(Journal of the Simplified Spelling Society J4 1987/1 pp22-25)
Back to Part 1. Down to Consonants.
Heterographs in English Part 2.
Christopher Upward.
4 LIST OF HETEROGRAPHS
4.1 Vowels differently spelt.[In the printed journal, the vowels were presented alfabetically by category with 14 overlapping columns across the page and a whole line for each item. They are presented alfabetically here and by category on another page. A very few items are in two categories.]
| ads:adz(US)/e affect:(effect?) ail:ale -s air -s:ere:e'er:heir -s airy:(eyrie?) aisle:isle - s |
all:awl allude:(elude?) -s d ing allusion:(illusion?) -s (allusive:?)elusive:illusive aloud:allowed altar:alter -s |
ant:aunt -s US aught:ought aural:oral aureole:oriole -s ay:aye -s:eye -s:I |
| bad:(bade?) (bade?):bayed bail:bale -s d ing baize:bays 2 bald:balled:bawled balk:baulk:baulk -s ball:bawl -s d ing banded:bandied bare:bear -s d ing baron:barren 2 base:bass -s 2 based:baste 2 (baton?):batten -s 2 bay:bey -s bazaar:(bizarre?) 2 be:bee(:B) beach:beech -s |
bean:been beat:beet -s beau:bow -s beer:bier -s beetle:betel 2 (beret?:)berry:bury -s 3 berth:birth -s bight:bite:byte -s billed:build 2 blew:blue boar:(boor?):bore -s board:bored boarder:border -s bode:bowed bogey:bogy bold:bowled bolder:boulder |
bole:bowl -s born:borne:bourn bough:bow -s boy:buoy -s braid:brayed braise:brays:braze brake:break -s ing breach:breech -s bread:bred brewed:brood brews:bruise 2 bridal:bridle broach:brooch -s bruit:brute -s buy -s:by:bye -s buyer:byre -s |
| cachou:cashew -s 2 caddie:caddy calendar:calender -s call:caul -s 2 callous:callus carat:caret:carrot -s 2 cast:caste -s caster:castor cause:caws cede:seed -s d ing 2 cedar:seeder -s 3 ceiling:sealing -s 2 cellar:seller -s 2 censer:censor:sensor -s 2 cereal:serial -s 2 chased:chaste 2 cheap:cheep |
chews:choose chilli:chilly choir:quire -s 2 choler:collar 2 chough:chuff -s 2 choux:shoe -s d ing:shoo -s d ing 2 chute:shoot -s 2 cite:sight:site -s d ing 2 clause:claws clew:clue climb:clime -s coal:cole -s coarse:corse -s :course -s coarser:courser coat:cote -s coir:coyer 2 |
complement:compliment -s d ing coo:coup -s core:corps council:counsel -s lor 2 cousin:cozen -s3 coward:cowered creak:creek -s crewed:crude crewel:cruel crews:cruise -s:cruse -s cubical:cubicle cue -s d ing:queue -s d ing(:Q) 2 curb:kerb -s 2 currant:current -s cygnet:signet -s 2 cymbal:symbol -s 2 |
| daisies:dazes 2 Dane:deign -s 2 days:daze 2 dean:dene -s dear:deer demean:demesne dependant:dependent descent:dissent 2 dew:due -s |
die:dye -s d ying yeing dier -s:dire:dyer -s dine:dyne -s discreet:discrete doe:doh:dough doer:dour does:doz does:doughs:doze 2 |
dollar:dolour -s 2 done:dun dost:dust douse/dowse:dowse -s d ing draft:draught -s 2 drier:dryer droop:drupe -s dual:duel |
| earn:urn -s eerie:(eyrie?) elicit:illicit 2 |
enquire:inquire -s d ing y ensure:insure -s d ing ewe:yew:you(:U) 2 |
ewer. US your -s ewes:use:yews:youse 2 eyelet:islet -s |
| fain:feign faint:feint -s d ing fair:fare -s fate:fete -s d faun:fawn -s fays:faze -s d ing:phase -s d ing 3 feat:feet feed:fee'd felloe:fellow -s fiancé:fiancée |
file:phial -s filter:philtre -s 2 find:fined fir:fur firs:furs:furze fisher:fissure -s 2 flair:flare flea:flee -s flew:flu:flue floe:flow -s |
