Consonants /g/ versus /r/, 196 pairs     [gotrot.html]

The /g/ sound is spelled with <g> or <gg>, and we also see <gh> in ghost. The /r/ sound is spelled <r>, <rr> or <wr> in wrong.

The contrast is between a velar stop and an alveolar continuant, both voiced. It does not cause any problems.

The only taboo word pair is bugger/borough.

Intersting pairs include:

begetter biretta
fuggier furrier
gibbon ribbon

The mean density value is 1.4%. The list makes 92 semantic distinctions, a loading of 47%.

 	
auger aura
  augers auras
baggy Barry 
begetter biretta
  begetters birettas
bugger borough
  buggers boroughs 
conjugation conjuration
  conjugations conjurations
engage enrage
  engaged enraged
  engages enrages
  engaging enraging
fuggier furrier
gabble rabble
  gabbles rabbles
Gael rail
  Gaels rails
gale rail
  gales rails
gag rag
  gagged ragged
  gagging ragging
  gags rags
gage rage
  gaged raged
  gages rages
  gaging raging
gain rain
  gained rained
  gaining raining
  gains rains
gain rein
  gained reined
  gaining reining
  gains reins
gain reign
  gained eigned
  gaining reigning
  gains reigns
gait rate
  gaits rates
galley rally
  galleys rallies
gamble ramble
  gambled rambled
  gambles rambles
  gambling rambling
gambler rambler
  gamblers ramblers
gamp ramp
  gamps ramps
gangling wrangling
gap rap
  gaps raps
gape rape
  gaped raped
  gapes rapes
  gaping raping
gash rash
  gashes rashes
gasp rasp
  gasped rasped
  gasping rasping
  gasps rasps
gate rate
  gates rates
  gated rated
  gating rating
gat rat
gaud roared	  
gauge rage
  gauges rages
  gauging raging
  gauged raged
gauze roars
gave rave
gay ray 
  gays rays
gays raise
gaze raise
  gazed raised
  gazes raises
  gazing raising
gaze rays  
gear rear
  geared reared
  gearing rearing
  gears rears
get ret
  getting retting
ghat wrought
ghee re
Ghent rent
ghost roast
  ghosted roasted
  ghosting roasting
  ghosts roasts
ghoul rule
  ghouls rules
gibbon ribbon
  gibbons ribbons
gift rift
  gifts rifts
gig rig
  gigs rigs
giggle wriggle
  giggled wriggled
  giggles wriggles
  giggling wriggling
gill Rhyl 
giver river
  givers rivers
go roe
go row
  goes rows
  going rowing
goad road 
  goads roads
goad rowed
goal rôle
  goals rôles
goal roll
  goals rolls
goat rote
gob rob 
  gobs robs
god rod
  gods rods
goes rose 
gold rolled
gone Ron 
gong wrong
  gonged wronged
  gonging wronging
  gongs wrongs
goo rue
goof roof
  goofed roofed
  goofing roofing
  goofs roofs
Goole rule
goon rune
  goons runes
gore raw
gore roar
  gores roars
  goring roaring
  gored roared
got rot
gout rout
gowned round
guessed rest
guest rest
  guests rests
guide ride 
  guides rides
  guiding riding
guile rile
guise rise
  guises rises
gum rum
gummy rummy
gun run
  gunning running
  guns runs
gunner runner
  gunners runners
gunny runny
gunwale runnel
  gunwales runnels
gush rush
  gushes rushes
  gushing rushing
  gushed rushed
gusset russet
  gussets russets
gust rust
  gusts rusts
  gusted rusted
  gusting rusting
gusty rusty
  gustier rustier
  gustiest rustiest
gut rut
  guts ruts
  gutted rutted
  gutting rutting
guy rye
guy wry
guys rise
Maggie marry
Peggy perry
soggy sorry
  soggier sorrier
  soggiest sorriest

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2010.