The spelling of /k/ is <c>, <cc>, <ck> or <k>. The /w/ sound is spelled <w> or <wh>. The contrasts can occur initially or medially but not finally.
This is a contrast between a voiceless stop and a voiced semivowel. It causes no problems.
Interesting pairs include:
combat wombat
record reward
The figure for the mean density is 2%. The set makes 131 semantic contrasts, a loading of 52%.
accord award accorded awarded according awarding accords awards cage wage caged waged cages wages caging waging cake wake caked waked cakes wakes caking waking calk walk calked walked calking walking calks walks call wall called walled calling walling calls walls cane wain canes wains cane wane caned waned canes wains caning waning care ware cared wared cares wares caring waring care wear cares wears caring wearing care where cased waist cased waste cater waiter caters waiters caught wart cause wars cave waive caved waived caves waives caving waiving caw war caws wars cawed warred cawed ward Celts welts choler wallah cholers wallahs chord ward chords wards chord warred Co whoa Co woe coaled wold cobble wobble cobbled wobbled cobbles wobbles cobbling wobbling cobbler wobbler cobblers wobblers cod wad codded wadded codding wadding cods wads coddle waddle coddled waddled coddles waddles coddling waddling code woad coke woke cold wold colds wolds collar wallah collars wallahs collie Wally combat wombat combats wombats con wan conned wand cont want coo woo cooed wooed cooing wooing coos woos cop whop copper whopper coppers whoppers copping whopping cops whops Copt whopped corbel warble corbels warbles cord ward cords wards corded warded cording warding cordon warden cordons wardens core war cored warred cores wars coring warring cored ward cork walk corked walked corking walking corks walks corker walker corkers walkers corm warm corms warms corn warn corned warned corning warning corns warns Corp warp corpse warps cosh wash coshes washes coshing washing coshed washed cot what cot watt cots watts cottage wattage cottages wattages coughed waft could wood could would couldn't wouldn't couldst wouldst court wart courts warts cove wove cow wow cows wows Cowes wows cur were cur whirr curs whirrs curd whirred curd word curds words curl whirl curled whirled curling whirling curls whirls curry worry curried worried curries worries currying worrying curse worse cursed worst curt wert curt wort K way K's ways kail wail Kaiser wiser Kate wait Kate weight Katie weighty keen wean keened weaned keening weaning keens weans kelp whelp ken wen kens wens kenned wend Kent went kept wept Kerry wherry key we key wee keying weeing keys wees keyed weed kick wick kill will killed willed kills wills killing willing killingly willingly kilt wilt kilts wilts kind whined kind wind kinds winds kine whine kine wine kink wink kinked winked kinking winking kinks winks kip whip kipped whipped kipping whipping kips whips kirk work kirks works kissed whist kit whit kits whits kit wit kits wits kite Wight kite white kites whites kitsch which kitsch witch Kitty witty quay we quay wee quays wees record reward recorded rewarded recording rewarding records rewards scare swear scares swears scaring swearing scathing swathing scone swan scones swans scoop swoop scooped swooped scooping swooping scoops swoops score swore scored sward scorn sworn Scot swat Scots swats scum swum skein swain skeins swains ski'd Swede skill swill skilled swilled skills swills skilling swilling skim swim skimming swimming skims swims skimmer swimmer skimmers swimmers skirl swirl skirls swirls unrecorded unrewarded
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, August 2010.