flour:flower -s d ing foaled:fold for:fore:four forego:forgo -ne ing forth:fourth foul:fowl -s frays:phrase 2 frees:freeze:frieze 2 friar:frier/fryer -s |
| Gael:gale -s gage:gauge -s d ing gait:gate -s gall:Gaul 2 gamble:gambol -s d ing gays:gaze 2 geezer:geyser -s 2 gelid:jellied 3 |
genes:jean 2 gibe/jibe:gybe/jibe -s d ing 2 gild:guild -s gilt:guilt gneiss:nice 3 gnu -s:knew:new -s:nu 2 gorilla:guer/r/illa -s grayed US/greyed:grade |
grate:great -s r grays US/greys:graze 2 greave:grieve -s groan:grown groin:groyne -s guide:guyed guise:guys |
| hail:hale -r hall:haul -s 2 hair -s:hare -s:Herr 2 handsome:hansom 2 hangar:hanger -s hart:heart -s hay:heigh:hey heal:heel -s d ing |
hear:here heard:herd heroin:heroine hew:hue -s hi:hie -s:high -s hide:hied higher:hire:hiya him:hymn 2 |
hoar:whore -s 2 hoard:horde:whored 2 hoarse:horse hoes:hose hold:holed hour;our -s humerus:humorous x2 |
| indict:indite -s d ing |
immanent:(imminent?) | idle:idol -s |
| (J:jay) | ||
| key:quay -s 2 knead -s d ing:kneed:need -s d ing 2 | know:no:Noh 2 | knows:noes:nose 3 |
| (L:ell) laager:lager -s lain:lane lair:layer -s?) lays:laze 2 lea:lee leach:leech -s lead:led leader:lieder |
leaf:lief leak:leek -s leant:lent leaver:RP lever -s lessen:lesson -s liar:lyre -s licker:liquor 2 lieu:loo |
lightening:lightning links:lynx, 2 lo:low load -s:lode -s:lowed loan:lone loot:lute -s loos:lose lumbar:lumber |
| maid:made mail:male -s main:mane -s maize:maze mall:rnaul -s 2 manakin/manikin/mannikin:mannequin -s 3 mangel:mangle -s manner-manor -s 2 mantel:mantle -s mare:mayor -s marten:martin -s mead:meed |
mealie:mealy mean:mien meat -s:meet -s:mete medal:rneddle -s 2 meddler:medlar -s 2 metal:mettle 2 meter:metre -s mew:mu -s mews:muse mind:mined miner:minor -s might:mite |
missal -s:missel:mistle:US missile -s 2 moan:mown moat:mote -s mode:mowed mood:mooed (moor?:)more morn:mourn -s morning:mourning mucose/mucous:mucus muscle:mussel -s 2 mustard:mustered |
| naval:navel | nay:née:neigh -s, |
none:nun |
| (O:oh:owe) oar -s:or:ore-s |
ode:owed one:won |
(ordinance:ordnance?) |
| paean:peon -s 2 pail:pale -s pain:pane -s pair:pare:pear:père(:payer?)-s palate:palette:pallet -s 3 pause:paws pea:pee(:P) -s peace:piece peak:peek:pique -s d ing 2 peal:peel -s d ing pearl:purl -s |
pedal:peddle -s d ing 2 peer:pier -s pendant:pendent petrel:petrol -s pi:pie picks:pyx 2 (pidgin?:)pigeon -s 2 pitied:pitted 2 place:plaice plain:plane -s pole:poll -s d ing 2 |
(poor:?)pore:pour -s d ing poses:posies praise:prays:preys pray:prey -d ing (precede?):proceed -s d ing ssion 2 pride:pried prier:prior -s pries:prise:prize, 2 principal:principle -s profit:prophet -s 2 puisne:puny 2 |
| (R:are) rabbit:rarebit -s 2 radical:radicle -s raid:rayed rain:reign:rein -s d ing raise -s d ing:rays:rase/raze -s d ing 2 ray:re/ray read:reed -s read:red real:reel |
reek:wreak -s ing 2 revere:revers review:revue rheum:room rho:roe:row -s 2 rhyme:rime 2 rigger -s:rigor:rigour -s 2 right:rite:wright:write -s 2 road:rode:rowed roes:rose:rows |
role:roll -s 2 rondeau:rondo -s rood:rude:rued roomer:rumour -s 2 root:RP route -s d ing rough:ruff -s 2 rouse:rows rout:US route -s d ing roux:rue rye:wry 2 |
| sail:sale -s sailer:sailor -s sandhi:sandy 2 seraph:(serif) savory:savoury scene:seen 2 sea:see seam:seem -s d seaman:seamen:semen 2 sear -s:seer -s:sere seas:sees:seise:seize 2 serf:surf -s serge:surge sew -s d ing:so:soh:sow -s d ing sewn:sown shake:sheik/h -s shear:sheer |
