Vowel /ɪ/ versus null, 1348 pairs     [jellygel.html]

There are many morphemes which are realised as the /ɪ/ vowel, such as the -ly adverb ending on adjectives ending in -ful or -able, and the -y adjective- forming ending on nouns, such as cloudy from cloud. This is what accounts for the high total of minimal pairs. In the cases where /ɪ/ has been deleted from the middle of a word and the surrounding consonants closed up to make a cluster, the deleted vowel is usually unstressed, thus making this close to a true minimal pair, such as belays/blaze, though in some cases the stress has changed, eg billow/blow.

Homographs include the two pronunciations of aged, crabbed, dogged, learned and ragged. (Wicked is not in this dictionary with the sense of 'having a wick'.) There are a number of cases in which two /ɪ/ vowels have been deleted, such as notices/notes; these are not strictly minimal pairs, but have been left in.

The density value is 3.6%. The set makes 1187 semantic distinctions, giving a loading of 88%.

 	
ably able
acceptably acceptable
acuity acute
adorably adorable
adverbially adverbial
affably affable
aged aged
agilely agile
agreeably agreeable
algebraically algebraical
Ali Al
alley Al
amiably amiable
amply ample
Amy aim
Andy and
Annie an
Annie Ann
annually annual
ante ant
any N
appreciably appreciable
argosy Argus
arguably arguable
army arm
  armies arms
armies alms
artfully artful
arty art
ashy ash
assembly assemble
  assemblies assembles
audibly audible
auntie aren't
auntie aunt
Aussie oz
baby babe
  babies babes
baccy back
baggy bag
Bahraini Bahrain
bailey bail
  baileys bails
bailey bale
  baileys bales
balefully baleful
balmy balm
bandy band
  bandies bands
bandy banned
banefully baneful
Bangladeshi Bangladesh
barmy balm
barony baron
  baronies barons
barony barren
bashfully bashful
basket basked
bastardies bastards
bastardy bastard
Batley battle
batty bat
bawdy bawd
bawdy board
bawdy bored
beady bead
beefy beef
belayed blade
belays blaze
belie Blyth
belly bell
  bellied belled
  bellies bells
belly belle
  bellies belles
below blow
Benny ben
bereave breve
  bereaves breves
Bernie Bern
Bernie burn
Bertie Bert
Bessie Bess
bestially bestial
Betsy bets
Betty bet
Bhutani Bhutan
biennially biennial
bilaterally bilateral
billow blow
  billowed blowed
  billows blows
Blighty blight
bloody blood
blowzy blouse
boastfully boastful
bobby bob
  bobbies bobs
boggy bog
bonny Bonn
bony bone
booby boob
  boobies boobs
bookie book
booty boot
boozy boos
boozy booze
bossy boss
bouncy bounce
bracket bract
brackets bracts
brainy brain
branchy branch
brandy brand
  brandies brands
brassy brass
brawny brawn
breezy breeze
briny brine
broody brewed
broody brood
brownie brown
  brownies browns
bubbly bubble
bucket bucked
Buckie buck
Buckley buckle
buddy bud
  buddies buds
budgie budge
buffet buffed
buggy bug
  buggies bugs
bulky bulk
bully bull
  bullies bulls
bumpy bump
bunny bun
  bunnies buns
bushy bush
cabby cab
  cabbies cabs
caddy cad
  caddies cads
cagey cage
candy canned
canny can
canny Cannes
capably capable
carpet carped
carroty carat
carroty carrot
carsick cask
casually casual
catchy catch
Cathy Cath
catty cat
centennially centennial
centrally central
chalky chalk
chancy chance
chattily chattel
chatty chat
cheeky cheek
cheerfully cheerful
chirpy chirp
chokey choke
choosey chews
choosey choose
choppy chop
chummy chum
chunky chunk
