Vowels 12 and 20, /ə/ versus /ʊə/    4 pairs      [asiaazure.html]

The dictionary did not list any pairs for this contrast, but there is no absolute reason for this. Some speakers might make the pair Asia/azure into a minimal pair, although most people will pronounce them identically. The German name Dieter, which was not in the dictionary, contrasts with detour which unusually uses the /ʊə/ diphthong in an unstressed position. Recently there has come into being an insurance company called e-sure, and this makes a minimal pair with the place name Esher. Buster and bus-tour, which were not in the dictionary, are different in stress so are not truly minimal.

Asia azure	   
Dieter detour
Esher e-sure	 
Buster bus-tour.

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2009,
updated Chiang Mai, May 2024.