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Consonant /r/ versus null, 937 pairs     

The /r/ sound is spelled with <r> or <wr>.

The /r/ sound occurs initially and medially though not finally. It enters consonant clusters fairly freely. In some case changes of stress make the pairs not quite minimal. This is certainly true when one removes a syllabic /r/ as in archery/Archie or sufferer/suffer, and these items have been listed separately at the end. Another special case is the pair overate/overrate. Here we have lost one /r/ but a linking /r/ remains. For many speakers this would be a homophone pair, though in careful speech one might make and perceive a difference.

Taboo word pairs include crap/cap and croon/coon.

The density value is 4.4%.

abroad aboard
aggro ago
Agra Aga
attract attacked
Austria Ostia
bistro bestow
  bistros bestows
bra bar
  bras bars
braced baste
bract backed
brad bad
braes baize
braes bays
brag bag
  brags bags
  bragged bagged
  bragging bagging
braid bayed
braille bale
brain bane
  brains banes
braise baize
braise bays
brake bake 
  brakes bakes
  braking baking
  braked baked	 
bran ban
brand band
  brands bands
  branding banding
  branded banded
brandy bandy
  brandies bandies
brash bash
  brasher basher
brat bat
  brats bats
brawl bawl
  brawls bawls
  brawling bawling
  brawled bawled
brawn born
brawn borne
bray bay
  brays bays
  braying baying
  brayed bayed
breach beach	  
  breaches beaches
  breached beached
  breaching beaching
breach beech
  breaches beeches  
bread bed
  breads beds              
break bake  
  breaks bakes
  breaking baking	 
breaker baker
  breakers bakers
bream beam
  breams beams
breast best
  breasts bests
  breasting besting
  breasted bested
breath Beth
bred bed
breech beach
  breeches beaches
breech beech
  breeches beeches
breed bead
  breeds beads
  breeding beading
breeze B's
breeze bees
Bren Ben
Brent bent
Brentwood bentwood
Brest best
breves beeves
brew boo
  brews boos
  brewing booing
  brewed booed	 
brews booze  
briar buyer
  briars buyers
bride bide
  brides bides
brief beef
  briefs beefs
  briefing beefing
  briefed beefed
brig big
bright bight
bright bite
  brighter biter                    
brill bill
brine bine
brisk bisque
Brit bit
Britain bitten
Briton bitten
broad board
  broads boards
broad bored
  broadly boredly
broader boarder
broader border
broil boil
  broils boils
  broiling boiling 
  broiled boiled
brood booed
brook book
  brooks books
  brooking booking
  brooked booked
broom boom
  brooms booms
brought bought
brow bow
  brows bows
browned bound
browse bows
bruise boos
bruise booze
  bruised boozed
  bruising boozing
  brusies boozes
bruiser boozer
  bruisers boozers
brunch bunch
  brunches bunches
brutal Bootle
brute boot
  brutes boots
cartridge cartage	   
cattery catty
celebrate celibate
Chris kiss
chrome comb
chronic conic
chronicle conical
cockerel cockle
  cockerels cockles
comfrey comfy
contract contact
  contracts contacts
  contracting contacting
  contracted contacted
copra copper
crab cab
  crabs cabs
crackle cackle
  crackles cackles
  crackling cackling
  crackled cackled
crake cake
  crakes cakes
cram cam
  crams cams
cramp camp
  cramps camps
  cramping camping
  cramped camped
crane cane
  cranes canes
  craning caning
  craned caned
cranny canny
crap cap   
  craps caps
  crapping capping
  crapped capped
crash cash
  crashes cashes
  crashing cashing
  crashed cashed
crate Kate
crater cater
  craters caters
crave cave
  craves caves
  craving caving
  craved caved
crawl call
  crawls calls
  crawling calling
  crawled called