clammy clam
classy class
clayey clay
cloggy clog
cloudy cloud
Clwyd clewed
cockiest coxed
cocky cock
coffee cough
coherency coherence
collie col
  collies cols
colloquially colloquial
comfortably comfortable
commercially commercial
compatibly compatible
complacency complacence
conceivably conceivable
conceptually conceptual
coney cone
  coneys cones
congenially congenial
conjugally conjugal
Connie con
constancy Constance
conversationally conversational
cookie cook
coolie cool
  coolies cools
coppice cops
coppice copse
copy cop
cordially cordial
corny corn
corset coursed
cosset cost
  cossets costs
countess counts
county count
coyly coil
crabbed crabbed
crafty craft
craggy crag
cranky crank
Crawley crawl
crazy craze
creaky creak
creaky creek
creamy cream
credibly credible
creepy creep
cabby cab
crony crone
  cronies crones
cruelly cruel
crumbly crumble
crusty crust
cuddly cuddle
culpably culpable
curly curl
curtly kirtle
custody custard
dacoity dacoit
daddy dad
  daddies dads
daily dale
  dailies dales
dais dace
daisy days
daisy daze
damnably damnable
Danny Dan
Darkie dark
Davey Dave
Debbie deb
Delhi dell
demagogy demagogue
demoniacally demoniacal
demonstrably demonstrable
Denis dense
Denny den
deride dried
derive drive
  derives drives
dewiest deuced
dewy dew
dewy due
dhoti dote
dicey dice
direfully direful
dirty dirt
divergency divergence
docket docked
dodgy dodge
dogged dogged
doggy dog
  doggies dogs
dolefully doleful
dolly doll
  dollies dolls
dopey dope
dotty dot
doubly double
doubtfully doubtful
doughty doubt
doughy doe
doughy doh
doughy dough
downy down
draughty draft
draughty draught
dreadfully dreadful
dreamy dream
dressy dress
dropsy drops
drowsy drowse
duchy Dutch
ducky duck
dummy dumb
dumpy dump
dusky dusk
dusty dost
dusty dust
early earl
earthy earth
easy ease
easy E's
eclair Clare
eddy ed
edgy edge
educe deuce
  educed deuced
efface face
  effaced faced
effete feat
effete feet
effusion fusion
  effusions fusions
eighty eight
Elaine lain
Elaine lane
elapse laps
elapse lapse
  elapsed lapsed
elate late
eleven leaven
  elevens leavens
elide lied
Eliza Liza
Ellie L
elope lope
  eloped loped
  elopes lopes
Elsie else
Ely eel
emend mend
  emends mends
emerge merge
  emerged merged
emotion motion
  emotionless motionless
  emotions motions
ennoble noble
  ennobles nobles
enumeration numeration
  enumerations numerations
equably equable
equally equal
erase raise
  erased raised
  eraser raiser
  erasers raisers
erase rase
  erased rased
erase rays
eraser razor
  erasers razors
erect wrecked
Ernie earn
Ernie urn
erode road
  erodes roads
erode rode
erode rowed
escutcheon scutcheon
  escutcheons scutcheons
especial special
espy spy
  espied spied
  espies spies
espouse spouse
Esquire squire
  Esquires squires
estate state
  estates states
esteem steam
  esteemed steamed
  esteems steams
estrange strange
ethyl Ethel
evaluation valuation
  evaluations valuations
event vent
  events vents
Excellency excellence
factually factual
faddy fad
faithfully faithful
fallacy phallus
fanny fan
  fannies fans
Farsi farce
fashionably fashionable
fatefully fateful
fatty fat
faucet forced
faulty fault
favourably favourable
Fawley fall
fearfully fearful
feebly feeble
felony felon 
  felonies felons
ferny fern
fiesta fester
  fiestas festers
finely final
fiord ford
  fiords fords
flaky flake
flashy flash
fleecy fleece
fleshy flesh
flexibly flexible
flighty flight
