The Bias
in the
Labials

copyright 1998
by Margaret Magnus
all rights reserved

Margo's Magical Letter Page

There are general themes that run through every class of related sounds. The labials are those consonants whose primary point of articulation is at the lips. In English, the labials are /b/, /p/, /v/ , /f/, /m/ and /w/. In my experience, English /r/ also functions semantically like a labial. At least one major theme that is common to all the labials is something I think of as a bias. I will offer here a fairly detailed presentation of the monosyllabic English words in my vocabulary that display this labial bias. The intention is that this presentation of the bias in the labials be exhaustive. If you find monosyllabic words in any of these classes which I have failed to mention or entire classes of labial-bias words which I have missed, please Drop Me a Line. All of the data presented in these files is in my phonesthemic dictionary: Suitbert Ertel has done a large number of similar tables for a great many languages.

Bulges, Mountains, Humps and Peaks
Fountains and Blowing
Foundations
Beginnings
Pairs, Names, Pictures, Symbols
Deceit and Trickery

Bulges, Mountains, Humps and Peaks

The bias in the labials manifests geometrically as something like a bulge, ripple or wave shape. The shape varies depending on what labial we are dealing with and what other sounds occur in the word. I have endeavored below to organize these bumpy words in various ways so that the properties of the sounds that they contain become obvious.

Bulges, Humps, Mounds: Connected to a Surface
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bloat, blouse, bug(eye), bulge, bump, bunch, butte	pass, peak, pile, purse, pyre			mound, mount		wake, wall, warp, wart, wave, wax, well, welt
2nd Pos.						crag, crest	swell
Prefinal Position					bump, hump, lump, mump/s, stump	purse, warp	bloat, boil, dome, knoll, lobe, mound, mount,
Final Position	knob, lobe, neb, nib, nub, tab	alp, bump, heap, hump, lump, mump/s, nap, nip, step, stump, warp	wave		dome	pyre
Body Parts	ball/s, boil, boob, breast, bum, bun, bust, butt	rump			mole, rump	horn, rear, rump, wart	boob, horn , mole
Plant Parts	blow, birl, boll, bud, burl					birl, bur, gnarl, knurl	blow, boll
Fat	blimp, flab	paunch, pig, plump, pork, port, pot, blimp		fat, flab			port

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 41%, /p/ - 34%, /v/ - 1%, /f/ - 3%, /m/ - 19%, /r/ - 25%, /w/ - 42%
Monosyllabic 'bump' words which do not contain a labial: hill

Some Observations:
· All the 'fat' words contain a /p/ or an /f/.
· All the /w/ words in this class involve motion, and most of these refer to some aspect of waves on the water.
· The only /v/ word in this class also contains a /w/, and apart from 'fat' words, words containing /f/ do not appear in this particular class. So the appearance of fricatives (/f/ and /v/) in this class is very limited.
· All the /m/ words in this class also contain either /w/ or /p/.
· All the /r/ words in this class contain /k/ or /p/.

Round Words
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bale, ball, bay, bead, bell, blimp, blip, blob, blotch, bowl, bulb	pea, pearl, pill, pip, pit, plate, pock, pod, point, pore, puck				reel, ring, rink, roll, round, wrap, wreath, wrench, wrest, wring, wrist	waist, wheel, whirl, whorl
2nd Pos.		spin, spool				drill	swing, swirl, twirl, twist
3rd Pos.						screw, scroll, spring
Prefinal Position					blimp	arc, arch, cirque, curl, earth, gear, girth, orb, pearl, swirl, torque, turn, twirl, whirl, whorl, world	bowl, coil, coin, cone, dome, globe, hole, hoop, loop, noose, orb, pore, roll, round, scroll, slouch
Final Position	blob, bulb, glob, globe, knob, lob, lobe, loop, orb	blimp, blip, drop, glop, grape, loop			dome	gear, knurl, spire, spur	screw

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 14%, /p/ - 30%, /v/ - 0%, /f/ - 0%, /m/ - 3%, /r/ - 48%, /w/ - 30%
Monosyllabic 'round' words which do not contain a labial: disk.

Some Observations:
· One way to think about this is that in order for roundness to happen in English monosyllables, /b/, /p/, /r/ or /w/ have to be in the word. The nature of the roundness is affected by the nature of the labial consonant. If /b/ or /p/ are in the word, the roundness will tend to refer to a more simple, singular shape. If /r/ or /w/ is in the word, the roundness wil tend to be reflected in a motion. If /w/ appears in the word, the motion will tend to be freer. If /r/ appears in the word, the motion will tend to be driven. Other sounds in the word also contribute to the roundness. /b/ almost always requires an /l/ to become round. The fluid quality of the /l/ is held in the membrane of /b/ to form a sort of bulging roundness like in an inflated ball. /p/ does not require /l/ to become round, and /p/'s roundness tends to be small and hard unless it is softened by /l/ or /r/.

