The /s/ sound is spelled with <s>, <ss>, <c> or <sc>. The /ʤ/ sound is spelled with <j>, <g> or <dg>.
This is a contrast between a voiceless sibilant fricative and a voiced alveolar affricate, fairly close together in the mouth. It does not cause problems.
Interesting pairs include:
acetate agitate
avarice average
Caesars Jesus
sermon German
simony jiminy
solid jollied
The mean density value is 1.4%. The list makes 111 semantic distinctions, a loading of 49%.
ace age aces ages acetate agitate acetates agitates avarice average baas barge bars barge bass badge Boris borage bus budge buses budges busing budging bused budged C G C's G's C gee C's gees Caesars Jesus case cage cases cages cased caged cease siege cell gel cells gels cent gent cents gents conceal congeal concealed congealed concealing congealing conceals congeals converge converse converges converses converging conversing cp GP cymbals gimbals cyst gist cysts gists dissect deject dissected dejected dissecting dejecting dissects dejects dissection dejection diverse diverge dose doge doses doges doss dodge dosses dodges dossing dodging dossed dodged dosser dodger dossers dodgers dress dredge dresses dredges dressing dredging dressed dredged dresser dredger dressers dredgers EC eg EEC EEG Erse urge force forge forces forges forcing forging forced forged fuss fudge fusses fudges fussed fudged fussing fudging gorse gorge immerse emerge immerses emerges immersing emerging immersed emerged intersect interject intersected interjected intersecting interjecting intersects interjects intersection interjection intersections interjections lease liege leases lieges less ledge lesser ledger loss lodge losses lodges mass Madge mercer merger mercers mergers mercies merges miss midge misses midges pace page paces pages pacing paging paced paged posse podgy purse purge purses purges pursing purging pursed purged purser perjure pursers perjures race rage races rages racing raging raced raged refuse refuge S edge S's edges sack jack sacked jacked sacking jacking sacks jacks sag jag sagged jagged sagging jagging sags jags sail gaol sailed gaoled sailing gaoling sails gaols sailor gaoler sailors gaolers sake jake sakes jakes sale gaol sales gaols Sam jam sane Jane saw jaw sawed jawed sawing jawing saws jaws say J scent gent scents gents sea G seas G's sea gee seas gees sear jeer seared jeered searing jeering sears jeers sedge Jess sedgy Jessie see G sees G's see gee sees gees seep jeep seeps jeeps seine Jane seize G's seize gees seizes Jesus sell gell selling gelling sells gells send genned sender gender senders genders sends gens sent gent sents gents sentry gentry sermon German sermons Germans sets jets setting jetting sew Joe sewn Joan silt jilt silted jilted silting jilting silts jilts simony jiminy since singe single jingle singled jingled singles jingles singling jingling sink jink sinks jinks sin gin sinned ginned Sioux Jew sitter jitter sitters jitters so Joe soak joke soaked joked soaking joking soaks jokes soaker joker soakers jokers soar jaw soared jawed soars jaws sob job sobbed jobbed sobbing jobbing sobs jobs solid jollied soon June sore jaw sores jaws sot jot sots jots sou Jew sous Jews soused joust sow Joe soy joy sump jump sumps jumps sunk junk sussed just truss trudge trusses trudges trussing trudging trussed trudged verse verge verses verges
Credit: John Higgins