There are many spellings for /i/ in this list, typically <ee>, <ea> and <eCe>. The vowel /ɔ/ is most often spelled <or>, but also <aw> as in saw, <au> as in author, <al> as in talk, <a> after <w> as in war or walk, <wo> in sword and occasionally <our> as in source, and in one word <oa>, broad. Since /ɔ/ would have a closing -r glide in many words for speakers of a rhotic accent, many of these pairs would not be minimal in, say, the USA.
Vowels /i/ and /ɔ/ would hardly ever be confused in speech, being about as far apart in articulatory setting as possible.
Note the special case of key/corps and keys/corps, quay/corps and quays/corps. Corps counts as a homograph since the anglicised plural is not shown in the spelling.
Note also the pairs arising from a linking -r in compounds or inflected forms: overeat/overwrought, and keyring/coring.
Interesting pairs include:
appealing appalling
cheeky chalky
teacher torture
wield walled
The density of the contrast is high at 8.8%. The 476 pairs make 285 semantic contrasts, a semantic loading of 59%.
aether author appeal appal appealed appalled appealing appalling appealingly appallingly appeals appals B boar B's boars B bore B's bores bailee bailor bailees bailors be boar be bore beach bortsch beak balk beaks balks bead bawd beads bawds beady bawdy bead board beading boarding beads boards bead bored beak balk beaks balks beak baulk beaks baulks bean born bean borne bean Bourne beat bought bee boar bees boars bee bore bees bores beech bortsch been born been borne been Bourne beet bought Breda broader breed broad breeder broader breeds broads C saw C's saws C soar C's soars C sore C's sores cease sauce ceased sauced ceases sauces ceasing saucing cease source ceases sources cede sawed cede soared cede sword cedes swords cheek chalk cheeked chalked cheekier chalkier cheekiest chalkiest cheeling chalking cheeks chalks cheeky chalky cheese chaws cheese chores compete comport competed comported competes comports competing comporting conceit consort conceited consorted conceits consorts creel crawl creels crawls D daw D's daws D door D's doors dean dawn deans dawns E awe E's awes E oar E's oars E o'er E or E ore E's ores eager auger eager augur ease awes ease oars ease ores eat aught eat ought eel all eel awl eels awls eke auk ekes auks ether author feast forced feat fort feats forts feat fought fee faugh fee for fee fore fee four feed ford feeding fording feeds fords feel fall feeling falling feels falls fees fours feet fort feet fought femur former fiend fawned flea flaw fleas flaws flea floor fleas floors flee flaw flees flaws flee floor flees floors fleetest flautist foresee foresaw freed fraud G jaw G's jaws gee jaw geese gorse ghee gore guarantee guarantor guarantees guarantors he haw he hoar he whore heal hall heals halls heal haul healed hauled healing hauling heals hauls heed hawed heed hoard heeded hoarded heeding hoarding heeds hoards heed horde heeds hordes heel hall heels halls heel haul heeled hauled heeling hauling heels hauls Heysham Horsham keel call keeled called keeling calling keels calls keel caul keels cauls keen corn keened corned keening corning keens corns keener corner keep Corp keeps corpse key caw keyed cawed keying cawing keys caws key core keys cores key corps keys corps keyed chord keyed cord keyed cored keys cause keyring coring knead gnawed knee gnaw knees gnaws knee nor lea law leas laws lea lor lea lore lead laud leading lauding leads lauds lead lord leading lording leads lords lean lawn leans lawns lean lorn leaner Lorna lee law lees laws lee lor lee lore Leeds lauds Leeds lords Leigh law Leigh lor Leigh lore lessee lessor lessees lessors me maw me more mead Maud meal maul meals mauls mealie Morley mealy Morley mean morn means morns mean mourn meaning mourning means mourns meaning morning meanings mornings meaner mourner meed Maud meter mortar meters mortars metre mortar metres mortars mi maw mi more mien morn miens morns mien mourn miens mourns mortgagee mortgagor mortgagees mortgagors neat naught neat nought 'neath north need gnawed Nice Norse niece Norse overeat overwrought oversea oversaw oversee oversaw P paw P's paws P pore P's pores P pour P's pours P's pause pea paw peas paws pea pore peas pores pea pour peas pours peach porch peaches porches peak pork peaky pawky peal pall pealed palled pealing palling peals palls peal Paul peal pawl peals pawls peas pause pease pause pease paws pease pores pease pours peaky pawky peat port pee paw peed pawed peeing pawing pees paws pee pore peed pored pees pores pee pour peed poured pees pours pees pause peek pork peel pall peeled palled peeling palling peels palls peel Paul peel pawl peels pawls peeler Paula peeper pauper peepers paupers peed pawed peeing pawing peke pork Pete port peter porter peters porters pique pork preen prawn preened prawned preening prawning preens prawns quay caw quays caws quay core quays cores quay corps quays corps quays cause re raw re roar read roared reed roared repeat report repeatable reportable repeated reported repeatedly reportedly repeater reporter repeaters reporters repeating reporting repeats reports scene sawn sea saw seas saws sea soar seas soars sea sore seas sores seat sort seated sorted seating sorting seats sorts seat sought see saw seeing sawing seen sawn sees saws see soar sees soars see sore sees sores seed sawed seed soared seed sword seeds swords seedsman swordsman seedsman swordsmen seedsmen swordsman seedsmen swordsmen seize saws seize soars seize sores she shore sheen Sean sheen shorn sheet short sheeting shorting sheets shorts ski score ski'd scored skis scores sneeze snores squeak squawk squeaked squawked squeaker squawker squeakers squawkers squeaking squawking squeaks squawks squeal squall squealed squalled squealing squalling squeals squalls squeeze squaws steal stall stealing stalling steals stalls steam storm steamed stormed steamier stormier steamiest stormiest steaming storming steams storms steamy stormy steed stored steel stall steeled stalled steeling stalling steels stalls Swede sward T tor T's tors T tore T's tawse tea tor tea tore teach torch teaches torches teacher torture teachers tortures teak talk teak torque teal tall teas tawse teas tors tease tawse teases tawses tease tors teat taught teat taut teat tort teats torts tee tore tee tor tees tors tees tawse teeny tawny teeter tauter ti tor ti tore warrantee warrantor warrantees warrantors we war we wore weak walk weaker walker weal wall weals walls weald walled wean warn weaned warned weaning warning weans warns wean worn weaves wharves wee war wee wore weed ward weeded warded weeding warding weeds wards week walk weeks walks weep warp weeping warping weeps warps wees wars wheat wart wheel wall wheeled walled wheeling walling wheels walls wheeze wars wield walled ye yaw ye yore ye your
Geographical: Most visitors apart from English-speaking countries come from Hong Kong, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey, Sri Lanka, South Korea, France, India, Jordan, German, Sweden and Yemen. Average of 34 visitors a month.
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, January 2011.