British Accent Academy logo

Consonants /l/ versus /w/, 257 pairs     

The /l/ sound is spelled with <l> or <ll>. The /w/ sound is spelled with <w>, <wh> or <qu> in the /kw/ cluster. Notice how the homograph lead makes pairs with weed and wed.

This is a contrast between an alveolar lateral continuant and a bilabial semivowel, both voiced and only occurring in initail or medial position. It is not a problem.

Taboo word pairs include lank/wank and lea/wee.

Interesting pairs include:

eclipse equips
lacquer whacker
lizard wizard
Slav suave

The mean density value is 1.7%. The lists make 129 semantic distinctions, a loading of 51%.

allay away
clack quack
  clacked quacked
  clacking quacking
  clacks quacks
clay qua
clean queen
  cleaned queened
  cleans queens
  cleaning queening
cleanly queenly
clear queer
  cleared queered
  clears queers
  clearing queering
  clearer queerer
  clearest queerest
  clearly queerly
  clearness queerness
clench quench
  clenched quenched
  clenches quenches
  clenching quenching
clerk quark
  clerks quarks
cliff quiff
  cliffs quiffs
clip quip
  clipped quipped
  clipping quipping
  clips quips
cloche quash
  cloches quashes
clod quad
  clods quads
eclipse equips
Glen Gwen
interleave interweave
  interleaves interweaves
  interleaving interweaving
laced waist
laced waste
lack whack
  lacked whacked
  lacking whacking
  lacks whacks
lacks wax
lacquer whacker
  lacquers whackers
lading wading
lag wag
  lagged wagged
  lagging wagging
  lags wags
lain Wayne 
lain wain
lane Wayne
lane wain
  lanes wains
lair Ware 
lair ware
  lairs wares
lair wear
  lairs wears
laird wared
lake wake
  lakes wakes
lank wank
late wait
late weight
later waiter
laud ward
  lauded warded
  lauding warding
  lauds wards
lave waive
  laved waived
  laves waives
  laving waiving
lave wave
  laved waved
  laves waves
  laving waving
law war
  laws wars
lawn warn
  lawns warns
lay way
  lays ways
lay weigh
  laying weighing
  lays weighs
lay-out way-out
laze ways
laze weighs
lea we
lea wee
  leas wees
lee we
lee wee
lead wed
  leaded wedded
  leading wedding
lead weed
  leading weeding
  leads weeds
lean wean
  leaned weaned
leap weep
  leaping weeping
  leapt wept
learnt weren't
leather weather
  leathers weathers
led wed
ledge wedge
  ledges wedges
leer Wear 
leer weir
  leers weirs
leered weird
left weft
Leiden widen
Leigh we
Leigh wee
Len wen
lend wend
  lending wending
  lends wends
  lent went
lens wens
lest west
let wet
  let's wets
  letting wetting
  lettings wettings
letter wetter
liar wire
  liars wires
lick Wick 
lie Y 
  lies Y's 
lie why 
lieu woo
life wife
lifelike wifelike
light Wight 
light white
  lights whites
lighten whiten
  lightened whitened
  lightening whitening
  lightens whitens
lighter whiter
  lightest whitest
lighting whiting
lily Willy
lilies willies
lilt wilt
  lilted wilted
  lilting wilting
  lilts wilts
limb whim
  limbs whims
line whine
  lined whined
  lines whines
  lining whining
liner whiner
  liners whiners
link wink
  linked winked
  linking winking
  links winks
lip whip
  lipped whipped
  lips whips
lisle while
lisp wisp
  lisps wisps
list whist
live wive
  lives wives
lizard wizard
  lizards wizards
lo whoa
lo woe
lode woad
loft waft
  lofted wafted
  lofting wafting
  lofts wafts
lolly Wally 
loom womb
  looms wombs
lop whop
  lopped whopped
  lopping whopping
  lops whops
lor war
lord ward
  lording warding
  lords wards
lore war
lot watt
lot what
low whoa
low woe
  lows woes
lurk work
  lurked worked
  lurking working
  lurks works
Lymm whim
lynch winch
  lynched winched
  lynches winches
  lynching winching
slag swag
slain swain
slam swam
Slav suave
slay sway
  slaying swaying
  slays sways
sleep sweep
  sleeps sweeps
  sleeping sweeping
  slept swept
sleety sweetie
sleigh sway
  sleighs sways
  sleighed swayed
  sleighing swaying
sleighed suede
slim swim
  slimming swimming
  slims swims
slimmer swimmer
  slimmers swimmers
sling swing
  slinging swinging
  slings swings
  slung swung
slob swab
  slobs swabs
sloop swoop
  sloops swoops
slop swap
  slopped swapped
  slopping swapping
  slops swaps
slot swat
  slots swats
  slotted swatted
  slotting swatting
slum swum

Credit: John Higgins