Consonants /m/ versus /r/, 322 pairs     [manran.html]

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.