The /w/ sound is spelled with <w>, <wh> or <o> in one-horse, and is heard in the letter name Y. Many of the pairs arise from dropping /w/ in a cluster, particularly /kw/ spelled <qu> versus /k/. Just over half the pairs come from dropping an initial /w/.
Taboo word pairs include twit/tit and wank/anch.
The density value is 9.5%. The set makes 235 semantic distinctions, giving a loading of 55%.
dwell dell dwells dells dwelt dealt foreswore foresaw Gwent Ghent inwards innards lapwing lapping messuage message messuages messages one-horse unhorse overweight overate quad cod quaff cough quaffs coughs quaffing coughing quaffed coughed quail kail quake cake quakes cakes quaking caking quaked caked qualm calm qualms calms quarrel coral quarrels corals quarrelling coralling quarrelled coralled quarry corrie quarries corries quart caught quart court quarts courts quartz courts quash cosh quashes coshes quashing coshing quashed coshed quaver caver quavers cavers queen keen queens keens queenly keenly quern kern querns kerns quick kick quicker kicker quid kid quids kids quill kill quills kills quin kin quip kip quips kips quipping kipping quipped kipped quirk kirk quirks kirks quit kit quits kits quitting kitting quite kite quote coat quotes coats quoting coating quoted coated redwing Reading squalor scholar square scare squares scares squaring scaring squared scared squat Scot squats Scots squaw score squaws scores squeeze skis squid skid squids skids squint skint squirt skirt squirts skirts squirting skirting squirted skirted suite seat suites seats swab sob swabs sobs swabbing sobbing swabbed sobbed sweet seat sweets seats swam Sam swank sank swap sop swaps sops swapping sopping swapped sopped swat sot sway say swaying saying swearer Sarah sweat set sweats sets sweating setting sweater setter sweaters setters Swede cede Swedes cedes Swede seed Swedes seeds sweep seep sweeps seeps sweeping seeping sweet seat sweets seats swell cell swells cells swell sell swells sells swelling selling swept sept swerve serve swerves serves swerving serving swerved served swift sift swifts sifts swifter sifter swill sill swills sills swimmer simmer swimmers simmers swine sine swine sign swing sing swings sings swinging singing swung sung swingeing singeing Swiss sis swizzle sizzle swizzles sizzles swizzling sizzling swizzled sizzled swoon soon swoop soup swoops soups swore sore swot sot swots sots swum some swum sum thwart thought thwarts thoughts twaddle toddle twang tang tweak teak twee tea twee tee tweed teed tweet teat tweets teats tweeter teeter tweeters teeters tweezers teasers twerps turps twiddly tiddly twill till twills tills twin tin twins tins twinning tinning twinned tinned twine tine twines tines twine Tyne twinge tinge twinges tinges twinkle tinkle twinkles tinkles twinkling tinkling twinkled tinkled twit tit twits tits twitch titch twitter titter twitters titters twittering tittering twittered tittered underquote undercoat underquotes undercoats wad odd wads odds wade aid wades aids wading aiding waded aided waffle offal waft oft wage age wages ages waging ageing waged aged wail ail wails ails wailing ailing wailed ailed wail ale wails ales wait ate wake ache wakes aches waking aching Wales ails Wales ales walk auk walks auks wall all wall awl walls awls Wally Ollie Walter altar Walter alter wan on wangle angle wangles angles wangling angling wangled angled wank anch wanks anchs wannest honest war awe wars awes war or war oar wars oars war ore wars ores warder order warders orders ware air ware heir ware e'er ware ere ware Ayr warmer ormer warmers ormers warning awning warnings awnings wary airy warier airier wariest airiest warily airily was Oz wax axe waxes axes way A ways A's we E weak eke weal eel wean e'en Wear ear wear air wears airs wearing airing wear heir wears heirs wear e'er wear ere wear Ayr wearer airer wearers airers weary eerie wearier eerier weariest eeriest wearily eerily weary eyrie weasel easel weasels easels weave eve weaves eaves web ebb webs ebbs webbing ebbing webbed ebbed wed Ed wedge edge wedges edges wedging edging wedged edged wee E wees E's wees ease week eke weeks ekes weft eft wefts efts weigh A weighs A's weighed aid weight ate weight eight weights eights weighty eighty weir ear weirs ears weir ere welder elder welders elders well ell wells ells wen N wens N's wend end wends ends wending ending wet ate whacks axe whale ail whales ails whale ale whales ales wheat eat wheats eats whaeten eaten wheel eel wheels eels wheeling eeling wheeled eeled wheeze ease wheezes eases wheezing easing wheezed eased wheezy easy wheezier easier wheeziest easiest wheezily easily wheeze E's whelk elk whelks elks when N where air where heir where e'er where ere where Ayr whet ate whey A which itch whiff if while aisle whiles aisles while isle whiles isles whin in whirl earl whirls earls whirr err whirrs errs whirring erring whirred erred whit it whiz is whoa O whoa owe whop op whops ops whorl earl whorls earls why eye why I wide eyed wider Eider wides Ides wield eeled wile aisle wiles aisles wile isle wiles isles will ill wills ills win in win inn wins inns winch inch winches inches winching inching winched inched wink ink winks inks winking inking winked inked winner inner winners inners winnings innings wire ire wise eyes wit it wits its witch itch witches itches woad owed woe O woes O's woe owe woes owes woke oak woken woken wold old wonder under woos ooze word erred wore awe wore or wore oar wore ore work irk works irks working irking worked irked worse Erse worth earth wow ow Y eye Y's eyes Y I Y's I's
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, December 2010.