The /e/ vowel is spelled <e>, or <ea> in head, and occurs in the letter name X. The vowel /ɔ/ shows a number of spellings including <or>, <oar>, <au>, <au>, <al> or <aw>.
The vowels differ in length and are well apart in the mouth, so should not be a problem for any learners.
The density value is 3.21%. The pairs make 149 semantic contrasts, giving a loading of 59.8%.
abed aboard abet abort abets aborts abetted aborted abetting aborting ate aught ate ought beck balk becks balks bed bawd beds bawds bed board bedded boarded bedding boarding bedroom boardroom bedrooms boardrooms beds boards befell befall bell ball belled balled belling balling bells balls belled bald belle ball belles balls Ben Bourne beset besought bet bought bread broad Bren brawn centre saunter centred sauntered centres saunters centring sauntering check chalk checked chalked checking chalking checks chalks Cres crores deb daub debs daubs debtor daughter debtors daughters decking Dorking Delhi Dawley den Dawn dens dawns dent daunt dented daunted denting daunting dents daunts Des daws ebb orb ebbs orbs Ed awed edges orgies edgy orgy edibility audibility edit audit edited audited editing auditing editor auditor editors auditors edits audits elder alder elders alders errors auras Fed ford fell fall felling falling fells falls felon fallen felt fault fem form fen faun fend fawned fens fauns fez fours fled flawed Fred fraud fret fraught geld galled gent jaunt gents jaunts get ghat gets ghats Ghent gaunt guess gorse head hawed headed hoarded heading hoarding headings hoardings heck hawk hecks hawks held hauled hell hall hells halls hem haulm hen horn hens horns Hetton Houghton inedible inaudible infest enforced Ken corn kenned corned kenning corning Kenny corny kens corns L all lead laud leaded lauded leading lauding leads lauds Len lawn lender launder lenders launders lens lawns Les laws L's awls Med Maud Meg morgue melt malt melted malted melting malting melts malts men morn mend mourned mender maunder menders maunders metal mortal metals mortals Ned gnawed ness Norse net naught nets noughts peck pork pecker porker peckers porkers pen pawn penned pawned penning pawning pens pawns pepper pauper peppers paupers pet port petal portal petals portals petted ported petting porting read roared res roars ret wrought said sawed says saws seabed seaboard seabeds seaboards setters sorters shed shored shell shawl shells shawls sketch scorch sketched scorched sketcher scorcher sketchers scorchers sketches scorches sketching scorching smell small smells smalls spend spawned stead stored stem storm stemmed stormed stemming storming stems storms stench staunch stenches staunches Tech talk techs talks tel tall teller taller ten torn tenement tournament tenements tournaments tent taunt tepid torpid tepidity torpidity tepidly torpidly tepidness torpidness terrace Taurus Terry Tory tremors traumas veld vault vent vaunt vented vaunted venting vaunting vents vaunts wed ward wedded warded wedding warding weld walled well wall welling walling Wells walls welter Walter wen warn wend warned wens warns wept warped wet wart wets warts wetter water X auks yell yawl yells yawls yen yawn yenned yawned yenning yawning yens yawns
John Higgins, Shaftesbury, October 2009