Vowel 2, /ɪ/, and all consonants, 978 pairs. [dewydupe.html]

It could be argued that none of the pairs below are minimal, since they differ in syllable structure. Vowel /ɪ/ is common as prefix and suffix, which means that it can make an apparent contrast with any consonant which can cluster in such positions, e.g. elide/glide or classy/clasp. It can also contrast with a syllabic consonant, and there are many pairs with /l/ such as catty/cattle, and with /n/ such as passes/parsons. There are a few cases in which a CVC structure is contrasted with a triple consonant cluster, such as serene/screen and monitor/monster. The largest groups are the pairs contrasting /ɪ/ with /t/, /d/, /s/ and /z/, nearly all accounted for by pairing a -y ending with a plural or past tense.

    
    /p/, 33 pairs
    
    Ali alp
    Alice alps
    alley alp
    chummy chump
    clammy clamp
    classy clasp
    dewy dupe
    dummy dump
    Elaine plain
    Elaine plane
    elate plate
    elates plates
    erase praise
    erase prays
    erase preys
    erased praised
    gammy gamp
    grassy grasp
    gullet gulped
    gully gulp
    hooey hoop
    hooey whoop
    illume plume
    illumed plumed
    illumes plumes
    Lewes loops
    Lewis loops
    Louis loop
    lumme lump
    rummy rump
    slummy slump
    suet souped
    tammy tamp
    
    /b/, 13 pairs
    
    Ali alb
    alley alb
      alleys albs
    elude blued
    erase braes
    erase braise
      erased braised
    erase brays
    illume bloom
      illumed bloomed
      illumes blooms
      illuming blooming
    Joey Job
    
    /t/, 144 pairs
    
    anise ants
    Annie ant
    baccy backed
    basis bastes
    beefy beefed
    belly belt
    Benny bent
    Bernie burnt
    Bessie best
    bookie booked
    bossy bossed
    branchy branched
    Buckie bucked
    bulky bulked
    bumpy bumped
    canny cant
    chalky chalked
    chancy chanced
    cheeky cheeked
    chirpy chirped
    choppy chopped
    classy classed
    cocky cocked
    coffee coughed
    Connie cont
    cookie cooked
    cooky cooked
    coppice Copts
    copy copped
    copy Copt
    cranky cranked
    creaky creaked
    dais dates
    Delhi dealt
    Denis dents
    Dennis dents
    Denny dent
    dressy dressed
    ducky ducked
    ducky duct
    dumpy dumped
    earthy earthed
    erase trays
    Farsi fast
    Fawley fault
    flaky flaked
    flashy flashed
    fleecy fleeced
    floppy flopped
    fluffy fluffed
    flunkey flunked
    Forli fault
    foxy foxed
    freaky freaked
    frothy frothed
    funky funked
    fussy fussed
    gassy gassed
    glassy glassed
    glossy glossed
    goofy goofed
    grassy grassed
    greasy greased
    happy happed
    harpy harped
    hockey hocked
    honey hunt
    hooey hoot
    hooky hooked
    Horley halt
    horny haunt
    huffy huffed
    husky husked
    Jackie jacked
    jenny gent
    Jenny gent
    jerky jerked
    Jessie jest
    jumpy jumped
    Kenny Kent
    kopje copped
    kopje Copt
    lackey lacked
    lacy laced
    leafy leafed
    leaky leaked
    Lenny leant
    Lenny lent
    Lewis loots
    Lewis lutes
    loopy looped
    Louis loot
    Louis lute
    Lucy loosed
    lumpy lumped
    many meant
    massy massed
    messy messed
    Morley malt
    mucky mucked
    nappy knapped
    nappy napped
    Nelly knelt
    parky parked
    patchy patched
    peaky peaked
    peaky peeked
    peaky piqued
    Percy pursed
    perky perked
    plucky plucked
    poppy popped
    puffy puffed
    pulpy pulped
    pursy pursed
    racy raced
    recce wrecked
    rocky rocked
    rookie rooked
    runny runt
    rushy rushed
    sappy sapped
    saucy sauced
    scampi scamped
    scrappy scrapped
    scratchy scratched
    sexy sexed
    sketchy sketched
    sloppy slopped
    smelly smelt
    snaky snaked
    snappy snapped
    sneaky sneaked
    soppy sopped
    sorely salt
    squashy squashed
    squeaky squeaked
    sulky sulked
    swampy swamped
    swanky swanked
    Venice vents
    washy washed
    waxy waxed
    Yankee yanked
    
