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Consonants /ʃ/ versus /m/, 219 pairs     

The /ʃ/ sound is spelled with <sh>, <su>, <ch> or <ti>. The /m/ sound is spelled with <m>, <mm> or <mb> in lamb.

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

Taboo word pairs include shag/mag and shat/mat.

Interesting pairs include:

shoulder moulder
shyness minus

The mean density value is 1.8%. The list makes 126 semantic distinctions, a loading of 58%.

ash am 
assure amour 
  assures amours 
Boche bomb 
cache cam 
cash cam 
chaise Mays
chaise maize 
chaise maze
  chaises mazes 
chassis massy 
chic meek 
chute moot 
  chutes moots
clash clam 
  clashing clamming 
  clashed clammed 
crash cram 
  crashing cramming 
  crashed crammed
crush crumb 
  crushed crumbed
dash dam 
  dashing damming 
  dashed dammed
dash damn
  dashing damning 
  dashed damned
dish dim 
  dishing dimming 
  dished dimmed
douche doom 
flesh  phlegm 
gush gum 
  gushing gumming 
  guished gummed
hash ham 
  hashing hamming 
  hashed hammed
harsh harm 
hush hum 
  hushing humming 
  hushed hummed
lash lam 
  lashing lamming
  lashed lammed
lash lamb
  lashing lambing 
  lashed lambed
mash ma'am 
mashes mammies 
mush mum 
mushy mummy 
pasha Parma 
pasha palmer
  pashas palmers 
plush plum 
plush plumb
plusher plumber 
plushy plummy 
  plushier plummier 
  plushiest plummiest 
posh pom 
poshes pommies 
rash ram
rush rum 
rushy rummy 
sash Sam 
schist missed 
schist mist
  schists mists 
Sean morn
Sean mourn
shack mac 
  shacks macs
shacks Max 
shad mad 
shade made 
shade maid
  shades maids
shag mag 
  shags mags 
shaggy Maggie 
shah ma 
shahs Mars 
shake make 
  shakes makes 
  shaking making
shaker maker 
  shakers makers 
shake-up make-up 
  shake-ups make-ups 
shakings makings 
shale mail 
shale male
shallow mallow 
  shallows mallows 
shame maim 
  shamed maimed 
  shaming maiming 
  shames maims 
shammy mammy 
shandy Mandy 
shanks Manx 
shard marred 
share mare 
  shares mares 
shark mark 
  sharks marks 
sharks Marx  
shat mat  
shatter matter 
  shattered mattered 
  shattering mattering 
  shatters matters 
shawl mall
  shawls malls
shawl maul 
  shawls mauls 
she me 
shed Med 	  
sheen mean 
sheen mien
sheet meat
  sheets meats
sheet meet
  sheeting meeting 
  sheets meets
shear mere 
  shears meres 
sheer mere 
sherry merry 
shilling milling 
shine mine 
  shines mines 
  shining mining
shingle mingle 
  shingled mingled 
  shingles mingles 
  shingling mingling 
shire mire 
  shires mires 
shirk murk 
shoal mole 
  shoals moles 
shoaled mould 
shock mock 
  shocked mocked 
  shocking mocking
  shocks mocks 
shocker mocker 
  shockers mockers 
shockingly mockingly 
shod Mod 
shoe moo 
  shoeing mooing 
  shoes moos 
shoo moo
  shooed mooed
shooed mood 
shoot moot
  shooting mooting 
  shoots moots
shop mop 
  shopped mopped 
  shopping mopping 
  shops mops 
shore maw
  shores maws
shore more 
shored Maud 
shorn morn 
shorn mourn
shorter mortar 
shortest morticed 
shoulder moulder 
  shouldered mouldered 
  shouldering mouldering 
  shoulders moulders 
show mo
show mow
  showing mowing 
  shows mows 
  shown mown
  showed mowed
showed mode 
shown moan  
shuck muck 
  shucked mucked 
  shucking mucking 
  shucks mucks 
shuffle muffle 
  shuffled muffled 
  shuffles muffles 
  shuffling muffling 
shuffler muffler 
  shufflers mufflers 
shut mutt 
  shuts mutts 
shutter mutter 
  shuttered muttered 
  shuttering muttering 
  shutters mutters 
shy my 
shyness minus 
slash slam 
  slashing slamming 
  slashed slammed
slush slum 
slushy slummy 
  slushier slummier 
  slushiest slummiest 
sure moor 
swish swim 
  swishing swimming 
thrush thrum 
tosh Tom 
trash tram 
wish whim 

Credit: John Higgins