floozie flues
floppy flop
fluffy fluff
flunkey flunk
flunky flunk
foamy foam
foggy fog
folksy folks
fondly fondle
forcefully forceful
forcibly forcible
forgetfully forgetful
forty fort
forty fought
foully foul
foully fowl
foxy fox
freaky freak
Freddie Fred
fretfully fretful
Friday fried
frightfully frightful
frosty frost
frothy froth
fruitfully fruitful
fruity fruit
frumpy frump
fuggy fug
fully full
fully-fashioned full-fashioned
fully-fledged full-fledged
fully-grown full-grown
funky funk
funnily funnel
funny fun
fussy fuss
fusty fussed
fuzzy fuzz
gaily Gael
gaily gale
gainfully gainful
galley gal
  galleys gals
gamy game
gassy gas
gaudy gaud
  gaudies gauds
gaudy gored
gauzy gauze
gauzy gores
gawky gawk
generally general
genially genial
genie gene
  genies genes
genie jean
  genies jeans
genital gentle
gently gentle
Georgie George
Germany German
Gertie girt
glassy glass
gleefully gleeful
gloomy gloom
glossy gloss
gluey glue
gluttony glutton
goalie goal
  goalies goals
goody good
  goodies goods
gooey goo
goofy goof
Gorky gawk
gouty gout
gracefully graceful
gradually gradual
grassy grass
gratefully grateful
gravy grave
grayest graced
greasy grease
greedy greed
greyly grail
grimy grime
groggy grog
groovy groove
grotty grot
grouchy grouch
grubby grub
gully gull
  gullies gulls
gummy gum
gunny gun
gusset gust
  gussets gusts
gusty gust
gutturally guttural
Hagley haggle
Haiti hate
Halle Hal
handily handle
handiwork handwork
handy hand
hanky hank
happy hap
hardy hard
  hardiness hardness
harmfully harmful
harpy harp
Harvey halve
hasty haste
hatchet hatched
hatefully hateful
Hawick hawk
hazily hazel
hazy haze
heady head
healthy health
hearty hart
hearty heart
helpfully helpful
heterodoxy heterodox
hobby hob
  hobbies hobs
hockey hock
holy hole
  holies holes
holy whole
  holies wholes
homey home
honey Hun
  honeys Huns
honourably honourable
hooey Hoo
hooey who
hooky hook
hopefully hopeful
Horley hall
Horley haul
hornet haunt
  hornets haunts
Hornsea horns
horny horn
horribly horrible
horsy hoarse
horsy horse
hostess hosts
hostilely hostile
hubby hub
  hubbies hubs
huffy huff
Hughie hew
Hughie hue
Hughie Hugh
humbly humble
husky husk
icy ice
ideally ideal
idly idle
idly idol
igloo glue
  igloos glues
illegal legal
illegible legible
  illegibly legibly
illume loom
  illumed loomed
  illumes looms
immaterial material
immature mature
immeasurable measurable
  immeasurably measurably
immobile mobile
immoderate moderate
immoral moral
  immorally morally
immortal mortal
  immortals mortals
immovable movable
  immovably movably
immutable mutable
  immutably mutably
inapt knapped
inapt napped
innately natal
innumerable numerable
irreconcilable reconcilable
irregular regular
  irregulars regulars
irrelevance relevance
  irrelevant relevant
irreparable reparable
irresolute resolute
  irresolution resolution
irreverence reverence
  irreverent reverent
irrevocable revocable
issue shoe
  issues shoes
issue shoo
  issued shooed
  issues shoos
italic talc
itchier cheer
ivy I've
jacket jacked
Jackie jack
jagged jagged
jaggy jag
Janie Jane
jaunty jaunt
jazzy jazz
jealousy jealous
Jeanie gene
Jeanie jean
jelly gel
  jellied gelled
  jellies gels
jelly jell
  jellied jelled
  jellies jells
jemmy gem
  jemmies gems
jenny gen
  jennies gens
jerky jerk
Jessie Jess
jetty jet
Jewess juice
Joanie Joan
Joey Joe
Johnny john
jolty jolt
jovially jovial
jowly jowl
