Consonants /v/ versus /m/, 213 pairs     [vilemile.html]

The /v/ sound is spelled with <v> or <ve>. The /m/ sound is spelled <m>, <mm> or <mb> in plumber. Notice how the homograph live pairs with limb/limn and lime, while the homograph (for American English speakers) dove pairs with dome and dumb.

The contrast is between a labio-dental fricative and a bilabial nasal continuant, both voiced. It can occasionally be a problem for learners, especially in syllable-final position.

The rhyming pair "Very merry" often occurs in greetings. Other interesting pairs include:

cavil camel
conservation consummation
devise demise
havoc hammock
vanish mannish
venue menu
voter motor

The mean density value is 2.1%. The list makes 124 semantic distinctions, a loading of 58%.

 	
Ave am
beeves beams 
breve bream 
calve calm 
  calved calmed 
  calves calms 
  calving calming 
carver calmer 
carver karma
  carvers karmas
cave came 
cavil camel 
  cavils camels 
chive chime 
  chives chimes 
clave claim 
Clive climb
conservation consummation
cove comb 
  coves combs 
cover comer 
  covers comers 
Dave dame
devise demise 
dive dime 
  dives dimes 
dove dome
dove dumb
  doves dumbs
elves elms 
fervour firmer
fever femur 
  fevers femurs 
gave game 
glove glum
groove groom 
  grooved groomed 
  grooves grooms 
  grooving grooming 
halve harm
  halved harmed
  halves harms
  halving harming
have ham 
  haves hams 
  having hamming 
havoc hammock 
helve helm 
  helves helms 
Hove home
I've I'm 
kava karma 
knave name
  knaves names
larva lama 
lav lam 
  lavs lams
lav lamb
  lavs lambs 
lave lame 
  laved lamed 
  laves lames 
  laving laming 
lever lemur 
  levers lemurs  
live limb  
  lived limbed 
  lives limbs 
live limn  
  living limning 
  lives limns
  lived limned
live lime 
  lives limes 
oaves ohms  
passive passim 
plover plumber 
  plovers plumbers
reeve ream 
  reeves reams
reeves Rheims 
rive rhyme 
  rived rhymed 
  rives rhymes 
  riving rhyming 
rove Rome 
rove roam
  roved roamed 
  roves roams 
  roving roaming 
save same 
savvy Sammy 
shave shame 
  shaved shamed 
  shaves shames 
  shaving shaming 
shiver shimmer 
  shivered shimmered 
  shivering shimmering 
  shivers shimmers 
sliver slimmer 
Steve steam
subversion submersion 
svelte smelt 
thieve theme 
  thieves themes 
travelling trammelling 
Trevor tremor
V me
vac mac 
vaccine Maxine 
vacs Max 
vain Maine 
vain main
  vainly mainly 
vale mail 
  vales mails 
vale male 
  vales males 
valediction malediction 
  valedictions maledictions 
van man 
  vans mans 
vane Maine
vane main
  vanes mains 
vanilla Manila 
  vanillas Manillas 
vanish mannish 
vary Mary 
vase mars 
vast mast 
vat Matt 
vat may
  vats mats 
vault malt 
  vaulted malted 
  vaulting malting 
  vaults malts 
veer mere 
  veers meres 
veil mail 
  veils mails 
  veiling mailing 
  veiled mailed 
veil male 
  veils males 
vein Maine
vein main
  veins mains
veld melt 
vend mend 
  vended mended 
  vending mending 
  vends mends 
vender mender 
  venders menders 
venial menial 
vent meant 
venue menu 
  venues menus 
Verey merry
verge merge 
  verged merged 
  verges merges 
  verging merging 
verger merger 
  vergers mergers 
verily merrily 
verses mercies 	
very merry
vest messed 
vet met 
Vic Mick 
vice mice 
Vicky Mickey 
vie my 
view mew 
  viewed mewed 
  viewing mewing 
  views mews 
vile mile 
viler miler 
villa miller
  villas millers 
Vince mince
vine mine 
  vines mines 
vinous minus 
visor miser 
  visors misers 
Viv vim
voiced moist 
voile moil 
vol moll 
  vols molls 
vole mole 
  voles moles 
volley Molly 
volt moult 
  volts moults 
vote moat 
  votes moats 
  voted moated 
voter motor 
  voters motors 
votive motive 
vow mow 
  vowed mowed 
  vowing mowing 
  vows mows 
vox mocks 
wharves warms 

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