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Consonants /p/ versus /r/, 374 pairs     

The spelling of /p/ is always either <p> or <pp>. The /r/ sound is spelled <r> or <rr>, or sometimes <wr> initially. Since /r/ cannot occur finally, all the contrasts are initial or intervocalic.

The contrast is between a voiceless plosive and a voiced retroflex continuant, well apart in the mouth. It causes no problems.

The only mildly taboo word pairings are pee/re and peed/read.

Interesting pairs include:

appears arrears
canopy cannery
corpus chorus
keeping keyring
papaya pariah passion ration
porous porpoise
potation rotation
soppy sorry

The mean density value is 2.1%. The list makes 183 semantic distinctions, a loading of 49%.

appears arrears
canopy cannery 
  canopies canneries 
copy corrie
  copies corries
corpus chorus 
diaper direr
gawping goring
happy harry 
happier harrier
hopper horror
  hoppers horrors
keeping keyring
kopje corrie
  kopjes corries
oppose arose 
P re
pa rah
pace race
  paced raced
  paces races
  pacing racing
pack rack
  packed racked
  packing racking
  packs racks
pack wrack
packet racket
  packets rackets
pact racked
paddled raddled
page rage
  paged raged
  pages rages
  paging raging
pah rah
paid raid
pail rail
  pails rails
pain rain
  pained rained
  paining raining
  pains rains
pain reign
  pained reigned
  paining reigning
  pains reigns
pain rein
  pained reined
  paining reining
  pains reins
pair rare
  pairing raring
pale rail
  paled railed
  paling railing
  palings railings
pallid rallied
pally rally
Pam ram
pan ran
pane rain
  panes rains
pane reign
  panes reigns
pane rein
  panes reins
pang rang
panned rand
pant rant
  panted ranted
  panting ranting
  pants rants
pap rap
papaya pariah
  papayas pariahs
papist rapist
  papists rapists
par rah
pare rare
parr rah
passion ration
  passions rations
paste raced
pat rat
  pats rats
  patted ratted
  patting ratting
pate rate
  pates rates
patter ratter
  patters ratters
patty ratty
pause roars
pave rave
  paved raved
  paves raves
  paving raving
paw raw
paw roar
  pawed roared
  paws roars
pax racks
pay ray 
  paid rayed
  paying raying
  pays rays
pay re
payment raiment
pays raise
pays raze
pea re
peach reach
  peached reached
  peaches reaches
  peaching reaching
peak reek
  peaked reeked
  peaking reeking
  peaks reeks
peak wreak
  peaked wreaked
  peaking wreaking
  peaks wreaks
peal reel
  pealed reeled
  pealing reeling
  peals reels
pear rare
peck wreck
  pecked wrecked
  pecking wrecking
  pecks wrecks
pecker wrecker
  peckers wreckers
pecks Rex 
pee re
peed read
peed reed
peek reek
  peeked reeked
  peeking reeking
  peeks reeks
peek wreak
  peeked wreaked
  peeking wreaking
  peeks wreaks
peel reel
  peeled reeled
  peeling reeling
  peels reels
peeper reaper
  peepers reapers
peer rear
  peered reared
  peering rearing
  peers rears
peer rhea
  peers rheas
peeve reeve
  peeves reeves
peke reek
  pekes reeks
peke wreak
  pekes wreaks
Peking reeking
  Peking wreaking
pen Rennes 
pen wren
  pens wrens
penal renal
pending rending
penned rend
pep rep
  peps reps
pest rest
  pests rests
pest wrest
  pests wrests
pestle wrestle
  pestles wrestles
petard retard
  petards retards
pests rests
peter Rita
pi rye
pi wry
pick rick
  picked ricked
  picking ricking
  picks ricks
pickets rickets
piddle riddle
  piddled riddled
  piddles riddles
  piddling riddling
pie rye
pie wry
pied ride
pied Ryde 
pier rear
  piers rears
pier rhea
  piers rheas
pies rise
piffle riffle
  piffled riffled
  piffles riffles
  piffling riffling
pig rig
  pigged rigged
  pigging rigging
  pigs rigs
pike Reich 
  pikes Reichs 
pile rile
  piled riled
  piles riles
  piling riling
pill Rhyl
pill rill
  pills rills
pine Rhine 
pined rind
ping ring
  pinged ringed
  pinging ringing
  pings rings
ping wring
  pinging wringing
  pings wrings
pink rink
  pinks rinks
pipe ripe
piper riper
pique reek
  piqued reeked
  piques reeks
  piquing reeking
pique wreak
  piqued wreaked
  piques wreaks
  piquing wreaking
pis rise
pissed wrist
pit writ
  pits writs
pitch rich
  pitches riches
pitcher richer
poach roach
  poaches roaches
pock roc
  pocks rocs
pock rock
  pocked rocked
  pocks rocks
pocket rocket
  pocketed rocketed
  pocketing rocketing
  pockets rockets
pod rod 
  pods rods
polar roller
pole role
  poles roles
pole roll
  polled rolled
  polling rolling
  poles rolls
poll role
  polls roles
poll roll
  polled rolled
  polling rolling
  polls rolls
pom rhomb
  poms rhombs
pomp romp
ponder Rhondda
pone roan
  pones roans
poof roof
  poofs roofs
pooh rue
pool rule
  pooled ruled
  pooling ruling
  pools rules
Pope rope
  Popes ropes
pore raw
pore roar
  pored roared
  poring roaring
  pores roars
porous porpoise
port wrought
pose roes
pose rose 
  poses roses
pose rows
posies roses
post roast
  posted roasted
  posting roasting
  posts roasts
poster roaster
  posters roasters
posy rosy
pot rot
  pots rots
  potted rotted
  potting rotting
potation rotation
  potations rotations
potter rotter
  potters rotters
pouffe roof
  pouffes roofs
pound round
  pounded rounded
  pounding rounding
  pounds rounds
pounder rounder
  pounders rounders
pour raw
pour roar
  poured roared
  pouring roaring
  pours roars
pout rout
  pouted routed
  pouting routing
  pouts routs
pox rocks
pox rocs
pub rub
  pubs rubs
puck ruck
  pucks rucks
puddle ruddle
  puddled ruddled
  puddles ruddles
  puddling ruddling
puff rough
  puffed roughed
  puffing roughing
  puffs roughs
puff ruff
  puffed ruffed
  puffing ruffing
  puffs ruffs
pug rug
  pugs rugs
pump rump
  pumps rumps
pun run
  punning running
  puns runs
punt runt
  punts runts
putt rut
  putts ruts
  putted rutted
  putting rutting
puttied rutted
Pyle rile
pyre wrier
pyx ricks
soppy sorry
  soppier sorrier
  soppiest sorriest
warping warring

Credit: John Higgins