joyfully joyful
juicy juice
Julie joule
jumpy jump
jungly jungle
junkie junk
Katie Kate
Kelty Celt
Kenny ken
kepi cape
Kirkby curb
Kirkby kerb
knobbly nobble
knotty knot
knotty not
kopje cop
Kuwaiti Kuwait
lackey lack
lacy lace
laddie lad
  laddies lads
lady lade
lady laid
laic lake
lamentably lamentable
lancet lanced
lanky lank
lassie lass
laudably laudable
laughably laughable
lawfully lawful
lazy lays
lazy laze
lazy leys
leafy leaf
leafy lief
leaky leak
leaky leek
learned learned
leggy leg
legibly legible
lengthy length
leniency lenience
lenity leant
lenity Lent
lenity lent
Lenny Len
leprosy leprous
lettuce let's
Lewes loose
liaise lays
liaise laze
  liaised lazed
liaise leys
limey lime
  limeys limes
loamy loam
lobby lob
  lobbied lobbed
  lobbies lobs
locket locked
lofty loft
lolly loll
  lollies lolls
loony loon
  loonies loons
loopy loop
Louis lieu
Louis loo
loyally loyal
lucky luck
Lucy loose
lumpy lump
lusty lust
  lustfully lustful
Maddy mad
Maggie mag
maggoty maggot
Mali marl
Mamie maim
mammy ma'am
Mandy manned
manfully manful
mangy mange
maniacally maniacal
manually manual
many men
Maoist moused
Margie marge
market marked
marshy marsh
massy mass
masterfully masterful
matchet matched
materially material
matey mate
Maudie Maud
mealie meal
  mealies meals
meanie mean
  meanies means
meanie mien
  meanies miens
measurably measurable
meaty meat
meaty meet
meaty mete
medially medial
medley medal
  medleys medals
medley meddle
  medleys meddles
memorably memorable
menially menial
messy mess
mighty might
mighty mite
mindfully mindful
mirthfully mirthful
Molly moll
monarchy monarch
monkey monk
moody mood
moody mooed
moony moon
morally moral
Morley maul
mosey mows
mossy moss
motley mottle
mouldy mould
Mountie mount
mournfully mournful
mousy mouse
movie move
  movies moves
mucky muck
muddies muds
muddy mud
mufti muffed
muggy mug
mummy mum
  mummies mums
murky murk
mushy mush
musky musk
musty mussed
musty must
mutually mutual
Nailsea nails
nappy knap
nappy nap
nationally national
natty gnat
naturally natural
naughty nought
navy knave
  navies knaves
navy nave
  navies naves
Neddy Ned
needfully needful
needy knead
needy need
Nelly knell
nervy nerve
Netley nettle
newsy news
nightie knight
nightie night
nobly noble
noisy noise
nosey knows
nosey nose
notably notable
notice notes
numeracy numerous
nutty nut
objectionably objectionable
obscenity absent
observably observable
oily oil
Omani Oman
oozy ooze
optionally optional
orally aural
orally oral
orchis auks
ordinance ordnance
orthodoxy orthodox
ostensibly ostensible
Ozzie oz
packet packed
packet pact
  packets pacts
paddy pad
  paddies pads
paederasty pederast
paeony paean
  paeonies paeans
paeony peon
  paeonies peons
painfully painful
palatably palatable
pallid palled
pally pal
palmy palm
palpably palpable
palsy palls
palsy pawls
pansy pans
pardonably pardonable
parky park
parochially parochial
parsley parcel
party part
passably passable
pastille pastel
  pastilles pastels
pasty paced
pasty paste
patchy patch
patty pat
paunchy paunch
pawky pork
peaceably peaceable
peacefully peaceful
peaky peak
peaky peek
peaky peke
peaky pique
pearly pearl
pearly purl
peaty peat
peaty Pete
pebbly pebble
pederasty pederast
Peggy peg
pellet pelt
  pellets pelts
penny pen
  pennies pens
perceptibly perceptible
perceptually perceptual
Percy purse
perennially perennial
perky perk
permanency permanence
