Consonants /f/ versus /j/, 70 pairs     [fenyen.html]

The /f/ sound is spelled with <f> or <ph> in phase. The /j/ sound is spelled <y> throughout. The contrast can only occur initially.

The contrast is between a voiceless labio-dental fricative and a voiced palatal semivowel. It is not a problem.

The only aboo word pair is fuck/yuck.

Interesting pairs include:

focal yokel
fonder yonder
furlong yearlong

The mean density value is 1.7%. The list makes 44 semantic distinctions, a loading of 63%.

 	
fa yah
fall yawl
  falls yawls
far yah
farrow yarrow
fate Yate 
faugh yaw
faugh yore
faugh your
faun yawn
  fauns yawns
fawn yawn
  fawns yawns  
  fawned yawned
  fawning yawning
fear year
  fears years
fee ye
fell yell
  felled yelled
  felling yelling
  fells yells
fellow yellow
  fellows yellows
fen yen
  fens yens
fend yenned
fern yearn
  ferns yearns
fey yea
field yield
  fielded yielded
  fielding yielding
  fields yields
fir year
  firs years
fob yob
  fobs yobs
focal yokel
fogey yogi
  fogeys yogis
folk yoke
  folks yokes
folk yolk
  folks yolks
fonder yonder
food you'd
for yaw
for yore
for your
fore yaw
fore yore
fore your
four yaw
  fours yaws
four yore
four your	  
  fours yours
ford yawed
fork York 
foul yowl
  fouled yowled
  fouling yowling
  fouls yowls
fuck yuck
fur year
  furs years
furling yearling
furlong yearlong
phase yeas

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