shire:shyer shore:(sure?)2 side:sighed sighs:size 2 sign:sin/e slay:sleigh -s slight:sleight sloe:slow -s soar:sore -s soared:sword sold:soled sole:soul -s some:sum son:sun sough:sow -s spade:spayed (spoor?):spore |
staid:stayed stair:stare(:stayer) -s stake:steak -s stationary:stationery steal:steel -s d ing stile:style -s stoop:stoup -s story:storey -s d straight:strait -s studded:studied sty:stye -s succour:sucker -s 2 suède:swayed 2 suite:sweet 2 summary:summery (surplice?:)surplus -s swat/swot:swot -s d ing |
| taxes:taxies:taxis tail:tale -s taper:tapir -s tare:tear -s taut:taught tea:tee(:T) -s team:teem -s d ing tear:tier -s tenner:tenor -s, 2 |
tern:turn -s their:there (:they're) threw:through throe:throw -s throne:thrown thyme:time 2 Thai:tie -s tide:tied tided:tidied |
tire:tyre -s d to:too:two toad:toed:towed toe-tow -s d ing ton:tonne:ton -s 2 tor:tore tough-tuff 2 trait:tray -s troop:troupe -s |
| vale:veil -s vain:vane -s:vein -s |
(verdure?):verger/virger 3 vial -s:vile:viol -s |
villain:villein |
| wade:weighed wail:whale -s d ing 2 wain:wane -s waist:waste wait:weight -s d ing waive:wave -s d ing war:wore ware:wear -s:where 2 warn:worn |
wart:wort watt:what:wot 3 way -s:whey:weigh -s 2 we:wee weak:week weal:wheel (we'll) 2 weald:wheeled:wield 2 weather:wether:whether 2 weaver:weever |
weepie:weepy were:whirr 3 w(h)iled:wild 2 whined:wined:wind 2 whirl:whorl -s whirled:whorled:world 2 whoa:woe RP wrath:wroth wood:would |
| yore:RP your | yoke, yolk -s | |
4.2 Consonants differently spelt.
<b> rabbit:rarebit -s 2.
<ch> check:cheque:Czech 2, which:witch 2.
<d> medal:medal -s 2, meddler:medlar -s 2, pedal:peddle -s 2, sandhi:sandy 2.
<f> chough:chuff -s 2, draft:draught -s 2, filter:philtre -s 2, fays:faze -s d ing:phase -s d ing 3, flocks:phlox 2, frays:phrase 2, plaintiff:(plaintive?), profit:prophet -s 2, rough:ruff -s 2, tough:tuff 2.
<g> rigger -s:rigor:rigour -s 2.
<h> hoar:whore 2, hoard:horde:whored 2, hole:whole -s, holy:wholly 2, hooping:whooping.
<j> genes:jeans 2, gelid:jellied 3, gibe/jibe:gybe/jibe -s d ing 2, gin:djinn:jinn 2, (pidgin?:)pigeon -s 2, (verdure?):verger/virger 3.
<k> arc:ark -s, bark:barque -s, bloc:block -s, cask:casque -s, check:cheque:Czech -s 2, choir:quire -s 2, choler:collar 2, chord:cord -s, clack:claque -s, click:(clique?) -s, conker:conquer - s, cocks:cox, curb:kerb -s 2, colonel:kernel -s 2, cue:queue -s d ing 2, ducked:duct 2, ducks:dux, flecks:flex, flocks:phlox 2, franc:frank, key:quay -s 2, lacks:lax, licker:liquor 2, links:lynx 2, manakin/ manikin/ mannakin:mannequin -s 3, mark:marque -s, mask:masque -s, minks:minx, packed:pact 2, peak:peck:pique -s d ing 2, picked: Pict 2, picks:pyx 2, racket:racket/ racquet -s, roc:rock -s, scull:skull -s, sic:sick, specks:specs, succour:sucker -s 2, tacked:tact 2, tacks:tax, tic:tick -s, tocsin:toxin, tracked:tract 2, wax:whacks 2.
<l> bell:belle -s, billed:build 2, call:caul -s 2, elicit:illicit 2, gall:Gaul -s 2, gelid:jellied 3. grill:grille -s, hall:haul -s 2, holy:wholly 2, lama:llama -s mall:maul -s 2, palate:palette:pallet -s 3, pole:poll -s d ing 2, role:roll -s 2, told:tolled, weld:welled.
<m> dam:damn -s d ing, him:hymn 2, jam:jamb -s, lam:lamb -s d ing, limb:limn -s d ing, plum:plumb, program:programme -s.
