Minimal Pair List Consonants /t/ versus /v/, 298 pairs
The spelling of /t/ is usually <t> or <tt>, but we also often see <ght>, <th> in Thai , and a silent-letter combination <pt> in receipt . The /v/ sound is <v> or <ve> throughout. I have included inflected pairs sich as carts/calves , even though they are not strictly minimal, on the grounds discussed under "Problems" in the main article.
The contrast is between a voiceless plosive and a voiced fricative, well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for learners.
Interesting pairs include:
eaten even
hotter hover
pretension prevention
setter sever
tallied valid
tennis Venice
terminus verminous
The mean density value is 1.7%. The list makes 159 semantic distinctions, a loading of 53%.
abut above alight alive aright arrive at Ave beater beaver beaters beavers Betty bevy cart calve carts calves carting calving carter carver carters carvers cert serve certitude servitude cities civvies cleat cleave coat cove coats coves conceit conceive concert conserve concerting conserving contention convention contentions conventions contrite contrive cover cutter covers cutters crate crave crating craving crates craves curt curve date Dave dated David dealt delve deceit deceive desert deserve deserting deserving deserts deserves desserts deserves dirt derv ditty divvy ditties divvies eat Eve eaten even enlighten enliven enlightened enlivened enlightening enlivening enlightens enlivens fight five fights fives fighter fiver fighters fivers gait gave gate gave glut glove gluts gloves grate grave grates graves grater graver great grave greater graver greatly gravely greatest gravest greet grieve greeting grieving greets grieves groat grove groats groves hart halve hearty Harvey hat have hats haves heart halve heat heave heating heaving heats heaves height hive heights hives Hetton heaven hooter Hoover hooters Hoovers hotter hover intent invent intents invents intention invention intentions inventions Kate cave knot Nov lat lav late lave lied leave light live lighten liven lightened livened lightening livening lightens livens lightly lively lit live litre lever litres levers litter liver litters livers looter louvre looters louvres moat mauve moot move mooting moving natal naval natty navvy nettle Neville pate pave pates paves Pete peeve pretension prevention pretty privy pretties privies prettily privily quitter quiver quitters quivers rate rave rates raves rating raving ratings ravings receipt receive receipting receiving receipts receives ret rev retting revving rets revs retreat retrieve retreating retrieving right rive righting riving rights rives rite rive rites rives rota rover rotas rovers rote rove rotor rover rotors rovers SALT solve sate save sating saving sates saves setter sever setters severs shut shove shutting shoving shuts soves shuttle shovel shuttled shovelled shuttles shovels sit sieve sitting sieving sits sieves slate slave slating slaving slates slaves slaty slavey sleet sleeve sleets sleeves spit spiv spits spivs start starve starting starving starts starves startling starveling state stave stating staving states staves stoat stove stoats stoves straighten Strathaven T V T's V's tack vac tacks vacs tail vale tails vales tail veil tailed veiled tailing veiling tails vales tale vale tales vales tale veil tales veils tally valley tallies valleys tallied valid tamp vamp tamped vamped tamping vamping tamps vamps tan van tans vans taper vapour tapers vapours tarnish varnish tarnished varnished tarnishes varnishes tarnishing varnishing tars vase tat vat tats vats taunt vaunt taunted vaunted taunting vaunting tauntingly vauntingly taunts vaunts tea V teas V's tear veer tears veers teaser visa teasers visas techs vex tee V tees V's tend vend tended vended tending vending tends vends tender vender tenders venders tennis Venice tent vent tents vents terminus verminous terrify verify terrified verified terrifies verifies terrifying verifying Terry Verey terse verse tertian version test vest tested vested testing vesting tests vests text vexed Thai vie Thais vies throat throve ticker vicar tickers vicars tidy vide tie vie ties vies tying vying tile vile tillage village tiller villa tillers villas tine vine tines vines title vital titles vitals tittle victual toil voile toll vole tolls voles tote vote toted voted totes votes toting voting towel vowel towels vowels toyed void Tyne vine uneaten uneven untarnished unvarnished wait waive waiting waiving waits waives waiter waiver waiters waivers wait wave waiting waving waits waves waiter waver waiters wavers weight waive weighting waiving weights waives weight wave weighting waving weights waves weighty wavy weightier wavier weightiest waviest wheat we've white wive whiting wiving Wight wive write rive writes rives written riven
.
