The /m/ sound is spelled with <m> or <mm>. The /r/ sound is spelled with <r> or <rr>. Notice how the homograph read makes pairs with mead and Med.
This is a contrast between a bilabial nasal continuant and a retroflex continuant, both voiced and only occurring initially or medially. It is not a problem.
Since /r/ does not occur finally, several verb pairs only appear in the -ing form when an /r/ link is introduced, such as charming/charring. Other interesting pairs include:
imitate irritate
meagrely regally
mental rental
mummy rummy
muscle rustle
The mean density value is 1.8%. The lists make 186 semantic distinctions, a loading of 58%.
amain arraign amaze arrays ameers arrears camel carol camels carols camion carrion charming charring clammy Clarrie commode corrode commodes corrodes commoner coroner commoners coroners confirming conferring declamation declaration declamations declarations gammy Gary gamut garret gamuts garrets hemming herring imitate irritate imitated irritated imitates irritates imitating irritating imitation irritation imitations irritations jemmy jerry jemmies jerries ma rah ma'am ram mac rack macs racks mace race maces races made raid Mafia raffia mag rag mags rags maid raid maids raids mail rail mailed railed mailing railing mails rails Maine rain Maine rein Maine reign main rain mains rains main rein mains reins main reign mains reigns maize raise maize rays make rake makes rakes making raking mammy marry mammies marries man ran Mandy randy mane rain manes rains mane rein manes reins mane reign manes reigns mange range manger ranger mangers rangers mangle wrangle mangled wrangled mangles wrangles mangling wrangling manned rand Manx ranks map rap mapped rapped mapping rapping maps raps mar rah mare rare Marge raj maser raiser masers raisers masher rasher mashers rashers match ratch matches ratches matchet ratchet matchets ratchets mate rate mated rated mates rates mating rating mat rat mats rats matted ratted matting ratting Matt rat matter ratter matters ratters Maud roared mauve rove mauves roves maw raw maw roar maws roars max racks may ray mayor rare Mays raise Mays rays maze raise mazed raised mazes raises maze rays me re mead read meagrely regally meant rent Med read Med red Mede read meek reek men Rennes men wren mend rend mending rending mends rends mender render menders renders mental rental mere rear meres rears merely really messed rest met ret mice rice Mick Rick Mickey Ricky midden ridden middle riddle middles riddles middling riddling middled ridled midge ridge midges ridges might right might rite might write mike Reich mikes Reichs mild riled mile rile miles riles mime rhyme mimed rhymed mimes rhymes miming rhyming mince rinse minced rinsed minces rinses mincing rinsing mind rind minds rinds mine Rhine mink rink minks rinks mire wrier misc risk miser riser misers risers missed wrist mist wrist mists wrists mite right mites rights mite rite mites rites mite write mites writes mitre writer mitres writers mitten written mizen risen Mo roe Mo row moan roan moans roans moat rote moat wrote mob rob mobbed robbed mobbing robbing mobs robs mock rock mocked rocked mocking rocking mocks rocks mocker rocker mockers rockers mockery rockery mockeries rockeries Mod rod mode road modes roads mode rowed Mods rods molar roller molars rollers Mold rolled mould rolled mole rôle moles rôles mole roll moles rolls money runny moo roo moos roos moo rue moos rues mooing ruing mooed rued mooed rude moos ruse mood rood moods roods moody Rudy moon rune moons runes moot root mooted rooted mooting rooting moots roots mope rope moped roped mopes ropes moping roping more roar mosey Rosie moseys roses most roast motor rota motors rotas motor rotor motor rotors mound round mounds rounds mow row mowed rowed mowing rowing mows rows mowed road mower rower mowers rowers mows rose mows rouse muck ruck mucked rucked mucking rucking mucks rucks muddle ruddle muddled ruddled muddles ruddles muddling ruddling muddy ruddy muddier ruddier muddiest ruddiest muff rough muffed roughed muffing roughing muffs roughs muff ruff muffs ruffs muffle ruffle muffled ruffled muffles ruffles muffling ruffling mug rug mugs rugs mugger rugger mum rum mumble rumble mumbled rumbled mumbles rumbles mumbling rumbling mummer rummer mummy rummy mumps rumps muscle rustle muscled rustled muscles rustles muscling rustling mushy rushy mushier rushier mushiest rushiest musk rusk must rust musts rusts musty rusty mustier rustier mustiest rustiest mustiness rustiness mutt rut mutts ruts my rye my wry perming purring scummy scurry simian Syrian simians Syrians simmer sirrah simmers sirrahs slummy slurry storming storing stormy storey stormy story tammy tarry tammies tarries warming warring worming whirring
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2010.