Vowels 15 and 16, /ɔɪ/ versus /əʊ/    92 pairs      [coilcoal.html]

The /ɔɪ/ diphthong is spelled <oi> and <oy>. The /əʊ/ diphthong has many spellings including <oCe>, <oe>, <ow> or <oa>.

This is a contrast between two diphthongs with different starting positions and different directions of movement. It is not a problem for learners.

The density figure is high at 11.7%. The set makes 42 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 45.7%.

alloy aloe
  alloys aloes
boil bole
  boils boles
boil bowl
  boiled bowled
  boiling bowling
  boils bowls  
boiled bold
boiler bowler
  boilers bowlers
boy beau 
  boys beaux 
boy bow
  boys bows  
buoy beau
  buoys beaux
buoy bow
  buoys beaux
  buoyed bowed
  buoying bowing 
buoyed bode 
cloys close 
coign cone 
  coigns cones
coin cone
  coins cones
  coined coned
  coining coning
coil coal 
  coiled coaled 
  coiling coaling 
  coils coals 
coy Co 
foil foal 
  foiled foaled 
  foiling foaling 
  foils foals 
Fowey foe
groin groan 
  groined groaned 
  groining groaning 
  groins groans 
hautboy hobo
  hautboys hoboes
hoist host 
  hoisted hosted
  hoisting hosting
  hoists hosts
join Joan 
joy Jo 
Lloyd's loads
loin loan 
  loins loans 
moil mole
  moils moles
moiled mould 
moist most
  moistly mostly
noise knows 
noise nose
  noised nosed
  noises noses
  noising nosing
noisy nosey
  noisier nosier
  noisiest nosiest
oiled old
poise pose
  poised posed
  poises poses
  poising posing
quoit coat 
  quoits coats 
Roy roe
Roy rwo
soil sole
  soiled sold
  soiling soling
  soils soles
soy so 
toil toll 
  toiled tolled
  toiling tolling
  toils tolls
toiled told
toy toe 
  toying toeing 
  toys toes
  toyed toed
toyed toad 
voile vole

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2009