craze K's
creed keyed
creel keel
  creels keels
creep keep
  creeps keeps
  creeping keeping	 
  crept kept
creeper keepre
  creepers keepers          
crepe cape
  crepes capes
crew coo
  crews coos
  crewing cooing
  crewed cooed	  
crick kick
  cricks kicks
  cricked kicked
  cricking kicking
croak coke
  crooaks cokes
  croaking coking
  croaked coked
crock cock
  crocks cocks
croft coughed
crony coney
  cronies coneys
crook cook
  crooks cooks
croon coon
  croons coons
crop cop
  crops cops
  cropped copped
  cropping copping
cropper copper
  croppers coppers
croquette coquette
  croquettes coquettes
crore caw
  crores caws
crore core
  crores cores
crozier cosier
cross cos
crouch couch
  crouches couches
  crouching couching
  crouched couched
croup coupe
crowd cowed
crude cooed    
cruise coos
crumb come
  crumbs comes
crupper cupper
  cruppers cuppers
crust cussed
cry chi
desecrate dessicate
  desecrates dessicates
  desecrating dessicating
  desecrated dessicated
  desecration dessication
detrain detail
  detrains detains
  detraining detaining
  detrained detained
drab dab
   drabs dabs
   drabber dabber
draft daft
drain deign
  drains deigns
  draining deigning
  drained deigned
drain Dane
  drains Danes  
dram dam
   drams dams
dram damn
   drams damns		 
drank dank
draught daft
draw daw
  draws daws
draw door
  draws doors
drawer daw
  drawers daws
drawewr door
  drawers doors
drawn dawn
dray day
  drays days
drays daze
dread dead
dream deem
  dreams deems
  dreaming deeming
  dreamed deemed
drear dear
drear deer
dreary dearie
drew do
dribble dibble
  dribbles dibbles
  dribbling dibbling
  dribbled dibbled
drill dill
drip dip
  drips dips
  dripping dipping
  dripped dipped
dripper dipper
  drippers dippers
drive dive
  drives dives
  driving diving
driver diver
  drivers divers
droll dole
dross doss
drought doubt
  droughts doubts
drover Dover
drown down
  drowns downs
  drowning downing
  drowned downed
drowse dowse
  drowses dowses
  drowsing dowsing
  drowsed dowsed
drub dub
  drubs dubs
  drubbing dubbing
  drubbed dubbed
drug dug
  drugs dugs
drum dumb
  drums dumbs
  drumming dumbing
  drummed dumbed
drummer dumber
drunk dunk
  drunks dunks
dry die
  dries dies
  drying dying
  dried died
dry dye		
  dries dyes
  drying dyeing
  dried dyed
dryer dyer
  dryers dyers
entrails entails
fraction faction
  fractions factions
  fractional factional
frail fail
frame fame
  frames fames
  framing faming
  framed famed
Fran fan
fraud ford
  frauds fords	
fraught fought  
fray fey		
frayed fade
Fred fed
Freda feeder
free fee
  frees fees
freed feed
freeze fees
freight fate
  freights fates
  freighted fated
friction fiction
  frictions fictions
friend fend
  friends fends
frieze fees
fright fight
  frights fights
frill fill
  frills fills
frilly filly
fritter fitter
  fritters fitters
frizz fizz
  frizzes fizzes
  frizzing fizzing
  frizzed fizzed
frizzle fizzle
  frizzles fizzles
  frizzling fizzling
  frizzled fizzled
frizzy fizzy
fro foe
frocks fox
frog fog
  frogs fogs
frond fond
froze foes
fry fie
fryer fire
  fryers fires
grab gab
  grabs gabs
  grabbing gabbing
  grabbed gabbed
grail gale
  grails gales
grain gain
  grains gains
  grained gained
grander gander
grape gape
  grapes gapes
grasp gasp
  grasps gasps 
  grasping gasping
  grasped gasped
grate gate
  grates gates
  grating gating
  grated gated
grater gaiter
  graters gaiters
grave gave
gravel gavel
  gravels gavels
gray gay
  grayer gayer
  grayest gayest
  grays gays
grays gaze
graze gaze
  grazes gazes
  grazing gazing
  grazed gazed
grease geese
great gate
