Consonant /p/ with all vowels, 139 pairs. [dupedewy.html]

A contrast between a consonant and a vowel has a different status from that between two consonants, since the syllable structure and stress pattern are bound to be upset. This applies particularly to such a "consonanty" consonant as /p/. However, since /p/ enters consonant clusters very readily, there will be pairs in which it apparently contrasts with a (usually unstressed) vowel before a consonant, and these might be a problem for learners whose first language has fewer clusters. Such pairs include: crimped cremate, souped suet, sprees cerise, sprees series, spring soaring, yelping yellowing.

Fifteen of the twenty vowel phonemes displayed minimal pairs with /p/. If no contrast is reported below, then no pairs showed up in this dictionary.

The largest groups are those involving /ɪ/ and /ə/, which are commonly involved in making inflections and derivations.

    /ɪ/ 
      alp Ali 
      alp alley 
      alps Alice 
      chump chummy 
      clamp clammy 
      clasp classy 
      dump dummy 
      dupe dewy 
      gamp gammy 
      grasp grassy 
      gulp gully 
      gulped gullet 
      hoop hooey 
      loop Louis 
      loops Lewes 
      lump lumme 
      plain Elaine 
      plane Elaine 
      plate elate 
        plates elates 
      plume illume 
        plumed illumed 
        plumes illumes 
      praise erase 
        praised erased 
        praises erases 
      prays erase 
      preys erase 
      rump rummy 
      slump slummy 
      souped suet 
      tamp tammy 
      whoop hooey 
      
    /e/ 
      duped duet 
      plasticity elasticity 
      play LA 
      pricker Erica 
      
    /æ/ 
      placate allocate 
        placated allocated 
        placates allocates 
        placating allocating 
      prate arête 
        prates arêtes
      pricker areca 
        prickers arecas 
        
    /ɑ/
      pray RA 
      prey RA 
      
    /ɒ/ 
      capes chaos 
      pricks oryx 
      prison orison 
        prisons orisons

    /ɔ/ 
      ping awing 
      prate orate 
        prated orated 
        prates orates 
        prating orating
      prickle auricle 
        prickles auricles 
        spring soaring 
        
    /u/ 
      spit suet 
      vamps vamoose 
      
    /3/ imps immerse 
    
    /ə/ 
      alp Allah 
      clamp clamour 
      cramp crammer 
      dump dumber 
      gamp gamma 
      gape gayer 
      grape grayer 
      helped helot 
      hoop who're 
      lamps Lammas 
      play allay 
        played allayed 
        playing allaying 
        plays allays 
      plea alee
      pledge allege 
        pledged alleged 
        pledges alleges 
        pledging alleging 
      plot allot
        plots allots 
        plotted allotted 
        plotting allotting 
      praise arrays 
      pray array
        prayed arrayed 
        praying arraying 
        prays arrays 
      pressed arrest 
      prey array
        preyed arrayed 
        preying arraying 
        preys arrays 
      prison arisen 
      rump rummer
      skimp skimmer 
      sprees cerise 
      stamp stammer 
      sump summer 
      troop truer 
      troupe truer 
      whoop who're 
      
    /eə/ 
      beep BA 
      crimped cremate 
      pleat élite 
        pleats élites 
      porter aorta 
        porters aortas 
        
    /aɪ/ 
      alp ally 
      jeep GI 
      P ie 
      Pam iamb
      pea ie 
      pee ie 
      ping eyeing 
      plash eyelash 
        plashes eyelashes 
      prate irate
      preen Irene 
      spam Siam 
      
    /oɪ/ 
      alp alloy 
      
    /əʊ/ 
      alp aloe 
      cape KO 
      lap Lao 
      leap Leo 
      ping owing 
      seep CO 
      yelp yellow 
        yelping yellowing 
        
    /ɪə/ 
      sprees series
      spring searing 
      
    /eə:/ 
      plume heirloom 
        plumes heirlooms 
      prate aerate 
        prated aerated 
        prates aerates 
        prating aerating
      

John Higgins, Stirling, February 2001
updated Chiang Mai, 2024