Consonants /d/ versus /g/, 275 pairs     [daygay.html]

The spelling of /d/ in this list is <d> or <dd>. The /g/ sound is spelled <g>, <gg> or <gh> in ghost. Notice how the homograph do makes pairs with go and goo, and the homograph lead makes pairs with league and leg.

The contrast is between two voiced plosives, well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for learners.

The only taboo word pair is shad/shag.

Interesting pairs include:

Diana Guyana
dramatically grammatically
laddered laggard
odour ogre
order auger

The mean density value is 2.2%. The list makes 144 semantic distinctions, a loading of 54%.

 
Auden organ
bad bag
beadle beagle
  beadles beagles
bed beg
  bedding begging
  beds begs
berg bird
  bergs birds
bid big
bidder bigger
body boggy
brad brag
  brads brags
bud bug
  budding bugging
  buds bugs
buddy buggy
  buddies buggies
clod clog
  clods clogs
cod cog
  cods cogs
D ghee
dab gab
dabble gabble
  dabbled gabbled
  dabbles gabbles
  dabbling gabbling
dad gad
  dads gads
dado dago
  dados dagos
daily gaily
daisies gazes
dale Gael 
  dales Gaels 
dale gale 
  dales gales 
dally galley
  dallies galleys
dame game
  dames games
damp gamp
  damps gamps
dander gander
Dane gain
  Danes gains
dangling gangling
dash gash
  dashed gashed
  dashing gashing
date gait
  dates gaits
date gate
  dated gated
  dates gates
  dating gating
daunt gaunt
Dave gave
daw gore
  daws gores
daws gauze
day gay
  days gays
days gaze
daze gaze  
  dazed gazed
  dazing gazing
  dazes gazes
dear gear
  dears gears
dearth girth
  dearths girths
debt get
  debts gets
deign gain
  deigned gained
  deigning gaining
  deigns gains
dekko gecko	  
dent Ghent 
dhoti goatee
Di guy
Diana Guyana
did dig
diddle giggle
  diddled giggled
  diddles giggles
  diddling giggling
die guy	   
  dies guys
  dying guying
dies guise
died guide
dig gig
  digs gigs
dill gill
dirt girt
dirty Gertie 
do go
do goo
doe go
  does goes
dole goal
  doles goals
doled gold
Dolly golly
don gone	 
done gun
door gore
dory gory
dosed ghost	
dosh gosh
dot got
dote goat
  dotes goats
doubt gout
Doug dud	 
Dougal google
doughty gouty	
dove Guv
dower Gower
down gown
  downed gowned
  downing gowning
  downs gowns
drab grab
drabber grabber
drachm gram
  drachms grams
draft graft
  drafted grafted
  drafting grafting
  drafts grafts
drain grain
  drained grained
  drains grains
dramatically grammatically
drape grape
  drapes grapes
dray gray
  drays grays
drew grew
drill grill
  drilled grilled
  drilling grilling
  drills grilles
drip grip
  dripped gripped
  dripping gripping
drizzle grizzle
  drizzled grizzled
  drizzles grizzles
  drizzling grizzling
drizzly grisly
drone groan
  droned groaned
  drones groans
  droning groaning
droop group
  drooped grouped
  drooping grouping
  droops groups
drove grove
  droves groves
drowned ground
drub grub
  drubbed grubbed
  drubbing grubbing
  drubs grubs
drudge grudge
  drudged grudged
  drudges grudges
  drudging grudging
dudgeon gudgeon
duds dugs
dull gull
  dulled gulled
  dulling gulling
  dulls gulls
dumb gum
dummy gummy
dun gun
  dunned gunned
  dunning gunning
  duns guns
dunk gunk
dust gust
  dusts gusts
  dusting gusting
dusty gusty
  dustier gustier
  dustiest gustiest
Ed egg	
eddy eggy
erg erred
fad fag
  fads fags
feud fugue
  feuds fugues
gad gag
  gadding gagging
  gads gags
girdle gurgle
  girdled gurgled
  girdles gurgles
  girdling gurgling
had hag
hod hog
  hods hogs
lad lag
  lads lags
laddered laggard
larder laager 
  larders laagers 
lards Largs 
lead league	   
  leads leagues
  leading leaguing
lead leg
  leaded legged
  leading legging
Leeds leagues
mad mag
Maddy Maggie
Maud morgue
Med Meg
modal mogul
mud mug
  mudding mugging
  muds mugs
muddy muggy
  muddier muggier
  muddiest muggiest
odour ogre
  odours ogres
order auger 
  orders augers 
order augur
  orders augurs  
  ordered augured 
  ordering auguring 
plague played	  
reader Riga
redress regress
  redressed regressed
  redresses regresses
  redressing regressing
rid rig
  ridding rigging
  rids rigs
riddle wriggle
  riddled wriggled
  riddles wriggles
  riddling wriggling
road rogue
  roads rogues
rode rogue  
rowed rogue
rudder rugger
sad sag
shad shag
straddle straggle
  straddled straggled
  straddles straggles
  straddling straggling
stud stung
Ted teg
  Teds tegs
thud thug
  thuds thugs
toddle toggle
  toddles toggles
undramatically ungrammatically

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, February 2010
updated Chiang Mai, 2024