The spelling of /k/ is <c>, <ck>, <k> or <ch> in ache. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled <j>, <ge> or <dg>.
This is a contrast between a voiceless stop and a voiced affricate, fairly well separated in the mouth. It does not cause many problems, other than for Turkish learners whose spelling system leads them sometimes to pronounce <c> as /ʤ/.
Taboo word pais include coon/June and fuck/fudge.
Interesting pairs include:
colic college
colonel journal
cordon Jordan
The figure for the mean density is 1.5%. The set makes 101 semantic contrasts, a loading of 55%.
ache age aching ageing ached aged back badge backing badging backed badged backer badger backers badgers bark barge barking barging barked barged bilk bilge brick bridge bricking bridging buck budge bucking budging bucked budged Buckie budgie bulk bulge bulking bulging bulked bulged cab jab cabs jabs Cairo giro cake cage caked caged caking caging cake Jake cakes jakes cam jam cams jambs can Jan cape jape capes japes car jar cars jars card jarred cause jaws caw jaw cawed jawed cawing jawing caws jaws Co Jo coax jokes cob job cobs jobs cobber jobber cobbers jobbers cocker codger cockers codgers cocky jockey cog jog cogs jogs coign join coigns joins coin join coins joins coined joined coining joining coiner joiner coiners joiners coke joke coked joked coking joking cokes jokes colic college collie jolly collies jollies collier jollier colonel journal colonels journals colt jolt colts jolts con John cone Joan coney Joanie Connie Johnny coo Jew coos Jews cool jewel cools jewels cool joule cools joules coolie Julie coon June coons Junes coot jute cordon Jordan core jaw cores jaws cored jawed cot jot cots jots cottar jotter cottars jotters cove Jove cowl jowl cowls jowls coy Joy cut jut cuts juts cutting jutting dirk dirge dock dodge docking dodging docked dodged docker dodger dockers dodgers Duncan dungeon fork forge forking forging fuck fudge fucked fudged fucking fudging gawk gorge heck hedge irk urge irked urged irking urging K J K's J's kail gaol kava Java keep jeep keeps jeeps ken gen kenned genned kenning genning kens gens Kenny Jenny Kent gent kernel journal kernels journals Kerry Gerry key G keys G's kilt jilt kilts jilts kinetic genetic kinetics genetics kinks jinks kip gyp kipped gypped kirk jerk kirks jerks kissed gist lakh large lock lodge locking lodging locked lodged locker lodger lockers lodgers mac Madge maker major makers majors mark Marge murk merge perk purge perking purging perked purged quay G quays G's rake rage raking raging raked raged Redbrick Redbridge rick ridge ricking ridging ricked ridged rocker Roger sake sage sec sedge stake stage staking staging staked staged stock stodge stocky stodgy stockier stodgier stockiest stodgiest truck trudge wake wage waking waging wreck Reg
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, August 2010.