Minimal Pair List Vowels 2 and 6, / ɪ / and / ɒ / 438 pairs
The / ɪ / vowel is spelled with <i> or <y>. The vowel / ɒ / is spelled with <o> except after <qu> and <w> as in the words quad , quaff , twaddle , and wash .
The sounds are sufficiently far apart as to give no problems to learners, and there are no dangerous rude-word confusions.
The contrast is heard in the adjective wishy-washy meaning unimpressive. Other interesting pairs include:
furling furlong
sidling sidelong
skittish Scottish
typical topical
yearling yearlong
The mean density is 1.9%. The list makes 222 semantic contrasts, a loading of 51%.
begin begone bib bob bibbed bobbed bibs bobs big bog bin Bonn bingo bongo bitch botch bitched botched bitches botches bitching botching blitz blots camping kampong chick choc chicks chocs chick chock chicks chocks chip chop chipped chopped chipping chopping chips chops Chris cross click clock clicked clocked clicking clocking clicks clocks cretin cretonne crick crock cricked crocked cricking crocking cricks crocks crypt cropped cynic sonic Cyril sorrel Dick dock dicker docker dickers dockers dicta doctor dig dog digging dogging digs dogs dill doll din don dinned donned dinning donning dins dons dinky donkey ditty dotty djinn John drip drop dripped dropped dripping dropping drips drops excise oxeyes fib fob fibbed fobbed fibbing fobbing fibs fobs fig fog figs fogs filly folly fillies follies fix fox fixed foxed fixes foxes fixing foxing flick flock flicked flocked flicking flocking flicks flocks flicks phlox flip flop flipped flopped flipping flopping flips flops furling furlong gibber jobber gibbers jobbers giggle goggle giggled goggled giggles goggles giggling goggling gillie golly gin John glister Gloucester grit grot grits grots gritty grotty grittier grottier grittiest grottiest hick hock hicks hocks hid hod hilly holly hip hop hips hops hit hot hits hots hitting hotting id odd if off in on ingoing ongoing inn on inner honour inrush onrush inrushes onrushes inset onset insets onsets inshore onshore into onto inward onward inwards onwards is oz jib job jibbed jobbed jibbing jobbing jibs jobs jig jog jigged jogged jigging jogging jigs jogs jigger jogger jiggers joggers jiggle joggle jiggled joggled jiggles joggles jiggling joggling jitters jotters kick cock kicked cocked kicking cocking kicks cocks kicks cox kid cod kidded codded kidding codding kids cods kill col kills cols killer choler killers cholers killer collar killers collars kin con kink conk kinked conked kinking conking kinks conks kip cop kipped copped kipping copping kips cops kipped Copt kipper copper kippers coppers kips copse kiss cos kissed cost kit cot kits cots kitten cotton kittens cottons knickers knockers knit knot knits knots knitted knotted knitting knotting knit not lib lob lick loch licks lochs lick lock licked locked licking locking licks locks lids Lodz lift loft lifted lofted lifting lofting lifts lofts lily lolly lilies lollies ling long lings longs linger longer lip lop lipped lopped lipping lopping lips lops liquor locker liquors lockers list lost lit lot Mick mock mid mod midden modern middens moderns middle model middles models mill moll mills molls Millie Molly mingle Mongol mingles Mongols minnow mono minster monster minsters monsters misc mosque miss moss misses mosses missy mossy mix mocks myth moth myths moths nib knob nibs knobs nib nob nibs nobs nibble nobble nibbled nobbled nibbles nobbles nibbling nobbling niche notch niches notches nick knock nicked knocked nicking knocking nicks knocks nit knot nits knots nit not nix knocks pick pock picked pocked picks pocks picket pocket picketed pocketed picketing pocketing pickets pockets picks pox pill poll pills polls pillared pollard pimp pomp pinned pond pip pop pipped popped pipping popping pips pops piston postern pistons posterns pit pot pits pots pitted potted pitting potting pithead pothead pitheads potheads pitied potted pities potties pitman potman pitmen potmen pity potty pricks prox prim prom prims proms primmest promised primped prompt pyx pocks pyx pox quid quad quids quads quiff quaff quiffs quaffs rib rob ribbed robbed ribbing robbing ribs robs rick roc ricks rocs rick rock ricked rocked ricking rocking ricks rocks rickets rockets Ricky rocky rid rod rids rods rim rhomb rims rhombs ring wrong ringed wronged ringing wronging rings wrongs shin shone ship shop shipped shopped shipping shopping ships shops shipper shopper shippers shoppers shit shot shits shots sic sock sick sock sicked socked sicking socking sicks socks Sid sod sidling sidelong sift soft sifter softer sill Sol sing song sings songs sip sop sipped sopped sipping sopping sips sops sit sot sits sots six socks sizzled sozzled skiff scoff skiffs scoffs skin scone skins scones skit scot skits scots skittish Scottish slip slop slipped slopped slipping slopping slips slops slippy sloppy slit slot slits slots slitting slotting spit spot spits spots spitting spotting squib squab squibs squabs squid squad squids squads stick stock sticking stocking sticks stocks sticky stocky stickier stockier stickiest stockiest stickily stockily string strong strip strop stripped stropped stripping stropping strips strops Styx stocks Syria sorrier therein thereon thing thong things thongs tiddler toddler tiddlers toddlers tiff toff tiffs toffs Tim Tom Timmy Tommy tings tongs tip top tipped topped tipping topping tips tops tipple topple tippled toppled tipples topples tippling toppling tit tot tits tots titter totter tittered tottered tittering tottering titters totters twiddle twaddle twiddled twaddled twiddles twaddles twiddling twaddling typical topical typically topically wherein whereon which watch whin wan whip whop whipped whopped whipping whopping whips whops whit watt whits watts whit what whits what's whittle wattle whittles wattles whittle what'll whiz was Willie Wally willow wallow willows wallows win wan wind wand winds wands winner wanna winner wanner Winnie whinny wish wash wished washed wishes washes wishing washing wisp wasp wisps wasps wit watt wits watts wit what wits what's witch watch witches watches witching watching wrick roc wricks rocs wrick rock wricked rocked wricking rocking wricks rocks wring wrong wrings wrongs writ rot writs rots written rotten yearling yearlong
