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Consonants /m/ versus /ʧ/, 214 pairs     

The /m/ sound is spelled with <m>, <mm> or <mb> in comb. The /ʧ/ sound is spelled with <ch>, <tch>, <tu> in feature or <c> in cello.

This is a contrast between a voiced bilabial nasal continuant and a voiceless alveolar affricate. It is not a problem.

Interesting pairs include:

ermine urchin
femur feature
malice chalice
martyr charter
mason chasten
million Chilean
stammer stature

The mean density value is 2.6%. The lists make 118 semantic distinctions, a loading of 58%.

aim H
amah archer
  amahs archers
arm arch 
armies arches 
arming arching 
armour archer 
  armours archers
  armoury archery 
army Archie
beam beach 
  beaming beaching 
  beamed beached
beam beech
beseem beseech 
  beseeming beseeching 
bomb botch
  bombing botching
  bombed botched
bomber botcher
  bombers botchers
bream breach 
cam catch
coaming coaching 
comb coach 
  combed coached
  combing coaching
crumb crutch 
dim ditch
  dimming ditching
  dimmed ditched
dumb Dutch 
dummy duchy 
  dummies duchies 
ermine urchin
fem fetch
femur feature 
  femurs features 
film filch 
  filming filching 
  filmed filched
ham hatch
  hamming hatching
  hammed hatched
him hitch
hum hutch
hymn hitch
  hymning hitching 
  hymned hitched
lam latch
  lambing latching
  lambed latched
M etch
ma'am match
mace chase 
  maces chases 
mad Chad 
Maine chain
main chain
  mains chains 
Mali Charlie 
malice chalice 
mammies matches
mange change 
map chap 
  mapped chapped 
  mapping chapping 
  maps chaps 
mar char 
  marring charring 
  mars chars 
  marred charred
marcher charmer 
  marchers charmers 
mare chair 
  mares chairs 
marred Chard 
mart chart 
  marts charts 
martyr charter 
  martyred chartered 
  martyring chartering 
  martyrs charters 
Mary chary
mason chasten 
  masons chastens 
Matt chat			 
mat chat
  matted chatted 
  matting chatting 
  mats chats
matter chatter 
  mattered chattered 
  mattering chattering 
  matters chatters 
Maud chawed
maw chaw 
  maws chaws 
maw chore 
  maws chores 
mayor cvhair
  mayors chairs
meat cheat
  meats cheats
meet cheat  
  meeting cheating 
  meets cheats
mellow cello 
  mellows cellos 
mere cheer 
  meres cheers 
merry cherry 
mete cheat
  meted cheated 
  metes cheats
  meting cheating
meter cheetah
  meters cheetahs 
mickle chicle 
mild child 
mill chill
  milled chilled 
  mills chills
  milling chilling  
Millie Chile 
Millie chilli
million Chilean 
  millions Chileans 
mime chime 
  mimed chimed 
  mimes chimes 
  miming chiming 
mine chine 
  mines chines 
miner China
mink chink 
  minks chinks 
mints chintz 
mix chicks 
mizzle chisel 
  mizzled chiselled 
mock chock
  mocked chocked 
  mocking chocking 
  mocks chocks 
moke choke 
  mokes chokes 
monk chunk 
  monks chunks 
monkey chunky 
moo chew 
  mooing chewing 
  moos chews 
  mooed chewed
mood chewed 
mop chop 
  mopped chopped 
  mopping chopping 
  mops chops 
more chore 
Morley Chorley 
mortal chortle 
  mortals chortles 
mow chow 
  mows chows 
mows chose 
muck chuck 
  mucked chucked 
  mucking chucking 
  mucks chucks 
muckle chuckle 
mug chug 
  mugged chugged 
  mugging chugging 
  mugs chugs 
mum chum
  mums chums 
mum much 
mummy chummy 
mumps chumps 
myna China 
norm nautch 
palm parch
  palming parching
  palmed parched
Pam patch
perm perch 
  perming perching 
  permed perched
ram ratch
ream reach 
rim rich 
roam roach
Rome roach
scram scratch
  scramming scratching
  scrammed scratched
scream screech
  screaming screeching
  screamed screeched
some such
stammer stature
swim switch
  swimming switching
team teach 
  teaming teaching 
tummies touches 
tummy touchy 
whim which 
whim witch
whom hooch 

Credit: John Higgins