Consonants /g/ versus /n/, 265 pairs     [gamename.html]

The spelling of /g/ is <g> or <gg>, and we also see <gu> in guest and <gh> in ghat. The /n/ sound is spelled <n>, <nn> or <gn> in gnu.

This is a contrast between a stop and a nasal continuant, both voiced but fairly well separated in the mouth. It does not cause any problems.

Interesting pairs include:

bogus bonus
contiguous continuous
gunnery nunnery
meagre meaner
muggy money

The figure for the mean density is 1.6%. The set makes 140 semantic contrasts, a loading of 53%.

    	  
Aggie Annie 
bag ban
  bagging banning
  bagged banned
  bags bans
bagged band
bags banns
beg ben 
  begs bens
begged bend
berg burn 
  bergs burns
big bin
bog Bonn 
bogey bony
bogged bond
boggy bonny
  boggier bonnier
  boggiest bonniest
bogus bonus
brag bran
bragged brand
bug bun
  bugs buns
buggy bunny
  buggies bunnies
burgher burner
  burghers burners
cog con
  cogs cons
colleague colleen
  colleagues colleens
contiguous continuous
  contiguity continuity
  contiguously continuously
corgi corny
corrugation coronation 
  corrugations coronations 
craggy cranny
dig din
  digging dinning
  digs dins
digger dinner
  diggers dinners
dog don 
  dogged donned
  dogging donning
  dogs dons
Doug done
Doug dun
drogue drone
drogues drones
dug done
dug dun
  dugs duns
egg N 
  eggs N's 
egged end
erg earn 
  ergs earns 
fag fan
  fagged fanned
  fagging fanning
  fags fans
fig Finn 
  figs Finns 
flag flan
  flags flans
fogey phoney
  fogeys phoneys
fogged fond
forego foreknow
  foregoes foreknows
  foregoing foreknowing
fug fun
fuggy funny
  fuggier funnier
  fuggiest funniest
gab nab
Gael nail
  Gaels nails
gag nag
  gagged nagged
  gagging nagging
  gags nags
gale nail
  gales nails
game name
  games names
  gaming naming
  gamed named
gamely namely
gap nap
  gaps naps
gape nape
  gapes napes
gash gnash
gat gnat
  gats gnats
gaud gnawed
gauze gnaws
gave knave
gay nay
gay neigh
  gays neighs
gear near
  geared neared
  gearing nearing
  gears nears
geese Nice 
get net
  gets nets
  getting netting
ghat naught
  ghats naughts
ghee knee
giggle niggle
  giggled niggled
  giggles niggles
  giggling niggling
gill nil
go know
  going knowing
  goes knows
go no
goad node
  goads nodes
goal knoll
  goals knolls
goat note
  goats notes
gob knob
  gobs knobs
gobble knobble
  gobbled nobbled
  gobbles knobbles
  gobbling nobbling
god nod
  gods nods
goo gnu 
goon noon
goose noose
gore gnaw
gore nor
gorse Norse 
gosh nosh
got knot		
got not
gout knout
gown noun
  gowns nouns
guess ness
  guesses nesses
guessed nest
guest nest
  guests nests
guinea ninny
  guineas ninnies
gull null
gum numb
  gummed numbed
  gumming numbing
  gums numbs
gun none
gun nun
  guns nuns
  gunnery nunnery
gut nut
  guts nuts
  gutted nutted
guy nigh
guzzle nuzzle
  guzzled nuzzled
  guzzles nuzzles
  guzzling nuzzling
hog Hon 
hug Hun 
  hugs Huns 
jag Jan 
jig jinn
  jigs jinns
jig gin
  jigged ginned 
  jigging ginning 
  jigs gins
jog John 
keg ken 
  kegs kens
lagged land
Largs larns
league lean
  leagued leaned
  leagues leans
  leaguing leaning
leg Len 
leggy Lenny 
legs lens
mag man
  mags mans
meagre meaner
Meg men
morgue morn
  morgues morns
morgue mourn
  morgues mourns
muggy money 
ogre owner
  ogres owners
peg pen
  pegged penned
  pegging penning
  pegs pens
Peggy Penny
pig pin
  pigged pinned
  pigging pinning
  pigs pins
piggy pinny
  piggies pinnies
plague plain	 
  plagues plains
plague plane
  plagued planed
  plagues planes
  plaguing planing
pug pun
  pugs puns
rag ran
ragged rand
rogue roan 
  rogues roans 
rug run
  rugs runs
rugger runner
sagged sand
sags sans
stag Stan 
tag tan
  tagged tanned
  tagging tanning
  tags tans
teg ten
  tegs tens
tug ton 
  tugs tons 
  tugged tonned 
  tugging tonning 
tug tun
  tugs tuns  
twig twin
  twigs twins
  twigged twinned
  twigging twinning
vague vain
  vaguely vainly
  vaguer vainer
  vaguest vainest
Vigo vino
Whig win
  Whigs wins
wig win
  wigs wins
  wigging winning
  wiggings winnings
wigged wind

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2010.