Minimal Pair List Vowels 10 and 13, /ʌ/ versus / eɪ / 234 pairs


   Minimal pair: Vowels 10 and 13, /ʌ/ versus / eɪ / 234 pairs

The /ʌ/ vowel is spelled with <u>, and <o> in love and come . The / eɪ / vowel is spelled <aCe>, <ay>, <ai>, or <è> in the loan word crèche , and is found in the letter name A . Notice how this difference signals the tense change in come/came and its derivatives.

This is a contrast between a short vowel and a diphthong with widely separated tongue positions. It is not a problem for any learners.

Taboo word pairs include the set fuck/fake .

Interesting pairs include:

bustle basal
lubber labour
nuzzle nasal

The density figure is 3.36%. The set makes 112 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 47.9%.

abut abate 
  abuts abates 
  abutted abated 
  abutting abating 
abutment abatement 
become became 
blood blade 
  bloods blades 
bubble babel 
  bubbles babels 
buck bake 
  bucked baked 
  bucking baking 
  bucks bakes 
bud bayed 
bun bane 
bus base 
  bused based 
  buses basses 
  busing basing 
bust baste
  busted basted 
  busting basting 
  busts bastes 
bustle basal 
but bait 
  butted baited 
  butting baiting 
  butts baits 
buzz beys 
come came 
crush crèche 
  crushes crèches
crux crakes 
cull kail
cunning caning 
cup cape 
  cups capes 
cuppa caper
  cuppas capers 
cuss case 
  cusses cases 
cut Kate 
cutter cater 
  cutters caters 
does days 
done Dane 
done deign
dove Dave 
dull dale 
  dulls dales 
dumb dame 
dun Dane
  duns Danes
dun deign  
  dunned deigned 
  dunning deigning 
  duns deigns
Dyfed David 
flood flayed 
flux flakes 
fuck fake 
  fucked faked 
  fucking faking 
  fucks fakes 
fun fain 
fund feigned 
fuss face 
  fussed faced 
  fusses faces 
  fussing facing 
fuzz phase
gull Gael 
  gulls Gaels 
gull gale
  gulls gales
gully gaily 
gum game 
  gummed gamed 
  gumming gaming 
  gums games 
gummy gamy 
  gummier gamier 
  gummiest gamiest 
gun gain 
  gunned gained 
  gunning gaining 
  guns gains 
gusher geisha
  gushers geishas 
gut gait 
  guts gaits 
  gutted gated 
  gutting gating 
gutter gaiter 
  gutters gaiters 
hull hail 
  hulled hailed 
  hulling Hayling 
  hulls hails 
hustings Hastings 
hut hate 
  hutted hated 
  huts hates
love lave 
  loved laved 
  loves laves 
  loving laving 
lubber labour 
  lubbers labours 
luck lake 
lust laced 
luxe lakes 
muck make 
  mucking making 
  mucks makes 
mud made 	 
mud maid
  muds maids 
mull mail 
  mulled mailed 
  mulling mailing
  mulls mails 
mull male
  mulls males
mum maim 
  mums maims 
mummy Mamie 
muss mace
  musses maces 
mutt mate 
null nail 
numb name 
  numbed named 
  numbing naming 
  numbs names 
numbly namely 
nuzzle nasal 
  nuzzles nasals   
one wain  
  ones wains 
one Wayne 
overcome overcame 
phut fate 
plug plague 
  plugged plagued 
  plugging plaguing 
  plugs plagues 
plus place 
  pluses places 
pun pain 
  punned pained 
  punning paining 
  puns pains 
punt paint 
  punted painted 
  punting painting 
  punts paints 
punter painter 
  punters painters 
pus pace 
putt pate 
  putts pates 
ruck rake 
  rucked raked 
  rucking raking 
  rucks rakes 
rudder raider 
  rudders raiders 
run rain 
  running raining 
  runs rains
runny rainy 
  runnier rainier 
  runniest rainiest  
run reign
  running reigning
  runs reigns  
rut rate 
  ruts rates 
  rutted rated 
  rutting rating 
scull scale 
  sculled scaled 
  sculling scaling 
  sculls scales 
scut skate 
  scuts skates
shove shave 
  shoved shaved 
  shoves shaves 
  shoving shaving 
shuck shake 
  shucking shaking 
  shucks shakes
slut slate 
  sluts slates 
son sane 
sough safe 
  soughs safes 
spud spade 
  spuds spades 
spun Spain 
strut straight 
  struts straights 
stubble stable 
stuck stake 
stud staid 
Studley staidly
stun stain 
  stunned stained 
  stunning staining 
  stuns stains 
suffer safer 
sun sane
Sutton Satan 
truss trace 
  trussed traced 
  trusses traces 
  trussing tracing 
tuck take 
  tucking taking 
  tucks takes 
tucker taker 
  tuckers takers 
tup tape 
  tups tapes 
up ape 
  upped aped 
  upping aping 
  ups apes 
uppish apish 
us A's 	   
won wain