The /n/ sound is spelled with <n> or <nn>. The /l/ sound is spelled with <l>. Notice how the homograph lead pairs with need and Ned.
This is a contrast between a lateral and and a nasal continuant, both in the alveolar region and both voiced. It is a known problem for speakers of Chinese and Thai, especially in syllable-final position.
Taboo word pairs include coon/cool and cunt/cult.
I have retained one non-minimal but highly confusable pair: painless/paleness. Other interesting pairs include:
cannery calorie
consternation constellation
coronation correlation
darning darling
driven drivel
energy elegy
gerund Gerald
hornier haulier
Koran chorale
Natalie latterly
naughtiness nautilus
parson parcel
saunter psalter
venom vellum
yearning yearling
The mean density value is 3.1%. The lists make 439 semantic distinctions, a loading of 53%.
aconite acolyte aconites acolytes anise Alice Ann Al anna Allah Annan Allan Annie Ali annoy alloy annoyed alloyed annoying alloying annoys alloys any Ellie apron April aprons Aprils Aryan aerial Aryans aerials bane bail bane bale baneful baleful banefully balefully baron barrel barons barrels basin basal batten battle battened battled battening battling battens battles beaten beetle ben Belle bens belles ben bell bens bells bench belch benches belches bend belled Benny belly bent belt Bernie burly bin bill bins bills bine bile binge bilge bone bole bones boles bone bowl bones bowls boning bowling boned bowled boned bold boner bowler boners bowlers boon buhl Bourne ball brain braille brawn brawl Britain brittle Calne Carl cane kail canna Calor cannery calorie canneries calories canonization canalization canonizations canalizations canonize canalize canonized canalized canonizes canalizes canonizing canalizing carbonic carbolic Carron Carol cavern cavil caverns cavils chin chill chins chills chinning chilling chinned chilled churn churl churns churls coign coil coigns coils coin coil coins cpoils coined coiled coining coiling cone coal cones coals coned coaled coning coaling con col cons cols condone condole condoned condoled condones condoles condoning condoling conic colic connect collect connected collected connecting collecting connects collects connection collection connections collections connective collective Connie collie consternation constellation coon cool coons cools corn call corned called corning calling corns calls corner caller corners callers coronation correlation coronations correlations cunning culling cunt cult cunts cults curtain kirtle curtains kirtles custodian custodial Dane dale Danes dales Danny dally darning darling dean deal deans deals define defile defined defiled defines defiles defining defiling deign dale deigns dales den dell dens dells Denny Delhi dent dealt Devon devil din dill djinn gill djinns gills don doll dons dolls donned dolled donning dolling done dull don't dolt drawn drawl driven drivel drone droll dun dull dunning dulling duns dulls dunned dulled earn earl earns earls e'en eel enc elk energy elegy energies elegies Ernie early even evil evens evils expend expelled fain fail faun fall fauns falls fawn fall fawning falling fawns falls feign fail feigned failed feigning failing feigns fails fen fell fens fells fend felled fern furl ferns furls fiend field fiends fields finch filch finches filches find filed fine file fines files fining filing fined filed finis Phyllis Finn Phil fin fill fins fills found fouled gain Gael gains Gaels gain gale gains gales garner gala garners galas gen gel genned gelled genning gelling gens gels gerund Gerald Ghana gala gin gill gins gills gnash lash gnashed lashed gnashes lashes gnashing lashing gnaw law gnaws laws gnaw lor gnaw lore gnawed laud gnome loam gnu lieu gnu loo gnus loos goon Goole goon ghoul goons ghouls grain grail grains grails grin grill grinned grilled grinning grilling grins grilles ground growled guinea gillie guineas gillies gun gull gunned gulled gunning gulling guns gulls gunny gully haunt halt haunted halted haunting halting haunts halts Heanor healer hen hell hens hells Herne hurl highborn highball hint hilt hints hilts hominy homily hone hole hones holes honing holing honed holed hone whole hones wholes honed hold horn hall horns halls horn haul horning hauling horns hauls horned hauled hornier haulier horny Horley hound howled Hun hull Huns hulls impend impelled in ill inane Elaine inimitable illimitable inn ill inns ills innate elate Jane gaol Jenny jelly jennies jellies Johnny jolly June joule Junes joules keen keel keened keeled keening keeling keens keels Kent Celt kin kill knack lack knacks lacks knacks lax knacker lacquer knackers lacquers knap lap knapped lapped knapping lapping knaps laps knap Lapp knaps Lapps knaps lapse knave lave knaves laves knead lead kneading leading kneads leads kneads Leeds knee Leigh knee lea knees leas knee lee knees lees knickers liquors knife life knives lives knight light knighted lighted knighting lighting knights lights knightly lightly knob lob knobs lobs knock loch knocked locked knocking locking knocks locks knocker locker knockers lockers knockout lockout knockouts lockouts known knoll known loan knot lot knots lots knout lout knouts louts know lo know low knowing lowing knows lows known loan Koran chorale Korans chorales laden ladle leaven level leavened levelled leavens levels leavening levelling line lisle lint lilt Linz lilts Maine mail main mail mains mails main male mains males mane lail manes mails mane male manes males Martian marshal Martians marshals mean meal means meals meanie mealie meanies mealies meant melt meantime mealtime median medial Merton myrtle midden middle middens middles mind mild minds milds minder milder mine mile mines miles miner miler miners milers mini- milli- minion million minions millions mint milt minute millet misspend misspelled