Consonants /θ/ versus /w/, 45 pairs     [thawwar.html]

The /θ/ sound is spelled with <th>. The /w/ sound is spelled with <w> or <wh>.

This is a contrast between a voiceless dental and alveolar fricative and a voiced bilabial semivowel. The contrast is not a problem, though many learners have difficulty if their first language lacks a /θ/ sound.

There is one taboo word pair in thank/wank.

The mean density value is 1.5%. The list makes 21 semantic distinctions, a loading of 47%.

 	
thane Wayne 
thane wain
  thanes wains
thank wank
  thanked wanked
  thanking wanking
  thanks wanks
thaw war
  thaws wars
thawed ward
theft weft
  thefts wefts
theory weary
  theories wearies
therm worm
  therms worms
thick Wick 
thicket wicket
  thickets wickets
thieve weave
  thieves weaves
  thieving weaving
thigh Y 
  thighs Y's   
thighs wise  
think wink
  thinking winking
  thinks winks
third whirred
third word
  thirds words
thirst worst
  thirsted worsted
  thirsting worsting
  thirsts worsts
thistle whistle
  thistles whistles
thorm warn
  thorns warns
thought wart
  thoughts warts
thunder wonder
  thundered wondered
  thundering wondering
  thunders wonders

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