Consonant /ŋ/ versus null, 543 pairs     [steely.html]

The /ŋ/ sound is spelled with <ng> or <n> in the sequence <nk>.

The /ŋ/ sound only occurs medially or finally and is normally preceded by a short vowel. Most of the pairs arise from contrastinga verbal -ing form with an adjective ending in -y or from reducing a /ŋ/ plus consonant final cluster, as in bank/back.

Taboo word pairs include buggering/buggery and wank/whack.

The density value is 6%.

	
aching achey
aiming Amy
airing airy
airings Aries
arching Archie
arming army
assembling assembly
auguring augury
backing baccy
bagging baggy
bailing bailey
banding bandy
bank back
  banks backs
  banking backing
  banked backed
banker backer
  bankers backers
bank-draft back-draught
  bank-drafts back-draughts    
batting batty
beaching beachy
beating Beatty
beefing beefy
beggaring beggary
belling belly
bending bendy
betting Betty
billing Billy
billowing billowy
blacking Blackie
blank black
  blanks blacks
blankly blackly
blighting Blighty
blooding bloody
blurring blurry
bobbing Bobby
bogging boggy
boning bony
boobing booby
booting booty
boozing boozy
bossing bossy
bouncing bouncy
braining brainy
branding brandy
breezing breezy
brink brick
bristling bristly
brooding broody
browning brownie
bubbling bubbly
budding buddy
buggering buggery
bugging buggy
bulking bulky
bumping bumpy
bunged bud
bungs buzz
bunk buck
  bunks bucks
  bunked bucked
  bunking bucking
busting busty
butchering butchery
butting butty
caging cagey
canning canny
casings cases
ceding seedy
centring sentry
chairing chary
chalking chalky
chancing chancy
chatting chatty
cheeking cheeky
cheering cheery
chewing chewy
chilling chilly
chilling chilli
chilling Chile
chink chick
  chinks chicks
chipping chippy
  chippings chippies
chirping chirpy
choking chokey
choosing choosy
chopping choppy
chumming chummy
chunk chuck
  chunks chucks
  chunking chucking
  chunked chucked
clamming clammy
clanged clad
classing classy
clink click
  clinks clicks
  clinked clicked
  clinking clicking
clogging cloggy
clouding cloudy
clumping clumpy
clunk cluck
  clunks clucks
  clunked clucked
  clunking clucking
cocking cocky
committing committee
coning coney
conk cock
  conks cocks
  conking cocking
  conked cocked
conning Connie
contrasting contrasty
cooing cooey
cooking cookie
cooling coolie
coppering coppery
copping copy
corning corny
coughing coffee
counting county
crackling crackly
crank crack
  cranks cracks 
  cranking cracking
  cranked cracked
crapping crappy
creaking creaky
creaming creamy
creeping creepy
crisping crispy
croaking croaky
crumbling crumbly
crunching crunchy
crusting crusty
cuddling cuddly
cupping cuppy
curing Curie
curling curly
curving curvy
daring dairy
dicing dicey
dinky Dickie
dipping dippy
dishing dishy
dithering dithery
dodging dodgy
dogging doggy
dolling dolly
doping dopy
dotting dotty
doubling doubly
downing downy
drafting draughty
dreaming dreamy
dressing dressy
dripping drippy
drizzling drizzly
drooping droopy
ducking ducky
dumping dumpy
dunk duck
  dunks ducks
  dunking ducking
  dunked ducked
during jury
dusting dusty
Ealing Ely
earning Ernie
earring eerie
earthing earthy	  
earthling earthly
easing easy
edging edgy
equalling equally
expiring expiry
facings faces
fatting fatty
faulting faulty
feathering feathery
fiddling fiddly
fidgeting fidgety
filling filly
  fillings fillies
filming filmy
finger figure
  fingers figures
  fingering figuring
  fingered figured
firing fiery
fishing fishy
fizzing fizzy
flaking flaky
flank flak
flashing flashy
fleecing fleecy
fleshing fleshy
flickering flickery
flighting flighty
flirting flirty
flopping floppy
flouring floury
flowering flowery
fluffing fluffy
foaming foamy
fogging foggy
foxing foxy
frisking frisky
frosting frosty
frothing frothy
fruiting fruity
funk fuck
  funks fucks
  funked fucked
  funking fucking
fussing fussy
gaming gamey
ganged gad
gassing gassy
gelling jelly
genning Jenny
giggling giggly
gingering gingery
glossing glossy
gluing gluey
gonged god
goofing goofy
goring gory
grassing grassy
gravelling gravelly
greasing greasy
griming grimy
grizzling grizzly
grooving groovy
grouping groupie
grubbing grubby
gumming gummy
gunning gunny
handing handy
hanged had
  hangs has
hank hack
  hanks hacks
happing happy
harping Harpy
heading heady
holing holy
honk hock
  honks hocks
  honking  hocking