perpetually perpetual
perplexity perplexed
pettily petal
petty pet
phoney phone
  phoneys phones
piastre pasta
pilau plough
plaguy plague
plausibly plausible
playfully playful
pleasurably pleasurable
plucky pluck
plummy plum
plummy plumb
plushy plush
pocket pocked
poesy pose
poky poke
Polly poll
poly poll
polys polls
pommy pom
  pommies poms
pony pone
  ponies pones
poppet popped
poppy pop
portly portal
possibly possible
posy pose
potty pot
powerfully powerful
preferably preferable
preternaturally preternatural
pricey price
primacy primus
probably probable
professionally professional
prosy pros
prosy prose
proverbially proverbial
proxy prox
pruriency prurience
puffy puff
pulley pull
  pulleys pulls
pulpy pulp
punctually punctual
punnet punt
  punnets punts
puppy pup
purposefully purposeful
pursy purse
pussy puss
puttee putt
putty putt
questionably questionable
racket racked
racquet racked
racy race
radially radial
ragged ragged
rainy rain
rainy reign
rainy rein
randy rand
rankly rankle
rationally rational
ratty rat
react racked
ready red
  readies reds
ready read
really real
reasonably reasonable
recce wreck
recognizably recognizable
reedy read
reedy reed
refit reefed
regally regal
relevancy relevance
rennet rent
reputably reputable
restfully restful
rightfully rightful
Rijeka wrecker
rocket rocked
rocky roc
rocky rock
Ronnie Ron
rookie rook
roomy rheum
roomy room
ropey rope
Rosie roes
Rosie rose
Rosie rows
rosy roes
rosy rose
rosy Rose
rosy rows
roughly ruffle
roundly roundel
rowdy rowed
royally royal
Rudy rood
Rudy rude
Rudy rued
ruefully rueful
ruin rune
  ruins runes
rummy rum
runny run
rushy rush
russet rust
  russets rusts
rusty rust
sadly saddle
salami salaam
salty salt
Sammy Sam
sandy sand
sappy sap
saucy sauce
saucy source
scabby scab
scaly scale
scampi scamp
scanty scant
scatty scat
schmaltzy schmaltz
scornfully scornful
scoundrelly scoundrel
scraggy scrag
scrappy scrap
scratchy scratch
screwy screw
scrubby scrub
scruffy scruff
scummy scum
scurfy scurf
seamy seam
seamy seem
secure skewer
  secured skewered
  secures skewers
sedgy sedge
seedy cede
seedy seed
senate cent
  senates cents
senate scent
  senates scents
senate sent
sensibly sensible
separably separable
serially cereal
serially serial
servilely servile
severally several
sexually sexual
sexy secs
sexy sex
shadowy shadow
shady shade
shaggy shag
shaky shake
shaky sheikh
shamefully shameful
shammy sham
  shammies shams
shiny shine
shirty shirt
shoddy shod
showily shoal
showy show
sienna senna
sierra Sarah
sitar star
  sitars stars
sketchy sketch
slangy slang
slaty slate
slavey slave
  slaveys slaves
sleepy sleep
sleety sleet
slimy slime
sloppy slop
slummy slum
slushy slush
slyest sliced
smelly smell
smoky smoke
smudgy smudge
smugly smuggle
smutty smut
snaky snake
snappy snap
sneaky sneak
snorty snort
snotty snot
snowy snow
snugly snuggle
soapy soap
sociably sociable
socket socked
softie soft
solely Seoul
solely sole
solely soul
sonny son
  sonnies sons
sonny sun
  sonnies suns
sooty soot
soppy sop
sorrowfully sorrowful
soulfully soulful
speedy speed
spicy spice
spiky spike
spiny spine
spirally spiral
spitefully spiteful
spongy sponge
spooky spook
spotty spot
spunky spunk
squally squall
squashy squash
squeaky squeak
stagy stage
starchy starch
steady stead
stealthy stealth
steamy steam
steely steal
steely steel
steeply steeple
stele steal
stele steel
stocky stock
stodgy stodge
stoic stoke