misspent misspelt mizen mizzle mizens mizzles moan mole moans moles moaned Mold moaned mould modern model moderns models morn maul morns mauls morning mauling mourn maul mourns mauls mourned mauled mourning mauling munch mulch munched mulched munches mulches munching mulching N L N's L's nab lab nabs labs nag lag nagged lagged nagging lagging nags lags name lame named lamed names lames naming laming namely lamely nap lap napped lapped napping lapping naps laps nap Lapp naps Lapps naps lapse nark lakh narks lakhs nark lark narked larked narking larking narks larks Nat lat Natalie latterly natter latter naughtiness nautilus nay lay near leer neared leered nearing leering nears leers Ned lead Ned led née lay need lead needs leads needing leading ne'er lair negation legation neigh lay neighs lays neighing laying neighed laid neighbour labour neighboured laboured neighbouring labouring neighbours labours neigh lay neighing laying neighs lays neighed laid ness less nest lest nestle lessen nestled lessened nestles lessens nestling lessening Nestor Leicester net let nets lets netting letting nether leather Neville level nib Lib nibs Libs Nice lease nice lice nick lick nicked licked nicking licking nicks licks niece lease nigh lie nigher liar night light nights lights nine line nines lines ninny Lily ninnies lilies nip lip nipped lipped nips lips nipping lipping Nissen listen nitre lighter no lo no low node lode nodes lodes nonce Lens none null nook look nooks looks noon loon noose loose noosed loosed nooses looses noosing loosing nope lope nor law nor lor nor lore Nora Laura nose lows notion lotion notions lotions nous louse nude lewd nudist lewdest number lumbar numbered lumbered numbering lumbering numbers lumbers nun null nuns nulls nurture lurcher nurtures lurchers nymph lymph often offal owned old pain pail pains pails pain pale pained paled paining paling pains pales painless paleness pan pal panned palled panning palling pans pals pannier pallier parson parcel parsons parcels pawn Paul pawn pall pawned palled pawning palling pawns palls phaeton fatal Phoenix Felix phone foal phoned foaled phones foals phoning foaling piccaninny piccalilli pin pill pins pills pine pile pined piled pines piles pining piling pinion pillion pinions pillions pone pole pones poles prone prole quin quill quins quills rain rail rained railed raining railing rains rails ravening ravelling regain regale regained regaled regaining regaling regains regales reign rail reigned railed reigning railing reigns rails rein rail reined railed reining railing reins rails Rhenish relish Rhine rile riband ribald ribands ribalds ridden riddle rind riled Ripon ripple roan rôle roans rôles roughen ruffle roughened ruffled roughening ruffling roughens ruffles rune rule runes rules sadden saddle saddened saddled saddening saddling saddens saddles sane sail sane sale saner sailor saunter psalter saunters psalters scene seal scenes seals scorned scald seen seal seine sail seined sailed seines sails seining sailing seine sale seines sales sends cells sends sells sewn Seoul shinning shilling shiny shyly shorn shawl shown shoal shriven shrivel sin sill sins sills skein scale skeins scales skin skill skins skills skinned skilled skinny skilly snack slack snacks slacks snag slag snake slake snaked slaked snakes slakes snaking slaking snap slap snapped slapped snapping slapping snaps slaps sneak sleek sneaks sleeks sneaked sleeked sneaking sleeking snicker slicker snide slide snip slip snipped slipped snipping slipping snips slips snob slob snobs slobs snog slog snogged slogged snogging slogging snogs slogs snood slewed snoop sloop snoops sloops snooze slews snorter slaughter snorters slaughters snot slot snow sloe snows sloes snow slow snowed slowed snowing slowing snows slows snuff slough snuffed sloughed snuffing sloughing snuffs sloughs snug slug snugs slugs sonny sully sonnies sullies soundness soundless sown sole spend spelled spent spelt spin spill spinning spilling spins spills spinach spillage spoon spool spoons spools stain stale stained staled staining staling stains stales stainless staleness stint stilt stinted stilted stints stilts stone stole stones stoles ten tel ten tell tens tells tenner teller tenners tellers tighten title tightened titled tightens titles tin till tins tills tinned tilled tinning tilling tine tile tined tiled tines tiles tinned tilde tint tilt tinted tilted tinting tilting tints tilts Titan title Titans titles tone toll toned tolled# tones tolls toning tolling toned told torn tall train trail trained trailed training trailing trains trails trainer trailer trainers trailers tune tulle twin twill twinned twilled twins twills Tyne tile vain vale vain veil vane vale vanes vales vane veil vanes veils vaunt vault vaunted vaulted vaunting vaulting vaunts vaults vaunter vaulter vaunters vaulters vein vale veins vales vein veil veins veils veined veiled venom vellum vent veld Vernon vernal vine vile wain wail wains wails wain whale wains whales wains Wales wane wail waned wailed waning wailing wanes wails wane whale wanes whales wanes Wales wanna wallah warn wall warned walled warning walling warns walls Wayne wail Wayne whale wean weal wean wheel weans wheels weaned wheeled weaning wheeling weaned weald weaned wield wen well wens wells wend weld wended welded wending welding wends welds went welt whin will whins wills whine while whined whiled whines whiles whining whiling whine wile whines wiles whinny Willy whinnies willies Wigan wiggle wind willed win will wins wills winning willing wine while wines whiles wine wile wines wiles Winnie Willie winnow willow winnows willows written Writtle yawn yawl yawns yawls yearning yearling yearnings yearlings yen yell yenned yelled yenning yelling yens yells
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2010.