The spelling of /g/ is <g> or <gg>, but we also see <gh> in burgher. The /s/ sound is spelled <s>, <ss> or <c> before <e> or <i>. We also see the exceptional initial <ca> in Caesar.
This is a contrast between a voiced stop and a voiceless fricative, well separated in the mouth. It does not cause any problems.
The only taboo word pair is pig/piss.
Interesting pairs include:
burgher bursar
erg Erse
gallery salary
gammon salmon
geezer Caesar
gopher sofa
Gurkha circa
shaggy chassis
Virgo verso
The figure for the mean density is 1.4%. The set makes 134 semantic contrasts, a loading of 55%.
bag bass beg Bess beget beset begets besets bog boss bogged bossed bogging bossing boggy bossy boggier bossier boggiest bossiest bug bus bugging busing bugged bussed buggies buses burgher bursar burghers bursars cog cos corgis courses crag crass dog doss dogging dossing dogged dossed doggies dosses egg S erg Erse flog floss flogged flossed flogging flossing fog fosse fug fuss fuggy fussy fuggier fussier fuggiest fussiest gable sable gables sables gad sad Gael sail Gaels sails Gael sale Gaels sales gag gas gagged gassed gagging gassing gag sag gagged sagged gagging gassing gags sags gage sage gages sages gain sane gain seine gained seined gaining seining gains seines gait sate gaits sates gale sail gales sails gale sale gales sales gallery salary galleries salaries galley sally galleys sallies gallows sallows game same gammon salmon gammy Sammy gang sang gap sap gaps saps garb sahib garbs sahibs gash sash gashes sashes gate sate gated sated gating sating gat sat gaud sawed gauze saws gave save gay say gear sear geared seared gearing searing gears sears geese cease geezer Caesar geezers Caesars get set gets sets getting setting get-up set-up get-ups set-ups ghat sort ghats sorts ghee C Ghent cent gift sift gifted sifted gifting sifting gifts sifts gillie silly gillies sillies gilt silt gird surd girt cert give sieve gives sieves giving sieving glade sleighed glaze slays glaze sleighs glide slide glides slides gliding sliding glimmer slimmer glow sloe glows sloes glow slow glowed slowed glowing slowing glows slows glow-worm slow-worm glow-worms slow-worms glue slew glued slewed glues slews gluing slewing glum slum glut slut gluts sluts go sew goes sews going sewing go so go sow goes sows goad sewed goal Seoul goal sole goals soles goal soul goals souls goalie solely gob sob gobs sobs god sod gods sods gold sold gold soled gong song gongs songs goo Sioux goo sou goon soon gopher sofa gophers sofas gore soar goring soaring gored soared gores soars gorse sauce got sot gowned sound guide side guided sided guiding siding guides sides guide sighed guideline sideline guidelines sidelines guilt silt guise sighs guise size guises sizes guitar sitar guitars sitars gully sully gullies sullies gum some gum sum gummed summed gumming summing gums sums gun son guns sons gun sun gunned sunned gunning sunning guns suns gunny sonny Gurkha circa gust sussed guy sigh guyed sighed guying sighing guys sighs guyed side guys size haggle hassle haggled hassled haggles hassles haggling hassling jog joss joggle jostle joggled jostled joggles jostles joggling jostling lag lass league lease leaguing leasing leagued leased leg less log loss mag mass Maggie massy Meg mess morgue morse mug muss mugging mussing mugged mussed pig piss pigging pissing piggies pisses plague place plaguing placing plagued placed plug plus pug pus shaggy chassis swig Swiss teg Tess tog toss togged tossed togging tossing Virgo verso wiggle whistle wiggled whistled wiggles whistles wiggling whistling
Credit: John Higgins