  stoics stokes
stony stone
stormy storm
straggly straggle
streaky streak
stripy stripe
stroppy strop
structurally structural
stubbly stubble
stubby stub
study stud
  studies studs
stuffy stuff
stumpy stump
sturdy stirred
subtly subtle
successfully successful
suet suit
suitably suitable
sulky sulk
Sunday sunned
sunny son
sunny sun
supernaturally supernatural
surface serfs
swampy swamp
swanky swank
Swansea swans
sweaty sweat
sweetie suite
sweetie sweet
tabby tab
  tabbies tabs
tackiest taxed
tacky tack
talkie talk
talkie torque
tangibly tangible
tangy tang
tansy tans
tardy tarred
tasty taste
  tastefully tasteful
tattily tattle
tatty tat
tawny torn
taxi tacks
taxi tax
tearfully tearful
teddy Ted
  teddies Teds
telly tell
  tellies tells
tenet tent
  tenets tents
tennis tense
tensity tensed
terribly terrible
testis tests
testy test
thankfully thankful
thirsty thirst
thorny thorn
thoughtfully thoughtful
throaty throat
tidy tide
  tidies tides
  tidily tidal
tidy tied
tightly title
tiny tine
toady toad
  toadies toads
toady toed
toady towed
toffee toff
tolerably tolerable
Tommy Tom
Tony tone
topi tope
touchy touch
toughie tough
tourney tern
  tourneys terns
tourney turn
  tourneys turns
townee town
  townees towns
Tracy trace
transcendency transcendence
transiency transience
translucency translucence
transparency transparence
trashy trash
treacly treacle
treasonably treasonable
treatise treats
treaty treat
trendy trend
truculency truculence
trumpet trumped
trustfully trustful
trusty trussed
trusty trust
truthfully truthful
tubby tub
tunefully tuneful
tunny tonne
  tunnies tonnes
tunny ton
  tunnies tons
tunny tun
  tunnies tuns
turkey Turk
tutorially tutorial
unacceptably unacceptable
unaccountably unaccountable
unarguably unarguable
unassailably unassailable
unavoidably unavoidable
unbearably unbearable
uncontrollably uncontrollable
understandably understandable
uneasy unease
unequally unequal
unfaithfully unfaithful
unfashionably unfashionable
unfavourably unfavourable
unforgettably unforgettable
ungratefully ungrateful
unhelpfully unhelpful
unlawfully unlawful
unmemorably unmemorable
unnaturally unnatural
unpalatably unpalatable
unpardonably unpardonable
unquestionably unquestionable
unready unread
unreasonably unreasonable
unrecognizably unrecognizable
unshakably unshakable
unsociably unsociable
unspeakably unspeakable
unsuccessfully unsuccessful
unsuitably unsuitable
untidy untied
untruthfully untruthful
unusually unusual
unutterably unutterable
uppity upped
usefully useful
valency valence
variably variable
varsity vast
venally venal
vide vied
virtually virtual
viscountcy viscounts
viscountess viscounts
volley vol
  volleys vols
volubly voluble
wadi wad
  wadis wads
Wallasey Wallace
Warley wall
warranty warrant
washy wash
wastefully wasteful
watchfully watchful
wavy waive
wavy wave
waxy wax
waxy whacks
wealthy wealth
weedy we'd
weedy weed
weeny wean
weighty wait
weighty weight
weirdie weird
Wendy wend
wheezily weasel
wheezy wees
wheezy wheeze
wily while
  wiliest whilst
wily wile
wobbly wobble
woefully woeful
wonderfully wonderful
woodiest wouldst
woody wood
woody would
woolly wool
wooly wool
  woolies wools
wordy whirred
wordy word
wormy worm
wrathfully wrathful
wrongfully wrongful
wryly rile
Yankee yank
yeasty yeast
Yemeni Yemen
yeti yet
youthfully youthful
zestfully zestful

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