  greats gates
greater gaiter
Greece geese
Greek geek
  Greeks geeks
grew goo
grill gill
  grills gills
grit git
groat goat
  groats goats
grot got
ground gowned
grow go
  grows goes
  growing going
imprudent impudent
  imprudence impudence
keyring keying
muskrat Muscat	   
okra ochre
outgrowing outgoing	  
overrate overate
pantry panty
  pantries panties
phrase phase
  phrases phases   
pottery potty  
praise pays
pram Pam
prate pate
  prates pates
prawn pawn
  prawns pawns  
pray pay
  prays pays
  praying paying
  prayed paid
prayer pair
  prayers pairs
pre pee
preach peach
  preaches peaches
present peasant
  presents peasants
pressed pest
pretty pity
  pretties pities 
  prettying pitying
  prettied pitied
prey pay
  preys pays
  preying paying
  preyed paid
prick pick
  pricks picks
  pricking picking
  pricked picked
prickle pickle
  prickles pickles
pride pied
priest piste
prig pig
  prigs pigs
  priggish piggish
primp pimp
  primps pimps	   
prince rinse
  princes rinses  
prink pink
  prinks pinks
  prinking pinking
prise pies        
prize pies
prod pod
  prods pods
prole pole
  proles poles
prom pom
  proms poms
prong pong
  prongs pongs
proof poof
  proofs poofs
prop pop
  props pops
  propping popping
  propped popped
proper popper
pros pose
prose pose
prosy posy
prouder powder
proxy poxy
Pru pooh
pry pie
  pries pies   
Rabbie abbey                           
race ace
  races aces
racks axe
raft aft
rafter after
  rafters afters
rage age
  rages ages
  raging aging
  raged aged
raid aid
  raids aids
  raiding aiding
  raided aided
rail ail
  rails ails
  railing ailing
  railed ailed
raise A's
rake ache
  rakes aches
  raking aching
  raked ached
ram am
ramble amble
  rambles ambles
  rambling ambling
  rambled ambled
ramp amp
  ramps amps
ran an
rand and
randy Andy
rank anch
  ranks anchs
rankle ankle
  rankles ankles
rape ape
  rapes apes
  raping aping
  raped aped
rapt apt	 
rare air
rarest aorist
raring airing                
rase A's
rash ash
  rashes ashes
rat at
rate ate
raw awe
raw or
raw ore
ray A
  rays A's
reach each
ready eddy
  readies eddies
real eel
reel eel
  reels eels
  reeling eeling
  reeled eeled
realm elm
  realms elms
rear ear
  rears ears
reek eke
  reeks ekes
  reeking eking
  reeked eked
regret egret
  regrets egrets
reject eject
  rejects ejects
  rejecting ejecting
  rejected ejected
relapse elapse
  relapses elapses
  relapsing elapsing
  relapsed elapsed
related elated
remit emit
  remits emits
  remitting emitting
  remitted emitted
remote emote
rend end
  rends ends
  rending ending
retch etch
  retches etches
  retching etching
  retched etched
revaluation evaluation
  revaluations evaluations
revoke evoke
  revokes evokes
  revoking evoking
  revoked evoked
revocation evocation
  revocations evocations
revolution evolution
  revolutions evolutions
revolve evolve
  revolves evolves
  revolving evolving
  revolved evolved
rhea ear
  rheas ears
rice ice
rich itch
  riches itches
riddle idyll
  riddles idylls
rider Eider
rides Ides
riff if
rile aisle
  riles aisles
rile isle
  riles isles
rill ill
  rills ills
rink ink
  rinks inks
riot eyot
  riots eyots
rise eyes
Rita eater
road ode
  roads odes
road owed
roam ohn
  roams ohms
roan own
  roans owns
roar oar
  roars oars
roar or
roar ore
  roars ores      
roast oast
rocks ox
rocky oche                              
rod odd
  rods odds  
rode ode
rode owed
roe O
  roes O's
roe Oh
roe owe
  roes owes
rose O's
rose owes
rote oat
rotter otter
  rotters otters
rout out
  routs outs
  routing outing
  routed outed
rover over
  rovers overs  
row Oh
row owe
