Vowels 9 and 17, /u/ versus //    118 pairs      [bootbout.html]

The /u/ vowel is usually spelled <oo>, <ew>, <u>, <ui> in bruise and <o> in who. The // diphthong is spelled <owCe> or <ou>. Notice the homograph wound.

This is a contrast between a long vowel and a diphthong, fairly well separated in starting position and distinguished by lip-rounding. It is not a problem for any learners.

The density figure is 2.49%. The set makes 61 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 51.7%.

allude allowed 
blues blouse 
boo bough
  boos boughs
boo bow
  booing bowing
  booed bowed
  boos bows
boot bout
  boots bouts
booze boughs
booze bows  
brew brow
  brews brows
  brewed browed
bruise brows  
bruise browse
  bruised browsed 
  bruises browses 
  bruising browsing 
chew chow
  chews chows
chute shout
  chutes shouts
clewed cloud
clued cloud
coo cow
  cooed cowed
  cooing cowing
  coos cows
cool cowl
  cooling cowling
  cools cowls
crewed crowd
croon crown
  crooned crowned
  crooning crowning
  croons crowns
crude crowd
do dhow 
  do's dhows 
doer dower
  doers dowers
flute flout 
  fluted flouted 
  flutes flouts 
  fluting flouting 
fool foul
  fooled fouled
  fooling fouling
  fools fouls
gnu now
goon gown
  goons gowns
Hoo how
hula howler
  hulas howlers 
jewel jowl
  jewels jowls
joule jowl
  joules jowls
Julie jowly
loose louse
loot lout
  loots louts
moo mow
  mooing mowing
  moos mows
mooned mound
moose mouse
  mooses mouses
noon noun
noose nous
Pru prow
prude proud 
rood rowed
root rout
  rooted routed
  rooting routing
  roots routs
Rudy rowdy
rue row 
  rued rowed
  rues rows
  ruing rowing
rues rouse 
ruse rouse
  ruses rouses 
ruse rows
school scowl
  schooled scowled
  schooling scowling
  schools scowls
scoot scout
  scooted scouted
  scooting scouting
  scoots scouts
shoot shout
  shooting shouting
  shoots shouts
shrewd shroud
slew slough 
  slews sloughs
sooth south
sou sow
  sous sows
strewed Stroud 
toot tout
  tooted touted
  tooting touting
  toots touts
whoever however 
who'll howl 
who's house 
woo wow
  woos wows
wound wound
you'll yowl

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2009