Minimal Pair List Vowels 1 and 9, /i/ and /u/ 370 pairs
Although these vowels are both long and both close, they differ in lip-rounding and are sufficiently far apart to cause no problems for learners.
The list shows the letter names B, C, T and U in contrast with words. Spellings of /i/, apart from the common <ee> and <ea> include final <e> in be and ye , <ei> in the place name Leigh , <ie> in the German loan word lied , and <iCe> in marine . The spelling of /u/ is normally <oo>, but we also see <ew> in chew and Jew , <ui> in bruise and suit , and <ou> in croup .Interesting pairs include:
media moodier
sneaker snooker
unseated unsuited
The only mildly taboo word pair is wee / woo .
The mean density value for this contrast is 6.8%. The list makes 212 semantic contrasts, giving a sematic loading of 56%.
B boo B's boos B's booze be boo being booing bead booed beam boom beamed boomed beaming booming beams booms bean boon beans boons beast boost beasts boosts beat boot beating booting beats boots bee boo bees boos been boon bees booze beet boot beets boots beetle Bootle being booing betel Bootle bleed blued bream broom breed brewed breed brood breeding brooding breeds broods breeze brews breeze bruise breezed bruised breezes bruises breezing bruising buckteeth bucktooth C Sioux C sou C's sous C Sue cheese chews cheese choose cheeses chooses creed crewed creed crude creep croup creeps croups D do D's do's deem doom deemed doomed deeming dooming deems dooms E's ooze ease ooze eased oozed eases oozes easing oozing easel ouzel easels ouzels easier oozier easiest ooziest easy oozy eyeteeth eyetooth feed food feeds foods feel fool feeling fooling feels fools fetal footle field fooled flea flew flea flu flea flue fleas flues flee flew flee flu flee flue flees flues fleet flute fleetest flutist fleeting fluting fleets flutes foetal footle G Jew G's Jews gee Jew geese goose gene June genes Junes ghee goo gleam gloom gleams glooms glee glue glees glues greaves grooves grieve groove grieved grooved grieves grooves grieving grooving grippe group grippes groups he who healer hula healers hulas heap hoop heaped hooped heaping hooping heaps hoops heap whoop heaped whooped heaping whooping heaps whoops heat hoot heated hooted heater hooter heaters hooters heating hooting heats hoots heaves hooves Hindi Hindu jean June jeans Junes keel cool keeled cooled keeling cooling keels cools keen coon keens coons keep coop keeping cooping keeps coops keeper cooper keepers coopers keeper Cupar key coo keyed cooed keying cooing keys coos key coup keys coups knee gnu knees gnus lea lieu lea loo leak Luke lean loon leans loons leaner lunar leap loop leaped looped leaping looping leaps loops leas loos leas lose lease loose leased loosed leasing loosing leases looses least loosed lee lieu lee loo lees loos leek Luke lees lose Leigh lieu Leigh loo lever louvre levered louvered levers louvres levers louvres lido ludo lied loot lied lute Lisa looser litre looter litres looters marine maroon marines maroons me moo mead mood meads moods mead mooed mean moon meaning mooning means moons meanie moony meat moot meats moots media moodier meed mood meeds moods meed mooed meet moot meeting mooting meets moots mete moot meted mooted metes moots meting mooting mi moo mien moon miens moons milk-teeth milk-tooth needle noodle needles noodles Nice noose niece noose nieces nooses P pooh pea pooh peal pool pealed pooled pealing pooling peals pools peal Poole pee pooh peel pool peeled pooled peeling pooling peels pools peel Poole peep poop peeps poops preen prune preened pruned preening pruning preens prunes quay coo quays coos quay coup quays coups re rue read rood reads roods read rude reader ruder ream rheum ream room reams rooms reed rood reeds roods reed rude reed rued reedy Rudy reef roof reefed roofed reefing roofing reefs roofs reel rule reeled ruled reeling ruling reels rules reprieve reprove reprieved reproved reprieves reproves reprieving reproving Rheims rooms scene soon scree screw screes screws screed screwed sea Sioux sea sou seas sous sea Sue season Susan seat suit seated suited seating suiting seats suits see Sioux see sou sees sous see Sue seen soon seep soup seeped souped seeping souping seeps soups seethe soothe seethed soothed seethes soothes seething soothing seize sous she shoe she shoo sheet chute sheets chutes sheet shoot sheeting shooting sheets shoots skeet scoot skeets scoots sleep sloop sleeps sloops sneak snook sneaks snooks sneaker snooker sneakers snookers sneeze snooze sneezed snoozed sneezes snoozes sneezing snoozing speak spook speaks spooks steal stool steals stools steel stool steels stools steep stoop steeped stooped steeping stooping steeps stoops steep stoup steeps stoups sweep swoop sweeping swooping sweeps swoops T to T too T two T's twos tea to tea too tea two teas twos teal tool team tomb teams tombs tease twos teat toot teats toots tee to tee too tee two tees twos teem tomb teems tombs teeth tooth three threw three through ti to ti too ti two tree true treed trued treeing truing trees trues trees trews unseated unsuited VD voodoo we woo weaned wound wee woo weed wooed weeing wooing wees woos wheeze woos wisdom-teeth wisdom-tooth wreath Ruth ye ewe ye U ye yew ye you yeast used zee zoo zees zoos
