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Consonants /s/ versus /ʤ/, 224 pairs     

The /s/ sound is spelled with <s>, <ss>, <c> or <sc>. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled with <j>, <g> or <dg>.

This is a contrast between a voiceless sibilant fricative and a voiced alveolar affricate, fairly close together in the mouth. It does not cause problems.

Interesting pairs include:

acetate agitate
avarice average
Caesars Jesus
sermon German
simony jiminy
solid jollied

The mean density value is 1.4%. The list makes 111 semantic distinctions, a loading of 49%.

 	
ace age
  aces ages
acetate agitate
  acetates agitates
avarice average
baas barge
bars barge
bass badge 
Boris borage
bus budge 
  buses budges 
  busing budging 
  bused budged
C G
  C's G's  
C gee
  C's gees  
Caesars Jesus
case cage 
  cases cages 
  cased caged
cease siege
cell gel
  cells gels
cent gent
  cents gents
conceal congeal
  concealed congealed
  concealing congealing
  conceals congeals
converge converse
  converges converses
  converging conversing
cp GP 
cymbals gimbals
cyst gist
  cysts gists
dissect deject 
  dissected dejected 
  dissecting dejecting 
  dissects dejects 
dissection dejection 
diverse diverge 
dose doge 
  doses doges 
doss dodge 
  dosses dodges 
  dossing dodging 
  dossed dodged
dosser dodger 
  dossers dodgers 
dress dredge 
  dresses dredges 
  dressing dredging 
  dressed dredged
dresser dredger 
  dressers dredgers 
EC eg 
EEC EEG
Erse urge
force forge
  forces forges
  forcing forging
  forced forged
fuss fudge 
  fusses fudges 
  fussed fudged
  fussing fudging
gorse gorge 
immerse emerge 
  immerses emerges 
  immersing emerging 
  immersed emerged
intersect interject 
  intersected interjected 
  intersecting interjecting 
  intersects interjects 
intersection interjection 
  intersections interjections 
lease liege
  leases lieges
less ledge 
lesser ledger 
loss lodge 
  losses lodges 
mass Madge 
mercer merger
  mercers mergers
mercies merges
miss midge
  misses midges
pace page
  paces pages
  pacing paging
  paced paged
posse podgy 
purse purge 
  purses purges 
  pursing purging 
  pursed purged
purser perjure 
  pursers perjures 
race rage
  races rages
  racing raging
  raced raged
refuse refuge 
S edge
  S's edges
sack jack 
  sacked jacked 
  sacking jacking 
  sacks jacks 
sag jag 
  sagged jagged 
  sagging jagging 
  sags jags 
sail gaol
  sailed gaoled 
  sailing gaoling 
  sails gaols 
sailor gaoler 
  sailors gaolers 
sake jake 
  sakes jakes 
sale gaol
  sales gaols
Sam jam
sane Jane 
saw jaw 
  sawed jawed 
  sawing jawing 
  saws jaws 
say J 
scent gent
  scents gents
sea G
  seas G's
sea gee
  seas gees
sear jeer 
  seared jeered 
  searing jeering 
  sears jeers 
sedge Jess 
sedgy Jessie 
see G
  sees G's
see gee	   
  sees gees
seep jeep 
  seeps jeeps 
seine Jane
seize G's
seize gees
seizes Jesus
sell gell
  selling gelling 
  sells gells
send genned 
sender gender 
  senders genders 
sends gens 
sent gent
  sents gents
sentry gentry 
sermon German 
  sermons Germans 
sets jets 
  setting jetting 
sew Joe 
sewn Joan 
silt jilt 
  silted jilted 
  silting jilting 
  silts jilts 
simony jiminy 
since singe
single jingle 
  singled jingled 
  singles jingles 
  singling jingling 
sink jink
  sinks jinks 
sin gin
  sinned ginned 
Sioux Jew 
sitter jitter
  sitters jitters 
so Joe 
soak joke 
  soaked joked 
  soaking joking 
  soaks jokes 
soaker joker 
  soakers jokers 
soar jaw 
  soared jawed 
  soars jaws 
sob job 
  sobbed jobbed 
  sobbing jobbing 
  sobs jobs 
solid jollied 
soon June
sore jaw 
  sores jaws 
sot jot 
  sots jots 
sou Jew
  sous Jews 
soused joust 
sow Joe 
soy joy 
sump jump 
  sumps jumps 
sunk junk 
sussed just 
truss trudge 
  trusses trudges 
  trussing trudging 
  trussed trudged
verse verge 
  verses verges 

Credit: John Higgins