Consonants /v/ versus /n/, 259 pairs     [veilnail.html]

The /v/ sound is spelled with <v>, <ve> or <vv> in navvy. The /n/ sound is spelled <n>, <nn> or <gn> in reign.

The contrast is between a labio-dental fricative and an alveolar nasal continuant, both voiced. It is not a problem for learners.

The only taboo word pairing is vigour/nigger.

Interesting pairs include:

avoid annoyed
captive captain
civility senility
devise denies
skivvy skinny
vicars knickers
votary notary

The mean density value is 1.6%. The list makes 132 semantic distinctions, a loading of 51%.

 	
alive align 
Ave Ann 
avoid annoyed 
beeves beans 
bevy Benny 
brave brain 
  braved brained 
  braves brains 
  braving braining 
calve Calne 
calve khan
  calves khans 
captive captain 
  captives captains 
Cavan cannon
Cavan canon
cave cane
  caved caned 
  caves canes 
  caving caning 
cavern cannon
  caverns cannons 
cavern canon
  cavern canon  
chive chine 
  chives chines 
civic cynic
  civics cynics
civility senility
cleave clean 
  cleaved cleaned 
  cleaves cleans 
  cleaving cleaning 
cleaver cleaner 
  cleavers cleaners 
clove clone 
  cloves clones 
conserve concern 
  conserved concerned 
  conserves concerns 
  conserving concerning 
cove Colne 
cove cone
  coves cones 
crave crane 
  craved craned 
  craves cranes 
  craving craning 
Dave Dane 
devise denies 
devote denote 
  devoted denoted 
  devotes denotes 
  devoting denoting 
dive dine 
  dived dined 
  dives dines 
  diving dining 
diver diner 
  divers diners 
divide denied 
dove done 
dove dun
  doves duns
Dover donor
drove drone 
  droves drones 
Eve e'en
five fine 
  fives fines 
fiver finer 
gave gain 
grave grain 
  graves grains 
greaves greens
grieve green 
  grieves greens
  grieving greening
  grieved greened
grove groan 
  groves groans 
hived hind 
hove hone
Jove Joan 
knives nines
lave lain 
lave lane
  laves lanes 
leave lean 
  leaves leans 
  leaving leaning 
  leavings leanings 
levee Lenny 
lever leaner 
levity lenity 
levy Lenny
live line 
  lives lines 
loaves loans 
louvre lunar
mauve moan
  mauves moans
move moon 
  moved mooned 
  moves moons 
  moving mooning 
movie moony 
navvy nanny 
  navvies nannies 
of on
over owner
  overs owners
owns oaves 
pave pain 
  paved pained 
  paves pains 
  paving paining 
prove prune 
  proved pruned
  proves prunes
  proving pruning
rave rain 
  raved rained 
  raves rains 
  raving raining 
rave reign 
  raved reigned 
  raves reigns 
  raving reigning 
rave rein 
  raved reined 
  raves reins 
  raving reining 
rev Rennes 
rev wren
  revs wrens 
review renew 
  reviewed renewed 
  reviewing renewing 
  reviews renews 
revved rend 
rive Rhine 
rived rind 
rove roan 
  roves roans 
save sane 
save seine
  saves seines
  saved seined
  saving seining
saver saner 
shove shun 
  shoved shunned
  shoves shuns
  shoving shunning
shrive shrine 
  shrived shrined 
  shrives shrines 
  shriving shrining 
sieve sin
  sieved sinned
  sieves sins
  sieving sinning
skivvy skinny 
slave slain 
spiv spin 
  spivs spins 
stave stain 
  staved stained 
  staves stains 
  staving staining 
stove stone 
  stoves stones 
thereof thereon
throve throne 
turves terns 
V knee
  V's knees
vac knack 
  vacs knacks 
vale nail 
  vales nails 
vat Nat 
vat gnat
  vats gnats 
vector nectar 
veer near 
  veered neared 
  veering nearing 
  veers nears 
veil nail
  veiled nailed 
  veiling nailing 
   veils nails
veld knelt 
verse nurse 
  versed nursed 
  verses nurses 
verve nerve 
vest nest 
  vested nested 
  vesting nesting 
  vests nests 
vet net 
  vetted netted 
  vetting netting 
  vets nets
vex necks 
vexed next 
Vic Nick 
vicars knickers 
vice nice 
vie nigh 
view knew 
view new
viewed nude 
viewer newer 
views news 
vigour nigger 
vine nine 
  vines nines 
voice Neuss 
vole knoll 
  voles knolls 
votary notary 
  votaries notaries 
vote note 
  voted noted 
  votes notes 
  voting noting 
vow now 
vox knocks 
waive wain
  waives wains
waive wane
  waives wanes
  waiving waning
  waived waned  
waive Wayne 
wave wain
  waves wains
wave wane
  waves wanes
  waving waning
  waved waned  
wave Wayne
weave wean
  weaves weans 
  weaving weaning 
wharves warns 
whereof whereon
wive whine 
  wived whined 
  wives whines 
  wiving whining 
wive wine
  wives wines  
  wiving wining
  wived wined

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2010.