    /d/, 118 pairs
    
    Annie and
    any end
    army armed
    assembly assembled
    baggy bagged
    Batley battled
    belly belled
    Benny bend
    Bernie burned
    bobby bobbed
    boggy bogged
    bonny bond
    booby boobed
    boozy boozed
    breezy breezed
    bubbly bubbled
    Buckley buckled
    budgie budged
    buggy bugged
    canny canned
    chummy chummed
    clammy clammed
    cloggy clogged
    Connie conned
    coolie cooled
    corny corned
    Crawley crawled
    creamy creamed
    crumbly crumbled
    curly curled
    easy eased
    edgy edged
    equally equalled
    Ernie earned
    fanny fanned
    foggy fogged
    funny fund
    gluey glued
    granny grand
    groovy grooved
    grubby grubbed
    gully gulled
    gummy gummed
    gunny gunned
    Hagley haggled
    Harvey halved
    hooey who'd
    Horley hauled
    horny horned
    Hughie hewed
    Hughie hued
    humbly humbled
    jaggy jagged
    jazzy jazzed
    jelly gelled
    jemmy gemmed
    jenny genned
    Kenny kenned
    Kirkby curbed
    knobbly nobbled
    Lenny lend
    lobby lobbed
    lolly lolled
    many mend
    moony mooned
    Morley mauled
    motley mottled
    movie moved
    muggy mugged
    nervy nerved
    Netley nettled
    oozy oozed
    pally palled
    palmy palmed
    parsley parcelled
    pearly pearled
    pearly purled
    Peggy pegged
    penny penned
    phooey food
    plummy plumbed
    pulley pulled
    rankly rankled
    roomy roomed
    roughly ruffled
    ruinous rudeness
    salami salaamed
    scraggy scragged
    screwy screwed
    scrubby scrubbed
    seamy seamed
    seamy seemed
    shaggy shagged
    shammy shammed
    slangy slanged
    slummy slummed
    smelly smelled
    smudgy smudged
    smugly smuggled
    snugly snuggled
    sonny sunned
    spongy sponged
    squally squalled
    steamy steamed
    steely steeled
    stele steeled
    stormy stormed
    straggly straggled
    stubby stubbed
    sunny sunned
    tourney turned
    tunny tonned
    unequally unequalled
    Warley walled
    weeny weaned
    wheezy wheezed
    wobbly wobbled
    wormy wormed
    
    /k/, 15 pairs
    
    dewy duke
    elapse claps
    Ellie elk
    elude clewed
    erase craze
      erased crazed
    hussy husk
    Louis Luke
    mossy mosque
    mullet mulct
      mullets mulcts
    serene screen
    sully sulk
    tally talc
    tangy tank
    
    /g/, 8 pairs
    
    elide glide
      elides glides
    elude glued
    erase graze
      erased grazed
    erase greys
    illume gloom
      illumes glooms
    
    /ʧ/, 13 pairs
    
    belly belch
    Benny bench
    blarney blanch
    bunny bunch
    Connie conch
    gully gulch
    honey hunch
    hooey hooch
    horny haunch
    money munch
    mullet mulched
    punnet punched
    rennet wrenched
    
    /ʤ/, 2 pairs
    
    Hughie huge
    screwy Scrooge
    
    /f/, 17 pairs
    
    Ali Alf
    alley Alf
    Delhi delf
    elapse flaps
    elect flecked
    Ellie elf
    erase frays
    erase phrase
      erased phrased
    golly golf
    gooey goof
    gully gulf
    hooey hoof
    illume flume
      illumes flumes
    rally Ralph
    woolly wolf
    
