British Accent Academy logo

Vowels 3 and 7, /e/ versus /ɔ/    238 pairs      

The /e/ vowel is spelled <e>, or <ea> in head, and occurs in the letter names L and X. The vowel /ɔ/ shows a number of spellings including <or>, <oar>, <au>, <au>, <al> or <aw>.

The vowels differ in length and are well apart in the mouth, so should not be a problem for any learners.

Interesting pairs include:

centre saunter
felon fallen
edible audible
tenement tournament

The mean density is 2.8%. The pairs make 137 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 58%.

abed aboard
abet abort
  abets aborts
  abetted aborted
  abetting aborting
ate aught
ate ought
beck balk 
  becks balks 
bed bawd 
  beds bawds 
bed board
  bedded boarded
  bedding boarding
  beds boards
bedroom boardroom
  bedrooms boardrooms
befell befall 
bell ball	 
  belled balled
  belling balling 
  bells balls
belled bald 
belle ball
  belles balls 
ben bourn
beset besought
bet bought
bread broad
Bren brawn
centre saunter
  centred sauntered
  centres saunters
  centring sauntering
check chalk
  checked chalked 
  checking chalking 
  checks chalks
Czech chalk
  Czechs chalks
Cres crores
deb daub 
  debs daubs 
debtor daughter 
  debtors daughters 
decking Dorking 
Delhi Dawley 
den dawn 
  dens dawns 
dent daunt 
  dented daunted 
  denting daunting 
  dents daunts 
Des daws
ebb orb
  ebbs orbs
Ed awed
edgy orgy
  edges orgies
edible audible
edibility audibility 
edit audit 
  edited audited 
  editing auditing 
  edits audits 
editor auditor 
  editors auditors 
elder alder 
  elders alders 
error aura
  errors auras 
Fed ford
fell fall 
  felling falling 
  fells falls 
felon fallen 
felt fault 
fem form
fen faun 
  fens fauns 
fen fawn
  fens fawns  
fend fawned 
fez fours
fled flawed 
Fred fraud
fret fraught 
geld galled 
gent jaunt
  gents jaunts
get ghat
  gets ghats
Ghent gaunt
guess gorse 
head hawed 		
head hoard
  headed hoarded   
  heads hoards
  heading hoarding
  headings hoardings
head horde
  heads hordes
heck hawk 
  hecks hawks 
held hauled 
hell hall 
  hells halls 
hell haul
  hells hauls
hem haulm 
hen horn
  hens horns
inedible inaudible 
infest enforced 
ken corn
  kenned corned 
  kenning corning 
  kens corns 
Kenny corny
L all
L awl
  L's awls
lead laud 
  leaded lauded 
  leading lauding 
  leads lauds 
lead lord
  leads lords
Len lawn
lender launder 
  lenders launders 
lens lawns 
Les laws
Med Maud 
Meg morgue
melt malt 
  melted malted 
  melting malting 
  melts malts 
men morn
mend mourned
mender maunder 
  menders maunders 
metal mortal
  metals mortals
Ned gnawed
ness Norse 
net nought 
  nets noughts
nett nought
peck pork
pecker porker
  peckers porkers
pen pawn 
  penned pawned 
  penning pawning 
  pens pawns 
pen porn
pepper pauper 
  peppers paupers 
pet port
  petted ported
  petting porting
  pets ports
petal portal
  petals portals
read roared
res roars
ret wrought
said sawed
says saws 
seabed seaboard
  seabeds seaboards
setter sorter
  setters sorters
shed shored
shell shawl 
  shells shawls 
sketch scorch 
  sketched scorched 
  sketches scorches 
sketcher scorcher 
  sketchers scorchers 
sketching scorching 
smell small 
  smells smalls 
spend spawned 
stead stored
stem storm
  stemmed stormed
  stemming storming
  stems storms
stench staunch 
  stenches staunches 
tech talk
  techs talks 
tel tall 
tell tall
teller taller 
ten torn
tenement tournament
  tenements tournaments
tent taunt 
tepid torpid
  tepidity torpidity
  tepidly torpidly
  tepidness torpidness
terrace torus
terrave Taurus
Terry Tory
tremor trauma
  tremors traumas 
veld vault 
vent vaunt 
  vented vaunted 
  venting vaunting 
  vents vaunts 
wed ward 
  wedded warded 
  wedding warding 
  weds wards
weld walled 
well wall 
  welled walled
  welling walling 
  wells walls
welter Walter 
wen warn 
  wens warns 
wend warned 
wept warped 
wet wart 
  wets warts 
wetter water 
X auks
yell yawl 
  yells yawls 
yen yawn 

Credit: John Higgins