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.