<n> band:banned, cannon:canon -s, Dane:deign -s 2, fin:Finn -s, finish:Finnish, gin:djinn/jinn 2, gneiss:nice 3, gnu -s:knew:new -s 2, handsome:hansom 2, in:inn -s, knave:nave -s, knead -s d ing:kneed:need -s d ing 2, knight:night -s. knit:nit -s, knot:not, know -s:no -s:nose 3, manakin/ manikin/ mannikin:mannequin -s 3, manner:manor -s 2, pend:penned, tenner:tenor -s 2, ton:tonne:tun -s 2.
<p> rapped:rapt:wrapped 3 step:steppe.
<r> bard:barred, baron:barren 2, (beret?:)berry:bury -s 3, carat:caret:carrot 2, chard:charred, hair -s:hair -s:Herr 2, par:parr, rack:wrack -s, rap:wrap -s ing, rapped:rapt:wrapped 3, reek:wreck -s d, reek:wreak -s d ing 2, rest:wrest -s d ing, retch:wretch -s, rho:roe:row 2, rhyme:rime 2, right:rite:wright:write -s 2, ring:wring -s er, rote:wrote, rung:wrung, rye:wry 2, ward:warred, were:whirr 3.
<s> base:bass -s 2, blessed:blest 2, bused/ bussed:bust 2, canvas:canvass, cedar:seeder 3, cede:seed -s d ing 2, ceiling:sealing -s 2, cell:sell -s, cellar:seller -s 2, censer:censor:sensor -s 2, cent:scent:sent, cents:scents:sense, cereal:serial -s 2, cite:sight:site -s d ing 2, cops:copse, council:counsel -s 2, cygnet:signet -s 2, cymbal:symbol -s 2, descent:dissent 2, gneiss:nice 3, grocer:grosser, guessed:guest 2, laps:lapse, licence:license -s, missal -s:missel/ mistle:US missile -s 2, missed:mist 2, muscle:mussel -s 2, mussed:must 2, paced:paste 2, passed:past 2, practice:practise -g. premise:premiss -s, psalter:salter -s, quarts:quartz, scene:seen 2, trussed:trust 2.
<sh> cache:cash, cachou:cashew -s 2, choux:shoe -s d ing:shoo -s d ing 2, chute:shoot -s 2, fisher:fissure -s 2, marshal:martial, (shore:sure? 2).
<t> based:baste 2, baton:batten -s 2, blessed:blest 2, bused/bussed:bust 2, but:butt -s, chased:chaste 2, ducked:duct 2, guessed:guest 2, leased:least, mat:matt, metal:mettle 2, missed:rnist 2, mussed:must 2, net:net/nett, paced:paste 2, packed:pact 2, palate:palette:pallet -s 3, passed:past 2, picked:Pict 2, pitied:pitted 2, rapped:rapt:wrapped 3, set:sett -s, tacked:tact 2, thyme:time 2, tracked:tract 2, trussed:trust, 2, wan:what:wot 3.
<w> suède:swayed 2, suite:sweet 2, watt:what:wot 3, way -s:whey:weigh -s 2, wail:whale -s d ing 2, ware:wear -s :where 2, wax:whacks 2, weal:wheel 2, weald:wheeled:wield 2, weather:wether:whether 2, wen:when, were:whirr 3, wet:whet -s d ing, which:witch 2, whig:wig -s, while:wile, w(h)iled:wild 2, whin:win, whine:wine -s ing, whined:wined:wind, whirled:whorled:world 2, whit:wit, whither:wither, whoa:woe 2.
<y> ewe:yew:you 2, ewes:use:yews 2.
<z> baize:bays 2, boos:booze, brews:bruise 2, brows:browse, cousin:cozen -s 3, daisies:dazes 2, days:daze 2, desert:dessert -s, does:doughs:doze 2, fays:faze -s d ing:phase -s d ing 3, frees:freeze:frieze 2, gays:gaze 2, geezer:geyser -s 2, grays US/greys:graze 2, grisly:grizzly, knows:noes:nose 3, lays:laze 2, peas:pease, pleas:please, pries:prise -s d ing:prize -s d ing 2, pros:prose, raise -s d ing:rays:rase/raze -s d ing 2, seas:sees:seise:seize 2, sighs:size 2, teas:tease.
4.3 Some statistics.
Counting bracketed doubtful cases but not derivatives, the list contains 590 separate sets of heterographs. 476 (68%) differ by vowel spelling, 232 (32%) by consonant, 110 by both, 25 in the spelling of more than one consonant and 8 in more than one vowel. Of the 590 sets, some 440 are monosyllabic, while only 20 have over 2 syllables. The 590 sets consist mainly of pairs, but 64 are triplets, 16 quadruplets and 1 set even contains 5 words (one or two admittedly of doubtful validity). The total number of heterographic words listed is 1,263. Such a total should surely give us pause in our reforming zeal.
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Part 3, vowel heterografs listed by foneme category.