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Vowels 10 and 17, /ʌ/ versus //     92 pairs       

The /ʌ/ vowel is spelled with <u> and <o> in ton. The // vowel is spelled <ou> or <ow>.

This is a contrast between a short vowel and a diphthong with a similar starting position but distinguished by lip-rounding. It does not seem to be a problem for many learners.

There is one taboo word pair: cunt/count.

Interesting pairs include:

curry cowrie
stutter stouter

The density figure is 4.31%. The set makes 41 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 44.6%.

abut about 
bud bowed 
but bout 
butt bout
  butts bouts 
buzz boughs 
crutch crouch 
  crutches crouches 
cud cowed 
cull cowl 
  culling cowling 
  culled cowled
  culls cowls 
cunt count 
  cunts counts 
curry cowrie
  curries cowries 
does dhows 
done down 
dost doused
dun down
  dunned downed 
  dunning downing 
  duns downs 
fund found 
  funded founded 
  funding founding 
  funds founds 
gun gown 
  gunned gowned 
  gunning gowning 
  guns gowns 
gut gout 
hull howl 
  hulled howled 
  hulling howling 
  hulls howls 
just joust 
lunge lounge 
  lunged lounged 
  lunges lounges 
  lunging lounging 
mud mowed 
muss mouse
  mussed moused 
  musses mouses 
  mussing mousing 
none noun
nun noun
  nuns nouns 
nut knout 
  nuts knouts 
punned pound
putt pout 
  putted pouted 
  putting pouting 
  putts pouts 
ruddy rowdy 
  ruddier rowdier 
  ruddiest rowdiest 
rut rout 
  ruts routs 
  rutted routed 
  rutting routing 
scull scowl 
  sculled scowled 
  sculling scowling 
  sculls scowls 
scut scout 
  scuts scouts 
shut shout 
  shuts shouts 
  shutting shouting 
stutter stouter 
sunned sound 
suss souse 
  sussed soused 
  susses souses 
  sussing sousing 
ton town
  tons towns
tun town
  tuns towns
tunny townee 
  tunnies townees 
tut tout 
  tuts touts 
  tutted touted 
  tutting touting 
utmost outmost 
utter outer 
  uttermost outermost 

Credit: John Higgins