Consonants /p/ versus /ʃ/, 296 pairs     [potshot.html]

The spelling of /p/ is always either <p> or <pp>. The /ʃ/ sound is usually spelled <sh> but we also see <ch> in chic and <ti> in cautious.

The contrast is between a stop and a fricative, both voiceless but fairly well separated in the mouth. It is unlikely to be a problem.

Interesting pairs include

corpus cautious
nappies gnashes
panties shanties
peppered shepherd
wrapper rasher

The mean density value is 2.9%. The list makes 149 semantic distinctions, a loading of 50%.

cap cache 
  capped cached
  capping caching
cap cash
  capped cashed
  capping cashing
Capt cached
Capt cashed
clap clash
  clapped clashed
  clapping clashing
cop cosh
  copped coshed
  copping coshing
copies coshes
Copt coshed
corpus cautious
cr^epe cr`eche
crap crash
  crapped crashed
  crapping crashing
dip dish
  dipped dished
  dipping dishing
flap flash
  flapped flashed
  flapping flashing
gap gash
hap hash
  happed hashed
  happing hashing
harp harsh
harper harsher
harpist harshest
keep quiche
knap gnash
  knapped gnashed
  knapping gnashing 
kopjes coshes
lap lash
  lapped lashed
  lapping lashing
leap leash
map mash
  mapped mashed
  mapping mashing
Marple marshal
Marple martial
nap gnash
  napped gnashed
  napping gnashing
nappies gnashes
P she
  P's she's
pa shah
pack shack
  packed shacked
  packing shacking
  packs shacks
pact shacked
pad shad
paddock shaddock
  paddocks shaddocks
pah shah
paid shade
pail shale
pair share
  paired shared
  pairing sharing
  pairs shares
pal shall
pale shale
pall shawl
  palls shawls
Pam sham
panties shanties
par shah
  pars shahs
pare share
  pared shared
  pares shares
  paring sharing
park shark
  parks sharks
parr shah
  parrs shahs
parse shahs
pat shat
patter shatter
  pattered shattered
  pattering shattering
  patters shatters
Paul shawl
pause shores
pave shave
  paved shaved
  paves shaves
  paving shaving
paw shore
  pawed shored
  paws shores
pawl shawl
  pawls shawls
pawn Sean
pawn shorn
pax shacks
pays chaise
pea she
peak chic 
peal she'll
pealed shield
pear share
  pears shares
pearly Shirley
peas she's
pease she's
peat sheet
pee she
  peed she'd
  pees she's
peek chic
peel she'll
peeled shield
peeler Sheila
peer shear
  peered sheared
  peering shearing
  peers shears
peer sheer
  peered sheered
  peering sheering
  peers sheers
peeves sheaves
peke chic
pelf shelf
peppered shepherd
perk shirk
  perked shirked
  perking shirking
  perks shirks
perry sherry
pert shirt
Pete sheet
pi shy
  pis shies
pie shy
  pied shied
  pies shies
pier shear
  piers shears
pier sheer
  piers sheers
pin shin
  pinned shinned
  pinning shinning
  pins shins
pine shine
  pines shines
  pining shining
pip ship
  pipped shipped
  pipping shipping
  pips ships
pique chic
pissed schist
pit shit
  pits shits
  pitted shitted
  pitting shitting
pitied shitted
pock shock
  pocked shocked
  pocks shocks
pod shod
pole shoal
  poled shoaled
  poles shoals
  poling shoaling
poll shoal
  poll shoals
  polled shoaled
  polling shoaling
polish polyp
pone shewn
pooh shoe
pooh shoo
poor sure
  poorer surer
  poorest surest
  poorly surely
  poorness sureness
pop posh
  popped poshed
  popping poshing
pop shop
  popped shopped
  popping shopping
  pops shops
poppies poshes
poppas shoppers
pore shore
  pored shored
  pores shores
  poring shoring
porn Sean
porn shorn
port short
  ported shorted
  porting shorting
  ports shorts
porter shorter
portage shortage
  portages shortages
portly shortly
pose shows
pot shot
  pots shots 
pour shore
  poured shored
  pouring shoring
  pours shores
pout shout
  pouted shouted
  pouting shouting
  pouts shouts
power shower
  powered showered
  powering showering
  powers showers
pox shocks
prank shrank
primp shrimp
  primped shrimped
  primping shrimping
  primps shrimps
prink shrink
  prinking shrinking
  prinks shrinks
proud shroud
Pru shrew
prude shrewd
puck shuck
  pucks shucks 
pud should
pun shun
  punned shunned
  punning shunning
  puns shuns
pun 'shun
punt shunt
  punted shunted
  punter shunter
  punters shunters
  punting shunting
  punts shunts
push shush
  pushed shushed
  pushes shushes
  pushing shushing
putt shut
  putts shuts
  putting shutting
putter shutter
  puttered shuttered
  puttering shuttering
  putters shutters
pyre shire
  pyres shires
pyre shyer
rap rash
sap sash
slap slash
  slapped slashed
  slapping slashing
slop slosh
  slopped sloshed
  slopping sloshing
top tosh
trap trash
unpaved unshaved
upper usher
  uppers ushers
whelp welsh
  whelped welshed 
  whelping welshing 
whip wish
  whipped wished
  whipping wishing
whop wash
  whopped washed
  whopping washing
whopper washer
  whoppers washers
wrap rash
wrapper rasher 
  wrappers rashers 

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, January 2010.