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Consonants /h/ versus /ʧ/, 111 pairs     

The /h/ sound is spelled with <h> or <wh> in who. The /ʧ/ sound is spelled with <ch> or <tch>.

This is a contrast between a glottal fricative and an alveolar affricate, both voiceless, only occurring in syllable-initial position. Although the /h/ can be difficult for some learners, the contrast is not a problem.

Interesting pairs include:

Harriet chariot
hickory chicory

The mean density value is 3.5%. The lists make 56 semantic distinctions, a loading of 51%.

had Chad 
haft chaffed 
hair chair
  hairs chairs 
hairy chary 
half chaff 
hap chap 
  happed chapped 
  happing chapping 
  haps chaps 
hard Chard 
hare chair
  hared chaired 
  haring chairing 
  hares chairs
harm charm 
  harmed charmed 
  harming charming 
  harms charms 
Harriet chariot
hart chart 
has Chas 
haste chased 
hasten chasten 
  hastened chastened 
  hastening chastening 
  hastens chastens 
hat chat 
  hats chats 
hatter chatter 
  hatters chatters 
haw chaw 
  haws chaws 
  hawed chawed 
  hawing chawing 
hawk chalk 
  hawked chalked 
  hawking chalking 
  hawks chalks 
hear cheer 
  hearing cheering 
  hears cheers 
heart chart
  harts charts 
  hearted charted 
heat cheat
  heated cheated 
  heating cheating 
  heats cheats
heater cheetah
  heaters cheetahs 
heck Czech 
  hecks Czechs 
here cheer
Herne churn
Herr chair
hick chick 
  hicks chicks 
hickory chicory 
hide chide 
  hides chides 
  hiding chiding 
hilly chilly
  hillier chillier 
  hilliest chilliest 
hilly Chile 
hints chintz 
hive chive 
  hives chives 
hoar chaw
hoar chore 
hoax chokes 
hock chock
  hocked chocked 
  hocking chocking 
  hocks chocks 
hoes chose 
Hoo chew
hop chop 
  hopped chopped 
  hopping chopping 
  hops chops 
hopper chopper 
  hoppers choppers 
Horley Chorley 	 
hose chose
house chows 
how chow 
howdah chowder
  howdahs chowders 
hubby chubby 
hug chug 
  hugged chugged 
  hugging chugging 
  hugs chugs 
hum chum 
  hums chums 
  hummed chummed 
  humming chumming 
hump chump 
  humps chumps 
hunk chunk 
  hunks chunks 
hurl churl 
  hurls churls 
who chew
whore chaw
  whores chaws
whore chore
  whores chores
whose chews 

Credit: John Higgins