Vowels 11 and 17, /3/ versus //     75 pairs       [earlowl.html]

The /3/ vowel is spelled with <er>, <ir>, <ear>, <ur>, and <our> in tourney. The // diphthong is spelled <ou> or <ow>.

This is a contrast between a long vowel and a diphthong. The starting positions are fairly close, but it is not a problem for any learners.

Interesting pairs include:

dirty doughty
yearling yowling

The density figure is 3.51%. The set makes 40 semantic contrasts giving a loading of 53.3%.

aver avow
  averred avowed
  avers avows
bird bowed
blurs blouse 
burned bound 
burr bough
  burrs boughs 
burr bow
  burrs bows  
curd cowed 
curl cowl 
  curling cowling 
  curls cowls 
cur cow
  curs cows
dirt doubt
dirty doughty
dirtied doubted
durst doused 
earl owl
  earls owls
flirt flout
  flirted flouted
  flirting flouting
  flirts flouts
furl foul 
  furled fouled 
  furling fouling 
  furls fouls 
Gertie gouty
hearse house
her how
hers house
hurl howl 
  hurled howled 
  hurling howling 
  hurls howls 
mercies mouses
mercy mousy
mirth mouth
nurse nous 
perch pouch
  perched pouched
  perches pouches
  perching pouching
pert pout
shirt shout
  shirting shouting
  shirts shouts
sir sow
  sirs sows
skirl scowl 
  skirls scowls 
skirt scout 
  skirted scouted 
  skirting scouting 
  skirts scouts 
slur slough
  slurs sloughs 
spirt spout
  spirted spouted
  spirting spouting
  spirts spouts
spurs spouse 
tern town
  terns towns
turn twon
  turns towns  
tourney townee
  tourneys townees
were wow
whirr wow
  whirrs wows
yearling yowling

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2009