A contrast between a consonant and a vowel has a different status from that between two consonants, since the syllable structure and stress pattern are bound to be upset. This applies particularly to such a "consonanty" consonant as /p/. However, since /p/ enters consonant clusters very readily, there will be pairs in which it apparently contrasts with a (usually unstressed) vowel before a consonant, and these might be a problem for learners whose first language has fewer clusters. Such pairs include: crimped cremate, souped suet, sprees cerise, sprees series, spring soaring, yelping yellowing.
Fifteen of the twenty vowel phonemes displayed minimal pairs with /p/. If no contrast is reported below, then no pairs showed up in this dictionary.The largest groups are those involving /ɪ/ and /ə/, which are commonly involved in making inflections and derivations.
/ɪ/
alp Ali
alp alley
alps Alice
chump chummy
clamp clammy
clasp classy
dump dummy
dupe dewy
gamp gammy
grasp grassy
gulp gully
gulped gullet
hoop hooey
loop Louis
loops Lewes
lump lumme
plain Elaine
plane Elaine
plate elate
plates elates
plume illume
plumed illumed
plumes illumes
praise erase
praised erased
praises erases
prays erase
preys erase
rump rummy
slump slummy
souped suet
tamp tammy
whoop hooey
/e/
duped duet
plasticity elasticity
play LA
pricker Erica
/æ/
placate allocate
placated allocated
placates allocates
placating allocating
prate arête
prates arêtes
pricker areca
prickers arecas
/ɑ/
pray RA
prey RA
/ɒ/
capes chaos
pricks oryx
prison orison
prisons orisons
/ɔ/
ping awing
prate orate
prated orated
prates orates
prating orating
prickle auricle
prickles auricles
spring soaring
/u/
spit suet
vamps vamoose
/3/ imps immerse
/ə/
alp Allah
clamp clamour
cramp crammer
dump dumber
gamp gamma
gape gayer
grape grayer
helped helot
hoop who're
lamps Lammas
play allay
played allayed
playing allaying
plays allays
plea alee
pledge allege
pledged alleged
pledges alleges
pledging alleging
plot allot
plots allots
plotted allotted
plotting allotting
praise arrays
pray array
prayed arrayed
praying arraying
prays arrays
pressed arrest
prey array
preyed arrayed
preying arraying
preys arrays
prison arisen
rump rummer
skimp skimmer
sprees cerise
stamp stammer
sump summer
troop truer
troupe truer
whoop who're
/eə/
beep BA
crimped cremate
pleat élite
pleats élites
porter aorta
porters aortas
/aɪ/
alp ally
jeep GI
P ie
Pam iamb
pea ie
pee ie
ping eyeing
plash eyelash
plashes eyelashes
prate irate
preen Irene
spam Siam
/oɪ/
alp alloy
/əʊ/
alp aloe
cape KO
lap Lao
leap Leo
ping owing
seep CO
yelp yellow
yelping yellowing
/ɪə/
sprees series
spring searing
/eə:/
plume heirloom
plumes heirlooms
prate aerate
prated aerated
prates aerates
prating aerating