Minimal Pair List Consonants /v/ versus /m/, 213 pairs
The /v/ sound is spelled with <v> or <ve>. The /m/ sound is spelled <m>, <mm> or <mb> in plumber . Notice how the homograph live pairs with limb/limn and lime , while the homograph (for American English speakers) dove pairs with dome and dumb .
The contrast is between a labio-dental fricative and a bilabial nasal continuant, both voiced. It can occasionally be a problem for learners, especially in syllable-final position.
The rhyming pair "Very merry" often occurs in greetings. Other interesting pairs include:
cavil camel
conservation consummation
devise demise
havoc hammock
vanish mannish
venue menu
voter motor
The mean density value is 2.1%. The list makes 124 semantic distinctions, a loading of 58%.
Ave am beeves beams breve bream calve calm calved calmed calves calms calving calming carver calmer carver karma carvers karmas cave came cavil camel cavils camels chive chime chives chimes clave claim Clive climb conservation consummation cove comb coves combs cover comer covers comers Dave dame devise demise dive dime dives dimes dove dome dove dumb doves dumbs elves elms fervour firmer fever femur fevers femurs gave game glove glum groove groom grooved groomed grooves grooms grooving grooming halve harm halved harmed halves harms halving harming have ham haves hams having hamming havoc hammock helve helm helves helms Hove home I've I'm kava karma knave name knaves names larva lama lav lam lavs lams lav lamb lavs lambs lave lame laved lamed laves lames laving laming lever lemur levers lemurs live limb lived limbed lives limbs live limn living limning lives limns lived limned live lime lives limes oaves ohms passive passim plover plumber plovers plumbers reeve ream reeves reams reeves Rheims rive rhyme rived rhymed rives rhymes riving rhyming rove Rome rove roam roved roamed roves roams roving roaming save same savvy Sammy shave shame shaved shamed shaves shames shaving shaming shiver shimmer shivered shimmered shivering shimmering shivers shimmers sliver slimmer Steve steam subversion submersion svelte smelt thieve theme thieves themes travelling trammelling Trevor tremor V me vac mac vaccine Maxine vacs Max vain Maine vain main vainly mainly vale mail vales mails vale male vales males valediction malediction valedictions maledictions van man vans mans vane Maine vane main vanes mains vanilla Manila vanillas Manillas vanish mannish vary Mary vase mars vast mast vat Matt vat may vats mats vault malt vaulted malted vaulting malting vaults malts veer mere veers meres veil mail veils mails veiling mailing veiled mailed veil male veils males vein Maine vein main veins mains veld melt vend mend vended mended vending mending vends mends vender mender venders menders venial menial vent meant venue menu venues menus Verey merry verge merge verged merged verges merges verging merging verger merger vergers mergers verily merrily verses mercies very merry vest messed vet met Vic Mick vice mice Vicky Mickey vie my view mew viewed mewed viewing mewing views mews vile mile viler miler villa miller villas millers Vince mince vine mine vines mines vinous minus visor miser visors misers Viv vim voiced moist voile moil vol moll vols molls vole mole voles moles volley Molly volt moult volts moults vote moat votes moats voted moated voter motor voters motors votive motive vow mow vowed mowed vowing mowing vows mows vox mocks wharves warms
October
