Consonants /p/ versus /ʧ/, 296 pairs     [patchat.html]

The spelling of /p/ is always <p> or <pp>. The /ʧ/ sound is normally <ch> or <tch>, though we also see <tu> in suture, torture and vesture, and it occurs in the letter name H.

The contrast is between a plosive and an affricate, both voiceless but well separated in the mouth. There is little risk of confusion.

Interesting pairs include:

dapper dacha
Epping etching
panel channel
perish cherish
pillion Chilean
purpose purchase
torpor torture
vespers vestures

The mean density value is 3.4%. The list makes 152 semantic distinctions, a loading of 51%.

ape H 
beep beach
beep beech 
bleep bleach 
  bleeped bleached 
  bleeping bleaching 
burp birch 
  burped birched 
  burping birching 
cap catch
  capping catching
chirp church
cope coach 
  coped coached 
  coping coaching 
creeper creature 
  creepers creatures 
crop crotch
dapper dacha
dip ditch
  dipped ditched
  dipping ditching
Epping etching
gulp gulch 
hap hatch
  happed hatched
  happing hatching
hip hitch
hippies hitches
hoop hooch 
kip kitsch
lap latch
  lapped latched
  lapping latching
leap leach 
  leaped leached 
  leaping leaching 
leap leech
leper lecher 
  lepers lechers 
map match
  mapped matched
  mapping matching
nip niche 
P’s cheese
pa char
pace chase 
  paced chased 
  paces chases 
  pacing chasing 
paced chaste
pad Chad 
pah char
pain chain 
  pained chained 
  paining chaining 
  pains chains 
pair chair 
  paired chaired 
  pairing chairing 
  pairs chairs 
palace chalice 
  palaces chalices 
palm charm 
  palmed charmed 
  palming charming 
  palms charms 
palmer charmer 
  palmers charmers 
pane chain
  panes chains
panel channel 
  panelled channelled 
  panelling channelling 
  panels channels 
pap chap 
pap patch
par char 
  pars chars
pare chair
  pared chaired
  pares chairs
  paring chairing
parity charity 
parley Charlie 
Parma charmer
parr char
  parrs chars 
parse chars
part chart 
  parted charted 
  parting charting 
  parts charts 
paste chased
paste chaste
pat chat
  pats chats 
  patted chatted 
  patting chatting 
patter chatter 
  pattered chattered 
  pattering chattering 
  patters chatters 
patty chatty
pause chaws 
pause chores
paw chaw 
  pawed chawed 
  pawing chawing 
  paws chaws
paw chore
  paws chores
pawky chalky 
peak cheek
  peaked cheeked 
  peaking cheeking
  peaks cheeks
peaky cheeky 
  peakier cheekier 
  peakiest cheekiest 
pear chair
  pears chairs
pearl churl
  pearls churls 
peas cheese
pease cheese
peat cheat
peck cheque
  pecks cheques
peck Czech 
  pecks Czechs 
peck check
  pecked checked 
  pecking checking 
  pecks checks
pecker checker 
  peckers checkers 
pecker chequer
  peckers chequers
peek cheek
  peeked cheeked
  peeking cheeking
  peeks cheeks
peep peach
  peeped peached
  peeping peaching 
peeper cheaper 
peer cheer 
  peered cheered 
  peering cheering 
  peers cheers 
peerless cheerless 
pees cheese
peke cheek
  pekes cheeks
Peking cheeking
perch church 
  perches churches 
peri cheery 
perish cherish 
  perished cherished 
  perishes cherishes 
  perishing cherishing 
perry cherry 
pest chest 
  pests chests 
pester Chester 
Pete cheat
peter cheetah
  peters cheetahs 
pick chick
  picks chicks
pickle chicle 
pied chide 
pier cheer
  piers cheers
piled child 
pill chill
  pills chills
pillion Chilean 
  pillions Chileans 
pimp chimp 
  pimps chimps 
pin chin 
  pins chins
pine chine 
  pines chines 
pink chink 
  pinked chinked 
  pinking chinking 
  pinks chinks 
pip pitch
  pipped pitched
  pipping pitching
pique cheek
  piqued cheeked
  piques cheeks
  piquing cheeking
pit chit 
  pits chits 
pock choc
  pocks chocs
pock chock
  pocked chocked 
  pocks chocks 
poke choke 
  poked choked 
  pokes chokes 
  poking choking 
poker choker 
  pokers chokers 
poky chokey 
pooh chew 
pop chop 
  popped chopped 
  popping chopping 
  pops chops 
Pope poach
poppas choppers 
poppy choppy 
pore chaw
  pored chawed
  pores chaws
pore chore 
  pores chores
pork chalk 
portal chortle 
  portals chortles 
pose chose 
pour chaw
  poured chawed
  pours chaws
pour chore
  pours chores
powder chowder 
  powders chowders 
pox chocks
pox chocs
puck chuck 
  pucks chucks 
pucker chukker 
  puckers chukkers 
pug chug 
  pugs chugs 
pukka chukker
pump chump 
  pumps chumps 
punk chunk 
  punks chunks 
purl churl
  purls churls
purpose purchase 
  purposed purchased 
  purposes purchases 
  purposing purchasing 
pyx chicks
rap ratch
reap reach 
  reaped reached 
  reaping reaching 
rep retch
rep wretch
repp retch
repp wretch
rip rich 
Ripley richly
rope roach 
scrap scratch
  scrapped scratched
  scrapping scratching
scrappy scratchy
  scrappier scratchier
  scrappiest scratchiest
snap snatch
  snapped snatched
  snapping snatching
snip snitch
  snipped snitched
  snipping snitching
sup such 
super suture
  supers sutures
torpor torture
  torpors tortures
tup touch 
vespers vestures
whip which 
whip witch
  whipping witching
whoop hooch
whop watch 
  whopped watched 
  whopper watcher 
  whoppers watchers 
  whopping watching 
wrap ratch

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, January 2010.