Consonants /w/ versus /ʤ/, 121 pairs     [wagjag.html]

The /w/ sound is spelled with <w> or <wh>. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled with <j> or <g>.

This is a contrast between a bilabial semivowel and an alveolar affricate, both voiced. It only ocurs initially. It is a known problem for Swedish speakers, perhaps partly influenced by the spelling.

The mean density value is 2.9%. The lists make 63 semantic distinctions, a loading of 52%.

  
inward injured 
wade jade 
  waded jaded 
  wades jades 
wag jag 
  wagged jagged 
  wagging jagging 
  wags jags 
wail gaol 
  wailed gaoled 
  wailing gaoling 
  wails gaols
wain Jane
wake Jake 
wakes jakes 
Wales gaols 
Wally jolly
wan John 
wangle jangle 
  wangled jangled 
  wangles jangles 
  wangling jangling 
ward jawed 
warden Jordan 
war jaw
  warred jawed
  wars jaws 
watt jot 
  watts jots
wax jacks 
way J 
  ways J's 	 
way jay
  ways jays  
Wayne Jane 
wayward wagered 
we G 
wee G
  wees G's 
Wear jeer
weep jeep 
  weeps jeeps 
wee-wee gee-gee 
  wee-wees gee-gees 
weigh J
  weighs J's
weigh jay
  weighs jays  
weir jeer
  weirs jeers 
weird jeered 
weld gelled 
well gel 
  welling gelling 
  wells gels
  welled gelled
wen gen 
  wens gens 
wend genned 
went gent 
west jest 
wet jet 
  wets jets 
  wetted jetted 
  wetting jetting 
whack jack 
  whacked jacked 
  whacking jacking 
  whacks jacks
whale gaol
  whales gaols
whaler gaoler 
  whalers gaolers 
what jot
wherries jerries 
wherry Gerry 
whet jet 
  whets jets 
  whetted jetted 
  whetting jetting 
Whig jig
  Whigs jigs
whiles Giles 
whim Jim 
whim gym
  whims gyms 
whip gyp
  whipped gypped 
  whips gyps
whist gist 
whoa Joe 
wig jig
  wigged jigged 
  wigging jigging 
  wigs jigs
wiggle jiggle 
  wiggled jiggled 
  wiggles jiggles 
  wiggling jiggling 
Will Gill 
wilt jilt 
  wilted jilted 
  wilting jilting 
  wilts jilts 
winks jinks 
Witney jitney
wive jive 
  wived jived 
  wives jives 
  wiving jiving 
woe Joe
woke joke 
woo Jew 
  woos Jews 
work jerk 
  worked jerked 
  working jerking 
  works jerks 
worm germ 
  worms germs 
wove Jove 

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