    /v/, 7 pairs
    
    clayey clave
    Delhi delve
    sally salve
      sallied salved
      sallies salves
    solid solved
    woolies wolves
    
    
    /ʒ/, 1 pair
    
    Louis luge
     
    /s/, 161 pairs
    
    ante ants
    arty arts
    auntie aunts
    baccy backs
    batty bats
    beefy beefs
    Betty bets
    bookie books
    booty boots
    Buckie bucks
    bulky bulks
    bumpy bumps
    carroty carats
    carroty carrots
    catty cats
    chalky chalks
    chatty chats
    cheeky cheeks
    chirpy chirps
    choppy chops
    chunky chunks
    cocky cocks
    cocky cox
    coffee coughs
    Connie Cons
    cookie cooks
    copy cops
    copy copse
    crafty crafts
    cranky cranks
    creaky creaks
    creaky creeks
    creepy creeps
    Denny dense
    dewy deuce
    dotty dots
    draughty drafts
    draughty draughts
    ducky ducks
    dumpy dumps
    earthy earths
    eightpenny eightpence
    eighty eights
    Elaine slain
    elate slate
    Ellie else
    elude slewed
    enough snuff
    fatty fats
    faulty faults
    Fawley false
    flaky flakes
    floppy flops
    fluffy fluffs
    flunkey flunks
    forty forts
    freaky freaks
    frothy froths
    fruity fruits
    frumpy frumps
    funky funks
    gawky gawks
    gooey goose
    goofy goofs
    Gorky gawks
    grotty grots
    Haiti hates
    hanky hanks
    happy haps
    harpy harps
    hearty harts
    hearty hearts
    hockey hocks
    hooky hooks
    huffy huffs
    inapt snapped
    Jackie jacks
    jaunty jaunts
    jerky jerks
    jetty jets
    jumpy jumps
    junkie junks
    junky junks
    Kelty Celts
    kepi capes
    knotty knots
    kopje cops
    kopje copse
    lackey lacks
    lackey lax
    leafy leafs
    leaky leaks
    leaky leeks
    lengthy lengths
    lofty lofts
    loopy loops
    Louis loose
    lucky luxe
    lumpy lumps
    maggoty maggots
    matey mates
    meaty meats
    meaty meets
    meaty metes
    monarchy monarchs
    monitor monster
    monitors monsters
    monkey monks
    mucky mucks
    nappy knaps
    nappy naps
    natty gnats
    naughty naughts
    naughty noughts
    nutty nuts
    parky parks
    party parts
    patty pats
    Patty pats
    peaky peaks
    peaky peeks
    peaky pekes
    peaky piques
    penny pence
    perky perks
    petty pets
    plucky plucks
    poppy pops
    potty pots
    puffy puffs
    pulpy pulps
    puppy pups
    puttee putts
    putty putts
    ratty rats
    recce Rex
    recce wrecks
    rocky rocks
    rocky rocs
    rookie rooks
    shaky shakes
    shaky sheikhs
    shaky sheiks
    shirty shirts
    tacky tacks
    tacky tax
    talkie talks
    talkie torques
    tatty tats
    tenet tensed
    threepenny threepence
    toffee toffs
    toughie toughs
    treaty treats
    tuppenny tuppence
    turkey Turks
    Warley waltz
    warranty warrants
    weighty waits
    weighty weights
    Yankee yanks
    
