tart chart tarted charted tarting charting tarts charts tartar charter tartars charters taste chased taste chaste tat chat tats chats tatted chatted tatting chatting tatter chatter tattered chattered tatters chatters tatty chatty tattier chattier tattiest chattiest tattily chattily tattle chattel tattles chattels taught torch tauter torture taut torch tawse chaws tear chair tearing chairing tears chairs tear cheer tears cheers tearful cheerful tearfully cheerfully tearless cheerless tease cheese teases cheeses teat cheat teats cheats teat teach tech check techs checks tech cheque techs cheques tech Czech techs Czechs teeter teacher teeters teachers tent tench tern churn terns churns Terry cherry Tess chess test chest tests chests thyme chime tic chick tickle chicle tick chick ticks chicks tide chide tided chided tides chides tiding chiding tied chide tilde chilled tiled child till chill tilling chilling tills chills time chime timed chimed times chimes timing chiming tin chin tins chins tine chine tines chines tints chintz tip chip tipped chipped tipping chipping tips chips to chew toes chose too chew top chop topping chopping tops chops topped chopped topper chopper toppers choppers topknot topnotch toque choke toques chokes tor chore tore chore tort torch T's cheese tubby chubby tubbier chubbier tubbiest chubbiest tuck chuck tucked chucked tucking chucking tucks chucks tucker chukker tuckers chukkers tug chug tugged chugged tugging chugging tugs chugs tummy chummy turn churn turned churned turning churning turns churns turps chirps tut touch tutting touching twit twitch twitting twitching two chew twos chews Tyne chine vet vetch watt watch went wench what watch whit which whit witch wit which wit witch writ rich