  honked hocked
horning horny
huffing huffy
humbling humbly
icing icy
idling idly
jacking Jackie
jaunting jaunty
jazzing jazzy
jelling jelly
jerking jerky
jetting jetty
jingle jiggle
  jingles jiggles
  jingled jiggled
  jingling jiggling
jumping jumpy
jungle juggle
  jungles juggles
kink kick
  kinking kicking
  kinked kicked
  kinks kicks
kitting Kitty
kneading needy
lacing lacy
lacking lackey
lading lady
lank lack
lanky lackey
lazing lazy
leafing leafy
leaking leaky
legging leggy
liming Limey
link lick
  linking licking
  linked licked
  links licks
living Livy
lobbing lobby
lofting lofty
longer logger
looping loopy
lynx licks
Manx macks
Manx max
mating matey
meaning meanie
meeting meaty
messing messy
mink Mick
minks mix
minx mix
misting misty
monger mugger
  mongers muggers
monk muck
  monks mucks
monkey mucky
moulding mouldy
mousing mousy
mucking mucky
mugging muggy
napping nappy
needing needy
nerving nervy
nipping nippy
nosing nosy
oiling oily
pacing pacey
padding Paddy
palling pally
parking parky
parting party
pasting pasty
patching patchy
patting patty
peaching peachy
peaking peaky
pearling pearly
peppering peppery
perjuring perjury
petting petty
phoning phoney
pigging piggy
pink pick
  pinks picks
  pinking picking
  pinked picked
pitting pity
plaguing plaguy
plank plaque
  planks plaques
plunk pluck
  plunks plucks
  plunking plucking
  plunked plucked
poking poky
posing posy
potting potty
powdering powdery
pricing pricey
prink prick
  prinks pricks
  prinking pricking
  prinked pricked
pulling pulley
punk puck
  punks pucks
punkah pucker
  punkahs puckers
pusjing pushy
putting putty
queering query
racing racy
raining rainy
rank rack
  ranks racks
  ranking racking
  ranked racked
ratting ratty
recovering recovery
reining rainy
reigning rainy
risking risky
rocking rocky
rooking rookie
rooming roomy
roping ropy
rubbering rubbery
rushing rushy
rusting rusty
salting salty
sank sack
saucing saucy
scaling scaly
scanting scanty
screeching screechy
screwing screwy
seaming seamy
seeding seedy
seeming seamy
sexing sexy
shading shady
shagging shaggy
shaking shaky
shamming shammy
shank shack
  shanks shacks
shelling Shelley
shifting shifty
shining shiny
shirting shirty
showing showy
shuffling shuffly
silting silty
sink sick
sinks six
sitting city
  sittings cities
sketching sketchy
skinning skinny
slating slaty
sleeping sleepy
sleeting sleety
slink slick
slumming slummy
smearing smeary
smiling smiley
smoking smoky
smudging smudgy
snaking snaky
sneaking sneaky
snipping snippy
snooping snoopy
snowing snowy
sopping soppy
souping soupy
sparking sparky
speeding speedy
spiking spiky
spinning spinney
splashing splashy
sponging spongey
sporting sporty
spotting spotty
squalling squally
squashing squashy
squeaking squeaky
squelching squelchy
staging stagy
stank stack
stealing steely
steeling steely
steaming steamy
sticking sticky
stink stick
  stinks sticks
  stinking sticking
  stunk stuck            
stinker sticker
  stinkers stickers
stocking stocky
stoning stony
storing story
straggling straggly
streaking streaky
stubbing stubby
stuffing stuffy
sugaring sugary
sulking sulky
sunk suck
sunning sunny
swamping swampy
sweating sweaty
tacking tacky
talking talkie
tank tack
  tanks tacks
  tanking tacking
  tanked tacked
tarting tarty
tarring tarry
tasting tasty
taxing taxi
telling tele
testing testy
think thick
thinker thicker
thrusting thrusty
tickling tickly
tinker ticker
  tinkers tickers
tinkle tickle
  tinkles tickles
  tinkling tickling
  tinkled tickled
tinning tinny
toasting toastie
touching touchy
tracing Tracey
treating treaty
trebling trebly
trending trendy
tricking tricky
tripling triply
trunk truck
  trunks trucks
  trunking trucking
twigging twiggy
twisting twisty
unhanding unhandy
wadding wadi
wangle waggle
  wangles waggles
  wangling waggling
  wangled waggled
wank whack
  wanks whacks
  wanking whacking
  wanked whacked
wanks wax
watering watery
waving wavy
waxing waxy
weakling weakly
weakling weekly
wearing wary
weeping weepy
welling welly
wending Wendy
wheezing wheezy
whining whiny
whisking whisky
willing Willie
winding windy
wink wick
  winks wicks
winning whinney
wintering wintery
wiring wiry
wording wordy
Worthing worthy
yank yak
  yanks yaks   
yearling yearly  
yellowing yellowy

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2010.