The spelling of /t/ is <t> or <tt> and we also see silent letter combinations such as <bt> in debt. The /r/ sound is <r> or <rr> medially.
The homographs tear makes pairs with rare and rear, tarry makes pairs with tatty and tarty and routed with tooted and touted.
The contrast is between a voiceless plosive and a voiced continuant, fairly close together in the mouth. Although the /r/ sound is problematic for many learners, the contrast is not a problem.
one mildly taboo word pair is tits/writs.
Interesting pairs include:
butter borough
starting starring
tandem random
tenet rennet
tipple ripple
tortoise Taurus
The mean density value is 1.4%. The list makes 182 semantic distinctions, a loading of just under 50%.
acted acrid attain arraign attained arraigned attaining arraigning attains arraigns attainment arraignment attainments arraignments attest arrest attested arrested attesting arresting attests arrests averting averring baton baron batons barons batty Barry betted buried Betty bury blurting blurring butter borough butters boroughs catty carry cattier carrier charting charring courting coring detect direct detects directs detected directed detecting directing detection direction detective directive detectives directives detector director detectors directors fattier farrier fetid ferried genetic generic genetically generically haughty hoary haughtier hoarier haughtiest hoariest haughtiness hoariness hotted horrid hotter horror hutted hurried jetty jerry jetties jerries matted married motto morrow mottoes morrows patted parried patty parry patties parries pettish perish petty perry porting poring pottage porridge shorting shoring sitters sirrahs snorter snorer snorters snorers snorting snoring sorting soaring spirting spurring starting starring T re ta rah tack rack tacked racked tacking racking tacks racks tag rag tagged ragged tagging ragging tags rags tail rail tailed railed tailing railing tails rails take rake takes rakes taking raking take-off rake-off take-offs rake-offs tale rail tales rails tally rally tallied rallied tallies rallies tallying rallying tamp ramp tamped ramped tamping ramping tamps ramps tandem random tangle wrangle tangled wrangled tangles wrangles tangling wrangling tank rank tanked ranked tanking ranking tanks ranks tanker rancour tankers rankers tanned rand tap rap tapped rapped tapping rapping taps raps tape rape taped raped tapes rapes taping raping tar rah tare rare tarried tatted tarting tarring tarty tarry taste raced tat rat tats rats tatting ratting tatted ratted tatter ratter tatters ratters tattle rattle tattled rattled tattles rattles tattling rattling tattler rattler tattlers rattlers tatty ratty tattier rattier tattiest rattiest tatty tarry tawse roars teach reach teaching reaching teaches reaches tear rare tearing raring tear rear tears rears tech wreck techs Rex Ted read Ted red teddy ready teddies readies teeth wreath teethe wreathe teethed wreathed teethes wreathes teething wreathing ten wren tens wrens tend rend tending rending tends rends tender render tendered rendered tendering rendering tenders renders tenet rennet tent rent test rest tested rested testing resting tests rests Thai rye Thais rise thyme rhyme tick rick ticked ricked ticking ricking ticks ricks tickets rickets tide ride tides rides tiding riding tidings ridings tie rye ties rise tiff riff tiffs riffs tight right tights rights tightly rightly tightness rightness tight rite tights rites tight write tights writes tighter writer tightest rightist tike Reich tikes Reichs tile rile tiled riled tiles riles tiling riling till rill tills rills time rhyme timed rhymed times rhymes timing rhyming tined rind ting ring tinged ringed tinging ringing tinkle wrinkle tinkled wrinkled tinkles wrinkles tinkling wrinkling tip rip tipped ripped tipping ripping tips rips tip-off rip-off tip-offs rip-offs tipple ripple tippled rippled tipples ripples tippling rippling tire wrier tit writ tits writs tithe writhe tithes writhes tittle Writtle to rue to roo toad road toads roads toast roast toasted roasted toasting roasting toasts roasts toaster roaster toasters roasters toe roe toes roes toe row toeing rowing toes rows toed rowed toes rose told rolled toll r�le tolls r�les toll roll tolling rolling tolls rolls Tom rhomb tomb rheum tomb room tombs rooms tome Rome tome roam tomes roams tone roan tones roans tongs wrongs ton run tons runs tonning running too rue too roo took rook tool rule tooled ruled tooling ruling tools rules toot root tooted rooted toots roots tooting rooting toot route toots routes tooting routing tooted routed tooth ruth tootle rootle tootled rootled tootles rootles tootling rootling tope rope toped roped topes ropes toping roping topi ropey tor raw tor roar tors roars tore raw tore roar tort wrought tortoise Taurus tortoise torus tot rot totting rotting tots rots totted rotted tote rote totter rotter totters rotters tough rough tougher rougher toughest roughest toughly roughly toughness roughness toughs roughs toughen roughen toughened roughened toughening roughening toughens roughens tout rout touted routed touting routing touts routs tow roe tows roes tow row towing rowing towed rowed tows rows towel rowel towels rowels tows rose toy Roy tub rub tubs rubs tuck ruck tucked rucked tucking rucking tucks rucks tuft roughed tug rug tugs rugs tumble rumble tumbled rumbled tumbles rumbles tumbling rumbling tummy rummy tun run tuns runs tunnel runnel tunnels runnels tunny runny tusk rusk tusks rusks tussle rustle tussled rustled tussles rustles tussling rustling tut rut tutted rutted tutting rutting two rue twos rues two roo twos roos Tyne Rhine type ripe typist ripest untapped unwrapped
Credit: John Higgins