The spelling of /d/ in this list is <d> or <dd>. The /v/ sound is spelled <v>. Notice how the homograph read makes pairs with reeve and rev, and the place name Reading makes a pair with revving.
The contrast is between a plosive and a fricative, both voiced but well separated in the mouth. It is not a problem for learners.
Taboo word pairs include peed/peeve.
48 of the contrasts arise between a past tense ending and an -ive adjective-forming derivation, such as instructed/instructive. The program identified the contracted-form pairs we'd/we've etc, but I have left these out for the sake of consistency. Other interesting pairs include:
dandle vandal
Denis Venice
dicker vicar
discus viscous
fortified forty-five
haddock havoc
hardest harvest
moody movie
radish ravish
The mean density value is 2.4%. The list makes 193 semantic distinctions, a loading of 65%.
aborted abortive acted active added avid addicted addictive adopted adoptive agreed aggrieve allied alive asserted assertive attracted attractive beads beeves braid brave braiding braving braids braves breed breve breeds breves cadre carver cadres carvers calve card calves cards calving carding Canvey candy chide chive chides chives code cove codes coves collected collective concede conceive concedes conceives conceding conceiving conducted conductive connected connective constructed constructive corrected corrective costed costive created creative curd curve curds curves cursed cursive D V D's V's dairy vary dairies varies dairying varying dale vale dales vales dally valley dallies valleys dallied valid damp vamp damped vamped damping vamping damps vamps Dan van Dane vain Dane vane Danes vanes Dane vein Danes veins dated dative daunt vaunt daunted vaunted daunting vaunting daunts vaunts dealt veld dear veer dears veers debt vet decks vex deducted deductive deer veer defected defective deign vain deign vane deigns vanes deign vein deigned veined deigns veins Denis Venice dent vent dented vented denting venting dents vents denture venture dentures ventures deride derive derides derives deriding deriving Derry very derv verve detected detective deaden Devon dew view dhow vow dhows vows Di vie dial vial dials vials dice vice dices vices Dick Vic dicker vicar dickers vicars Dicky Vicky die vie dying vying dies vies died dive digested digestive digger vigour dim vim dine vine dines vines directed directive dirge verge dirges verges discus viscous disrupted disruptive diver viva divers vivas docks vox dole vole doles voles doll vol dolls vols dolly volley dollies volleys dolt volt dolts volts dote vote doted voted dotes votes doting voting dove dud doves duds dowel vowel dowels vowels dried drive dude viewed due view dues views durst versed dye vie dyed vied dyes vies Eden even effected effective elder elver elders elvers elected elective ended endive exhausted exhaustive feeder fever feeders fevers fortified forty-five grade grave grades graves greyed grave had have haddock havoc hadn't haven't hard halve hardest harvest hardy Harvey heady heavy headier heavier headiest heaviest heaves heeds heed heave heeding heaving heeds heaves held helve hide hive hides hives hiding hiving hied hive hoed hove I'd I've indent invent indented invented indenting inventing indents invents indict invite indicted invited indicting inviting indicts invites inducted inductive instructed instructive interacted interactive introspected introspective intuited intuitive invented inventive neighed knave lad lav lads lavs lade lave lading laving lead leave leads leaves leading leaving leaded levied leaden leaven leader lever leaders levers Leeds leaves Leiden liven lid live lids lives lied live loads loaves lodes loaves Maldon Malvern mode mauve modes mauves moated motive mood move moods moves moody movie noddle novel noddles novels objected objective obstructed obstructive odd of odour over odours overs overacted overactive paid pave peed peeve prevented preventive prospected prospective protected protective prude prove prudes proves radish ravish radishes ravishes raid rave raiding raving raids raves raider raver raiders ravers read reeve reads reeves read rev Reading revving recede receive recedes receives receding receiving red rev reds revs reed reeve reeds reeves reflected reflective resisted resistive respected respective rested restive restricted restrictive Rev read ride rive rides rives riding riving ridden riven road rove roads roves selected selective serve surd serves surds shade shave shades shaves shading shaving shadings shavings shelled shelve sleighed slave sported sportive staid stave starred starve steed Steve stowed stove stride strive stridden striven strides strives striding striving strode strove subjected subjective suggested suggestive turds turves unselected unselective dandle vandal dandles vandals diking Viking voted votive wade waive wading waiving wades waives wade wave wading waving wades waves wader waiver waders waivers wards wharves weed weave weeds weaves weaving weeding wides wives woad wove
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, May 2010.