Consonants /v/ versus /h/, 71 pairs     [volehole.html]

The /v/ sound is spelled with <v> and the /h/ sound is spelled <sh> throughout. The contrast can only occur initially or medially after an unstressed prefix.

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

Interesting pairs include:

reversal rehearsal
vandal handle
veritable heritable
Viking hiking

The mean density value is 1.5%. The list makes 39 semantic distinctions, a loading of 55%.

 	
reversal rehearsal 
  reversals rehearsals 
reverse rehearse 
  reversed rehearsed 
  reverses rehearses 
  reversing rehearsing 
V he
vac hack 
  vacs hacks 
vale hail 
  vales hails 
vale hale
valley Halle 
vandal handle
  vandals handles
vary hairy 
vat hat
  vats hats 
vault halt 
  vaulted halted 
  vaulting halting 
  vaults halts 
vaulter halter 
  vaulters halters 
vaunt haunt 
  vaunted haunted 
  vaunting haunting 
  vaunts haunts 
vector hector 
  vectors hectors 
veer hear 
  veering hearing 
  veers hears 
veil hail 
  veils hails 
  veiled hailed 
  veiling Hayling 
veil hale
verb herb 
  verbs herbs 
verbal herbal 
veritable heritable 
verse hearse 
  verses hearses 
vex hecks 
Vic hick
vie hi 
vie hie
  vies hies 
  vied hied
  vying hieing 
vie high
vied hide 
view hew
  viewed hewed 
  viewing hewing 
  views hews 
viewer hewer 
  viewers hewers 
view Hugh 
Viking hiking
vim him 
vinous highness 
viz his 
voiced hoist 
vole hole 
  voles holes 
volley holly 
voodoo hoodoo 
vow how 
vows house 
vox hocks 
water-vole water-hole 
  water-voles water-holes 

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2010.