Consonants /v/ versus /s/, 238 pairs     [vetset.html]

The /v/ sound is spelled with <v>, <ve> or <vv> in civvy. The /s/ sound is spelled <s>, <ss>, <c>, or <ps> in pseud. Notice how verve makes pairs with verse and serve, and how the homograph grave makes pairs with grace and grass.

The contrast is between a voiced labio-dental fricative and a voiceless alveolar fricative. It is not a problem for learners.

Interesting pairs include:

civilian Sicilian
clavicle classical
havoc hassock
louvre looser
validity solidity
vindicate syndicate
volleyed solid
voluble soluble

The mean density value is 1.4%. The list makes 125 semantic distinctions, a loading of 53%.

 	
avail assail 
  availed assailed 
  availing assailing 
  avails assails 
available assailable 
Ave ass
aversion assertion 
  aversions assertions 
avert assert 
  averted asserted 
  averting asserting 
  averts asserts 
avid acid 
  avidity acidity 
bevy Bessie 
brave brace 
  braving bracing 
  braved braced
cave case 
  caved cased
  caving casing 
cavil Kassel 
civilian Sicilian 
  civilians Sicilians 
civvy sissy
  civvies sissies 
clavicle classical 
clove close 
clover closer 
convert concert 
  converted concerted 
  converting concerting 
  converts concerts 
coveys cusses
curve curse 
  curving cursing 
  curved cursed
Dave dace
deceive decease 
  deceiving deceasing 
  deceived deceased
Denver denser
dive dice 
  diving dicing 
  dived diced
divide decide 
  divided decided 
  divides decides 
  dividing deciding 
division decision 
  divisions decisions 	
divisive decisive  
favour facer 
  favours facers 
grave grace 
grave grass 
grieve grease 
  grieving greasing 
  grieved greased
grieve Greece
grove gross 
haven hasten 
  havens hastens 
havoc hassock 
inventive incentive 
inversion insertion 
  inversions insertions 
invert insert 
  inverted inserted 
  inverting inserting 
  inverts inserts 
invidious insidious 
  invidiously insidiously 
invite incite 
  invited incited 
  invites incites 
  inviting inciting 
invite insight 
  invites insights 
I've ice
ivies ices 
Ivy icy
lav lass 
lave lace 
  laving lacing 
leave lease 
  leaving leasing 
leaven lessen
  leavened lessened 
  leavening lessening
  leavens lessens
live lice 
louvre looser 
move moose 
movies mooses 
nerve nurse
  nerving nursing
  nerved nursed
Neville nestle
outvied outside 
pave pace 
  paving pacing 
peeve peace 
peeve piece
  peeving piecing
qv QC 
rave race 
  raving racing 
  raved raced
raver racer 
  ravers racers 
relieve release 
  relieving releasing 
  relieved released
rive rice 
thrive thrice 
unavailable unassailable 
undivided undecided 
V C 
  V's C's 
vac sac 
  vacs sacks 
vain sane 
  vainer saner 
  vainest sanest 
  vainly sanely 
vale sail
  vale sails
vale sale 
  vales sales 
valid sallied 
validity solidity 
valley sally 
  valleys sallies 
valve salve 
  valves salves 
van san
  vans sans 
Vandal sandal
  Vandals sandals
vane sane
vane seine
  vanes seines 
vanity sanity 
vat sat 
vault salt 
  vaulted salted 
  vaulting salting 
  vaults salts 
vaulter psalter 
  vaulters psalters 
vaunter saunter 
  vaunters saunters 
VC cc
VD CD 
vector sector 
  vectors sectors 
veer sear 
  veered seared 
  veering searing 
  veers sears  
veil sail
  veiled sailed 
  veiling sailing 
  veils sails
veil sale
  veils sales  
vein sane
vein seine
  veined seined 
  veins seines
vend send 
  vending sending 
  vends sends
vendor sender 
  vendors senders 
vent cent 
  vents cents 
vent scent 
  vents scents 
  vented scented 
  venting scenting 
vent sent  
ventral central 
verge surge 
  verged surged 
  verges surges 
  verging surging 
verve serve 
verve verse 
vet set 
  vets sets 
  vetting setting 
vex secs 	
vex sex
  vexed sexed 
  vexes sexes 
  vexing sexing 
vie sigh 
  vying sighing 
  vied sighed
  vies sighs 
vied side 
Vienna sienna
vies size
view sue 
  viewing suing 
  views sues 
  viewed sued
viewed pseud 
viewer sewer 
  viewers sewers 
villa Scylla 
Vince since
vindicate syndicate 
  vindicated syndicated 
  vindicates syndicates 
  vindicating syndicating 
vindication syndication 
  vindications syndications 
vine sign 
  vines signs 
vine sine
vinous sinus 
vista sister
  vistas sisters 
vivid viscid 
voile soil 
vol Sol 
vole sole 
  voles soles 
volleyed solid 
voluble soluble 
  volubility solubility 
vow sow 
  vows sows 
vox socks 
VP cp
you've use 

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