Consonants /d/ versus /w/, 197 pairs     [direwire.html]

The /d/ sound is spelled with <d>, and the /w/ sound with <w> or <wh>, and we also hear it in the irregular spellings one and once. Since /w/ can only occur at the start of the syllable in RP, all contrasts are initial or in one case medial. Notice how the partial homograph Wear/wear makes pairs with dare and dear and the homograph do pairs with woe and woo.

The contrast is between a voiced stop and a voiced semivowel, well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for learners.

The only taboo word pairs is dank/wank.

Interesting pairs include:

deacon weaken
diesel weasel
dither wither
dollop wallop

The mean density value is 1.7%. The list makes 113 semantic distinctions, a loading of 57%.

 
adored award
D we
D wee
  D's wees
dairy wary
Dakar whacker
dale wail
  dales wails
dale whale
  dale whale  
dales Wales
Dalton Walton
Dane wain
  Danes wains
Dane wane
  Danes wanes
Dane Wayne
dangle wangle
  dangled wangled
  dangles wangles
  dangling wangling
dank wank  
dare ware
  dares wares
  dared wared
  daring waring
dare wear
  dares wears
  daring wearing
date wait
  dated waited
  dates waits
  dating waiting
date weight
  dates weights
  dating weighting
  dated weighted
dateless weightless
daughter water
  daughters waters
Dave waive
Dave wave
Davey wavy
daw war
  daws wars
dawn warn
  dawned warned
  dawning warning
  dawns warns
day way
  days ways
day weigh
 days weighs   
day whey
daze ways
daze weighs
deacon weaken
  deacons weakens
dead wed
deadlock wedlock	
deal weal
  deals weals
deal wheel
  dealing wheeling
  deals wheels
dealt welt
dear Wear 
dear weir
  dears weirs
dearie weary
  dearies wearies
deb web
  debs webs
debt wet
  debts wets
debtor wetter
deed weed
  deeds weeds
deft weft
deign wain
  deigns wains
deing wane  
  deigns wanes
  deigned waned
  deigning waning
dell well
  dells wells
delta welter
  deltas welters
den wen
  dens wens
dense whence
dent went
dhow wow
  dhows wows
Di Y
Di why
diary wiry
Dick Wick
die Y
  dies Y's
die why
died wide
diesel weasel
  diesels weasels
dig Whig
  digs Whigs
dig wig
  digs wigs
  digging wigging
  diggings wiggings
dill will
dim whim
  dims whims
dimple wimple
  dimples wimples
dine whine
  dined whined
  dines whines
  dining whining
diner whiner
  diners whiners
dine wine
  dined wined
  dines wines
  dining wining
dip whip
  dipped whipped
  dips whips
dire wire
dirk work
  dirks works
dirt wert
disc whisk
  discs whisks
dish wish
  dishes wishes
  dishing wishing
  dished wished
ditch which
  ditches witches
  ditching witching
dither whither
dither wither
  dithered withered
  dithering withering
  dithers withers
ditty witty
dive wive
  dives wives
do whoa
do woe
do woo
  do's woos
  doing wooing
doe whoa
doe woe
  does woes
doer wooer
  doers wooers
doffed waft
doled wold
dollar wallah
  dollars wallahs
dollop wallop
  dollops wallops
Dolly Wally
don wan
done one
done won
donkey wonky
donned wand
don't won't
doom womb
  dooms wombs
door war
  doors wars
Doric Warwick
Dorking walking
dormer warmer
  dormers warmers
dot watt
dottle wattle
  dottles wattles
downed wound
dun one
  duns ones
dun won
dunce once
durst worst
dye Y
  dyes Y's
dye why
dyer wire
  dyers wires
midday midway
someday someway

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