Consonants /f/ versus /ʤ/, 194 pairs     [folkjoke.html]

The /f/ sound is spelled with <f>, <ff>, <gh> in laugh or <ph> in aphid. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled <j>, <g(e)> or <dg(e)>.

The contrast is between a voiceless labio-dental fricative and a voiced alveolar affricate. It is not a problem.

Interesting pairs include:

ferny journey
firkin jerkin
fossil jostle
offenders agendas
traffic tragic

The mean density value is 3.1%. The list makes 107 semantic distinctions, a loading of 55%.

 	
afar ajar
aphid aged 
buff budge 
  buffing budging 
  buffed budged
caff cadge 
chaff charge
  chaffing charging
coffer codger 
  coffers codgers 
defect deject
  defected dejected
  defecting dejecting
  defects dejects
defection dejection
doff dodge 
  doffing dodging 
effect eject
  effected ejected
  effecting ejecting
  effects ejects
effing edging 
F edge
fab jab
fact jacked
fade jade
  faded jaded
  fades jades
fag jag
  fagged jagged
  fagging jagging
  fags jags
fail gaol
  failed gaoled
  failing gaoling
  fails gaols
fain Jane 
fake Jake 
  fakes jakes
fan Jan 
far jar
farrow Jarrow 
faugh jaw
fear jeer
  feared jeered
  fearing jeering
  fears jeers
fee G 
  fees G's 
feign Jane
fell gel
  felled gelled
  felling gelling
  fells gels
fem gem
fen gen
  fens gens
fend genned
fender gender
  fenders genders
ferny journey
ferry jerry 
  ferries jerries
fester jester
  festers jesters
fetid jetted
fey J 
fib jib
  fibbed jibbed
  fibbing jibbing
  fibs jibs
fibber gibber
  fibbers gibbers
fig jig
  figs jigs
figure jigger
  figured jiggered
  figures jiggers
files Giles 
fill Jill
fill gill
  fills gills
fin djinn
  finns djinns
fin gin
  finns gins
Finn djinn
  Finns djinns
Finn gin
  Finns gins
firkin jerkin
  firkins jerkins
firm germ
  firms germs
fist gist
  fists gists
fitters jitters
five jive
  fives jives
fob job
  fobbed jobbed
  fobbing jobbing
  fobs jobs
foe Jo 
fog jog
  fogged jogged
  fogging jogging
  fogs jogs
foist joist
  foists joists
folk joke
  folks jokes
folly jolly
  follies jollies
fool jewel
  fools jewels
fool joule
  fools joules
ford jawed
for jaw
fore jaw
Forfar forger
forge George 
fosse joss
  fosses josses
fossil jostle
  fossils jostles
foul jowl
  fouls jowls
foully jowly
four jaw
  fours jaws
Fowey Joy
fowl jowl
  fowls jowls
fudge judge
  fudges judges
fug jug
  fugs jugs
fumble jumble
  fumbled jumbled
  fumbles jumbles
  fumbling jumbling
function junction
  functions junctions
funk junk
  funks junks
funky junkie
fussed just
gruff grudge 
infect inject
  infected injected
  infecting injecting
  infects injects
infection injection
  infections injections
infest ingest
  infested ingested
  infesting ingesting
  infests ingests
kaffir cadger 
  kaffirs cadgers 
laugh large 
leaf liege
maffick magic
murphies merges   
offender agenda
  offenders agendas 
phase J's 
Phil Gill 
phone Joan 
phoney Joanie 
phut jut 
puffy pudgy 
  puffier pudgier 
  puffiest pudgiest 
ref Reg 
refection rejection
  refections rejections
riff ridge 
safe sage
  safely sagely
scurf scourge 
serf serge
serf surge
slough sludge
surf serve
surf surge
  surfing surging
  surfed surged
traffic tragic
wafer wager
  wafers wagers
waif wage 

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2010
updated Chiang Mai, 2024