The /s/ sound is spelled with <s>, <ss>, <ce>, <ps> in pseud, <sc> in Scylla or <sw> in sword. The /m/ sound is spelled with <m>, <mm> or <lm> in palm. Several pairs arise from adjectival endings applied to Latinate words, such as delirious/delirium and momentous/momentum.
This is a contrast between a voiceless alveolar sibilant fricative and a voiced nasal bilabial continuant. It causes no problems.
The only taboo word pair is arse/arm.Interesting pairs include:
dissented demented
mercer murmur
salmon mammon
satyr matter
sermon merman
sinister minister
sodden modern
southerly motherly
summary mummery
The mean density value is 2.1%. The list makes 267 semantic distinctions, a loading of 59%.
ace aim Aquarius aquarium arse arm arses armies ascend amend ascended amended ascending amending ascends amends asp amp asps amps ass am assays amaze assoc amok baas balm boss bomb bossing bombing bossed bombed Bruce broom bus bum busing bumming bused bummed C me case came cautious Corsham cease seam cease seem ceased seemed ceasing seeming ceaseless seamless cede mead cedes meads cede Mede cedes Medes cent meant centaur mentor centaurs mentors certain Merton chassis shammy cine- mini- cissy missy cite might cite mite cites mites coarse corm compendious compendium cosset comet cossets comets countersign countermine countersigned countermined countersigning countermining countersigns countermines crass cram crease cream creasing creaming creased creamed crisp crimp crisped crimped crisping crimping crisps crimps cuss come cycle Michael cyst missed cyst mist cysts mists dace dame deface defame defacing defaming defaced defamed delirious delirium Denis denim dice dime dissension dimension dissensions dimensions dissented demented dose dome dressed dreamt else elm enforce inform enforcing informing enforced informed face fame faced famed farce farm force form forcing forming forced formed gassy gammy harmonious harmonium hassock hammock hassocks hammocks hiss him hiss hymn hissing hymning hoarse haulm Jess gem Jessie jemmy Kassel camel lace lame lacing laming laced lamed lass lam lice lime licit limit Lisa Lima lisp limp lisped limped lisping limping lisps limps locus locum loose loom loosing looming mace maim mass ma'am masses mammies massy mammy mercer murmur mercers murmurs mice mime momentous momentum muss mum musses mummies Norse norm odious odium opprobrious opprobrium paradise paradigm pass palm passing palming passed palmed pendulous pendulum perforce perform plus plum posse pommy posses pommies price prime pricing priming priced primed pseud mewed psychology mycology purse perm pursing perming pursed permed pursuit permute pursuits permutes radius radium resold remould rice rhyme S M sable Mabel sac mac sacs macs sack mac sacks macs sacks Max sad mad sadder madder saddest maddest sadly madly sadden madden saddened maddened saddening maddening saddens maddens sadness madness sag mag sags mags said Med sail mail sailed mailed sailing mailing sails mails sail male sails males saints Mainz sake make sakes makes sale mail sales mails sale male sales males sallow mallow sallows mallows salmon mammon salt malt salted malted salting malting salts malts Sam ma'am samba mamba sambas mambas same maim Sammy mammy sand manned Sandy Mandy sane Maine sane main sanely mainly sane mane sans mans sap map sapped mapped sapping mapping saps maps Sapphic maffick sash mash sashes mashes sat Matt sat mat sate mate sated mated sates mates sating mating satyr matter satyrs matters sauce Morse saw maw saws maws saw more sawed Maud sawn morn sawn mourn say may scene mean scenes means Scylla miller Scyllas millers sea me sear mere sears meres seat meat seats meats seat meet seating meeting seats meets seat mete seated meted seats metes seating meting see me seed mead seeds meads seed Mede seeds Medes seek meek seeker meeker seen mean seer mere seers meres seine main seines mains seine mane seines manes send mend sending mending sends mends sender mender senders menders sent meant Seoul mole serge merge sermon merman serous serum settle metal settled metalled settles metals settling metalling sew mo sew mow sews mows sewing mowing sewed mowed sewed mode sewer mower sewers mowers sewn moan sickle mickle sick Mick sicks mix sigh my sight might sight mite sights mites sign mine signs mines signed mined signing mining signed mind Sikh meek silage milage silk milk silks milks silky milky silkier milkier silkiest milkiest silt milt since mince single mingle singled mingled singles mingles singling mingling sinister minister sink mink sinks minks sinks mynx sinus minus sinuses minuses Sioux moo sir myrrh sire mire sired mired sires mires siring miring sirrah mirror sirrahs mirrors sister mister site might site mite sites mites six mix sixes mixes sizzle mizzle sizzled mizzled sizzles mizzles sizzling mizzling slice slime so mo so mow soak moke soaks mokes soap mope soaped moped soaping moping soaps mopes soar maw soars maws soared Maud soar more sob mob sobbed mobbed sobbing mobbing sobs mobs Soc mock soccer mocker sock mock socked mocked socking mocking socks mocks sod Mod sods Mods sodden modern soil moil soiled moiled soiling moiling soils moils Sol moll solar molar sold Mold sold mould sole mole soles moles some mum sonny money sonnies monies soon moon sop mop sopped mopped sopping mopping sops mops sore maw sores maws sore more sorely Morley sorrel moral sorrels morals sorrow morrow sorrows morrows sorter mortar sorters mortars sou moo sous moos sough muff soughed muffed soughing muffing soughs muffs soul mole souls moles sound mound sounds mounds source Morse souse mouse soused moused souses mouses sousing mousing south mouth southerly motherly sow mo sow mow sows mows sowing mowing sowed mowed sowed mode sower mower sowers mowers such much suck muck sucked mucked sucking mucking sucks mucks suckle muckle suds muds sue mew sues mews suing mewing sued mewed sulked mulct summary mummery summaries mummeries summer mummer summers mummers sumps mumps sum mum sums mums Sun Mon Sunday Monday Sundays Mondays sunk monk surge merge surged merged surges merges surging merging suss muss sussed mussed susses musses sussing mussing suss some suss sum sussing summing sussed summed Sutton mutton Swiss swim sword Maud tedious tedium terse term toss Tom undersign undermine undersigned undermined undersigning undermining undersigns undermines undressed undreamt vacuous vacuum whisper whimper whispered whimpered whispering whimpering whispers whimpers worse worm
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, November 2010.