  rows owes
  rowing owing
  rowed owed
rowed ode
rusk Usk
Ryde eyed 
rye eye
scram scam
scrape scape
scream scheme
  screams schemes
scree ski	  
  screes skis
screed skied
scrip skip
  scrips skips
script skipped
scrolled scold
scruff scuff
  scruffs scuffs
scrum scum
shrank shank
shred shed
  shreds sheds
  shredding shedding
shrew shoe
  shrews shoes
shriek chic
shrift shift
shrill shill
shrine shine
  shrines shines
sprain Spain
sprat spat
  sprats spats
spray spay
  sprays spays
  spraying spaying
  sprayed spayed
spread sped
sprit spit	
  sprits spits
sprite spite
  sprites spites
sprout spout
  sprouts spouts
  sprouting spouting
  sprouted spouted
spry spy
strafe staff
  strafes staffs 
  strafing staffing
  strafed staffed      
straight state
strait state
  straits states
strain stain
  strains stains
  straining staining
  strained stained
strand stand
  strands stands
  stranding standing
strata starter
straw store
  straws stores
  strawed stored
stray stay
  strays stays
  straying staying
  strayed stayed
strayed staid
stream steam
  streams steams
  streaming steaming
  streamed steamed                                      
streamer steamer
  streamers steamers
string sting
  strings stings
  stringing stinging
  strung stung
stripling stippling
strode stowed	
stroke stoke
  strokes stokes
  stroking stoking
  stroked stoked
strop stop
  strops stops
  stropping stopping
  stropped stopped
strove stove
struck stuck
sundry Sunday
throng thong
  throngs thongs
traced taste
track tack
  tracks tacks
  tracking tacking
  tracked tacked
tracks tax
tracked tact
trad tad
trail tail            
  trails tails
  trailing tailing
  trailed tailed
trailer tailor
  trailers tailors	
traipse tapes  
trait Tate
tramp tamp
  tramps tamps
  tramping tamping
  tramped tamped
trap tap
  traps taps
  trapping tapping
  trapped tapped
trapper tapper
  trappers tappers
trawl tall
trawler taller
tray Tay
tread Ted
treat teet
  treats teets
tree T
  trees T's
tree tea
  trees teas
tree tee
  trees tees
trench tench
trend tend
  trends tends
tress Tess
trews twos
trial tile
  trials tiles
trick tick
  tricks ticks
  tricking ticking
  tricked ticked
trickle tickle
  trickles tickles
  trickling tickling
  trickled tickled
trigger Tigger
trill till
  trills tills
  trilling tilling
  trilled tilled
trim Tim
trip tip
  trips tips
  tripping tipping
  tripped tipped
triple tipple
  triples tipples
  tripling tippling
  tripled tippled
tripper tipper
  trippers tippers
trite tight
tritely tightly
troll toll
  trolls tolls	  
  trolled tolled
trolled told
trope tope
  tropes topes
tropic topic 
  tropics topics
  tropical topical
trot tot
  trots tots
  trotting totting
  trotted totted
trotter totter
  trotters totters
trough toff
  troughs toffs
trout tout
  trouts touts
trowel towel
  trowels towels
truck tuck
  trucks tucks
  trucking tucking
  trucked tucked                            
true too
true two
truth tooth
try tie
  tries ties
  trying tying
  tried tied   
untrue unto
unwrapped unapt
wrapped apt
wreak eke
  wreaks ekes
  wreaking eking
wrecks ex
wretch etch
  wretches etches                                                                                                                                   
writ it
wrote oat    
wrought ought
wry eye

Syllabic /r/ versus null:

archery Archie
Barbara barber
battery batty  
cannery canny
cattery catty	 
chancery chancy
cookery cookie	
flattery flattie
gallery galley
mystery misty
offering offing	
pottery potty
psaltery salty	  
rockery rocky
slippery slippy
sufferer suffer

Credit: John Higgins