    /z/, 264 pairs
    
    Amy aims
    any N's
    army alms
    army arms
    assembly assembles
    baby babes
    baggy bags
    bailey bails
    bailey bales
    bandy bands
    barony barons
    bastardy bastards
    Batley battles
    bawdy bawds
    bawdy boards
    beady beads
    belly belles
    belly bells
    Benny bens
    Bernie burns
    bloody bloods
    bobby bobs
    boggy bogs
    booby boobs
    brainy brains
    brandy brands
    broody broods
    bubbly bubbles
    Buckley buckles
    buddy buds
    buggy bugs
    bully bulls
    bunny buns
    cabby cabs
    caddie cads
    caddy cads
    canny cans
    centrally centrals
    Charlie Charles
    chummy chums
    clammy clams
    cloggy clogs
    collie cols
    commercially commercials
    Connie cons
    coolie cools
    corny corns
    craggy crags
    Crawley crawls
    creamy creams
    crumbly crumbles
    cuddly cuddles
    curly curls
    curtly kirtles
    custody custards
    daddy dads
    daily dales
    Debbie debs
    Delhi dells
    demagogy demagogues
    Denny dens
    dewy dues
    doggy dogs
    dolly dolls
    doubly doubles
    dreamy dreams
    early earls
    Ellie L's
    Ely eels
    equally equals
    Ernie earns
    Ernie urns
    faddy fads
    fanny fans
    Fawley falls
    felony felons
    ferny ferns
    foggy fogs
    fondly fondles
    fuggy fugs
    gaily Gaels
    gaily gales
    galley gals
    gamy games
    gaudy gauds
    generally generals
    genie genes
    genie jeans
    Germany Germans
    gloomy glooms
    gluey glues
    gluttony gluttons
    goody goods
    gravy graves
    greyly grails
    groovy grooves
    grubby grubs
    gully gulls
    gummy gums
    gunny guns
    gutturally gutturals
    Hagley haggles
    handy hands
    Harvey halves
    heady heads
    hobby hobs
    honey Huns
    hooey who's
    hooey whose
    Horley halls
    Horley hauls
    horny horns
    hubby hubs
    Hughie hews
    Hughie hues
    humbly humbles
    jaggy jags
    Jeanie genes
    Jeanie jeans
    jelly gels
    jelly jells
    jemmy gems
    jenny gens
    Julie joules
    jungly jungles
    Kenny kens
    Kirkby curbs
    Kirkby kerbs
    knobbly nobbles
    laddie lads
    leggy legs
    Lenny lens
    lobby lobs
    lolly lolls
    loony loons
    Louis loos
    Louis lose
    Maggie mags
    Mamie maims
    mealie meals
    meany means
    meany miens
    medley medals
    medley meddles
    Molly molls
    moody moods
    moony moons
    morally morals
    Morley mauls
    motley mottles
    movie moves
    muddy muds
    muggy mugs
    mummy mums
    nationally nationals
    naturally naturals
    navy knaves
    navy naves
    needy kneads
    needy needs
    nervy nerves
    Netley nettles
    orally orals
    paddy pads
    Paddy pads
    paeony paeans
    paeony peons
    pally pals
    palmy palms
    parsley parcels
    pearly pearls
    pearly purls
    pebbly pebbles
    Peggy pegs
    penny pens
    Penny pens
    peony paeans
    peony peons
    plaguy plagues
    plummy plumbs
    plummy plums
    Polly polls
    poly polls
    pommy poms
    portly portals
    possibly possibles
    probably probables
    professionally professionals
    pulley pulls
    rainy rains
    rainy reigns
    rainy reins
    randy rands
    rankly rankles
    ready reds
    reedy reads
    reedy reeds
    roomy rooms
    roughly ruffles
    Rudy roods
    runny runs
    sadly saddles
    salami salaams
    sandy sands
    scabby scabs
    scaly scales
    scraggy scrags
    screwy screws
    scrubby scrubs
    seamy seams
    seamy seems
    seedy cedes
    seedy seeds
    shady shades
    shaggy shags
    shammy shams
    slangy slangs
    slavey slaves
    slummy slums
    smelly smells
    smugly smuggles
    snugly snuggles
    sonny sons
    sonny suns
    speedy speeds
    squally squalls
    steamy steams
    steely steals
    steely steels
    steeply steeples
    stele steals
    stele steels
    stormy storms
    straggly straggles
    stubby stubs
    study studs
    sunny sons
    sunny suns
    tabby tabs
    tangy tangs
    teddy Teds
    teeny teens
    telly tells
    thorny thorns
    tourney terns
    tourney turns
    trendy trends
    tubby tubs
    tunny tons
    tunny tuns
    volley vols
    wadi wads
    Warley walls
    wavy waives
    wavy waves
    weedy weeds
    weeny weans
    Wendy wends
    wobbly wobbles
    woody woods
    woolly wools
    wooly wools
    wordy words
    wormy worms
    
    /θ/, 3 pairs
    
    eighty eighth
    money month
    tennis tenths
    
    /m/, 4 pairs
    
    Ellie elm
    gluey gloom
    hooey whom
    Louis loom
    
    /n/, 63 pairs
    
    ashy ashen
    batted battened
    batty batten
    Bertie burton
    butted buttoned
    corded cordoned
    corses coarsens
    courses coarsens
    covey coven
    coveys covens
    coxes coxswains
    curly Koln
    cushy cushion
    dewy dune
    earthy earthen
    farces fastens
    Farsi fasten
    fatted fattened
    fatty fatten
    gaudy Gordon
    gooey goon
    guarded gardened
    hardy harden
    haughty Houghton
    hearted heartened
    hearty hearten
    heavy heaven
    Hughie hewn
    levee leaven
    levee Leven
    levees leavens
    levied leavened
    levies leavens
    levy leaven
    levy Leven
    looses loosens
    Louis loon
    lucid loosened
    Lucy loosen
    Maddy madden
    marshes Martians
    marshy Martian
    passes parsons
    patted patterned
    patties pattens
    patties patterns
    patty patten
    patty pattern
    Percy person
    purses persons
    pursy person
    rashes rations
    readies reddens
    ready redden
    saxes Saxons
    seizes seasons
    shorted shortened
    smarted smartened
    sweetie sweeten
    sweeties sweetens
    toughie toughen
    toughies toughens
    woody wooden
    
    /l/, 111 pairs
    
    added addled
    axes axles
    batted battled
    batty battle
    beady beadle
    bevies bevels
    bevy bevel
    boggy boggle
    booty Bootle
    Buckie buckle
    buses bustles
    bushes bushels
    bushy bushel
    candies candles
    candy candle
    catty cattle
    chances chancels
    chancy chancel
    chatty chattel
    cocky cockle
    codded coddled
    Corby corbel
    dandy dandle
      dandies dandles
    dotty dottle
    druid drooled
    eases easels
    easy easel
    fjord flawed
    fjord floored
    fosses fossils
    funny funnel
    girded girdled
    gooey ghoul
    gooey Goole
    gunny gunwale
    handed handled
    handy handle
    herded hurdled
    hobbies hobbles
    hobby hobble
    hooey who'll
    hussies hustles
    hussy hustle
    josses jostles
    journey journal
    journeys journals
    Kenny kennel
    kneaded needled
    mammies mammals
    mammy mammal
    marshes marshals
    marshy marshal
    marshy martial
    monarchies monocles
    monarchy monocle
    mucky muckle
    muddied muddled
    muddies muddles
    muddy muddle
    musses muscles
    musses mussels
    muzzy muzzle
    needed needled
    needy needle
    nesses nestles
    netted nettled
    oozes ouzels
    oozy ouzel
    padded paddled
    paddies paddles
    paddy paddle
    passes parcels
    pasties pastels
    pasty pastel
    peruses perusals
    petted petaled
    petty petal
    Phoebe feeble
    phooey fool
    pommies pommels
    pommy pommel
    ratted rattled
    ratty rattle
    rooted rootled
    routed rootled
    rubies roubles
    ruby rouble
    ruddy ruddle
    runny runnel
    sanded sandalled
    sandy sandal
    started startled
    stubby stubble
    tacky tackle
    tatted tattled
    tatty tattle
    teases teasels
    toddies toddles
    toddy toddle
    tooted tootled
    tresses trestles
    tunnies tunnels
    tunny tunnel
    wadded waddled
    wadi waddle
    wadis waddles
    weeded wheedled
    weedy wheedle
    wheezes weasels
    wheezy weasel
    
    /r/, 2 pairs
    
    fjord fraud
    fjords frauds
    
    
>

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