Curves and Ripples
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bay, bend, bight, bilge, bow, bowl	plait, pleat, press, purl, purse	vault, veer	flare, flounce, flute, fold, frill, furl		rill, rock, roll, row, write, writhe	wad, wag, wake, wale, wall, warp, wave, wax, weave, web, weft, well, wend, whip, whirl, whorl, wick, worm, woof, worst/ed
2nd Pos.						crease, frill, press	squirm, swab, swap, swash, swat, sway, sweep, swell, swerve, swing, swipe, swirl, swish, swoop, twirl
Prefinal Position		apse		weft, woof	clump	arc, arch, cirque, curl, curve, furl, girth, gnarl, knurl, purl, purse, squirm, swerve, swirl, turn, twirl, warp, whirl, whorl	bowl, cove, flounce, fold, loop, roll
Final Position	lob, lobe	clump, cusp, leap, loop, warp	cove, curve, swerve, wave, weave		squirm, worm	flare, gear, spire, spur, veer	bow, row

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 15%, /p/ - 21%, /v/ - 9%, /f/ - 10%, /m/ - 4%, /r/ - 41%, /w/ - 55%
Monosyllabic curvy/ripply words which do not contain a labial: hunch, kink, sag, tuck

Some Observations:
· If the word contains a /w/, /l/ or an /r/ before the vowel, the wave or ripple can be multiple. Otherwise it is almost always a single curve or loop.
· The pleats in /p/ tend to be flatter and tighter than the bows and bends in /b/. The folds in /f/ tend to be softer than the curves in /v/. Unvoiced sounds seem to be more compressable than voiced sounds.
· The verbs containing /r/ tend more frequently to have an intentional (agentive) subject than those containing /w/.

Leap, Jump, Bounce, Rise
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bank, bob, boil, boost, bounce, bound, breach, buck, bump	pounce, prime, pump, pop	vault	float, flounce, fly	mount	rake, raise, ramp, reach, rear, right, rise, roof, rouse
2nd Pos.		sprout				breach, crane, grow
3rd Pos.						sprout
Prefinal Position				lift, loft	bump, jump, pump		boil, bounce, bound, float, flounce, jounce, loop, mount, pounce, roof, rouse, sprout
Final Position	bob	bump, hop, jump, leap, loop, pop, pump, step, up		roof	climb, prime(v)		grow

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 25%, /p/ - 32%, /v/ - 3%, /f/ - 15%, /m/ - 18%, /r/ - 35%, /w/ - 33%
Monosyllabic bouncing or rising words which are not in this table: jack, dance, stand

Some Observations:
· Those containing /b/, /p/ and /w/ tend to be bouncy, whereas those containing only /f/ and /r/ are not.
· Those containing /r/ maintain a connection to the ground, whereas those containing only /f/ do not.
· Those containing /p/ tend to be intentional, whereas those containing only /b/ are usually not.

Branches, Puffs, Fizzes
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	barb, beard, bosk, brake, braid, branch, broom, brush, bur, burr, bush	pile, pine, plume, puff		felt, fern, fir, flax, fleece, floss, fluff, foam, frappé, fray, frieze, frill, frizz, frond, frost, fur, fuzz	muff	rough, ruff
2nd Pos.						braid, brake, branch, broom, brush, frappé, fray, frieze, frill, frizz, frond, frost, grass, shrub, tree
Prefinal Position				tuft		barb, beard, fern	bloom, broom, plume
Final Position	barb, shrub	nap		fluff, muff, puff, rough, ruff	bloom, broom, comb, foam, palm, plume, scum	bur, burr, fir, fur, hair

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 35%, /p/ - 16%, /v/ - 0%, /f/ - 60%, /m/ - 14%, /r/ - 58%, /w/ - 7%
Monosyllabic fuzzy or branchy words which do not contain a labial: N/A

Some Observations:
· Almost all these words contain either /b/, /p/ or /f/.
· None of these words with the exception of 'hair' contains a velar consonant.
· When the word contains /b/ the texture is not as fine. Nearly all the fizzy and fuzzy words contain an /f/. The words involving moisture generally contain an /f/. If similar words refer to something wet but do not contain an /f/, the texture tends to be homogenous: mushy and not fizzy.

Ramps, Cliffs
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bluff	prone, prop				ramp
2nd Pos.		sprit				crag, crest, grade, prone, prop
3rd Pos.						scree, sprit
Prefinal Position					ramp	arch, gorge, scarp
Final Position		prop, ramp, scarp, slope, steep, step, stoop, up		bluff, cliff, gulf		sheer, stair

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 5%, /p/ - 44%, /v/ - 0%, /f/ - 18%, /m/ - 5%, /r/ - 64%, /w/ - 0%
Monosyllabic incline words which do not contain a labial: cant, cline, hill, lean, scend, slant, slide

Some Observations:
· All these words contain either /r/, /p/ or /f/. Those containing /f/ refer to a dead drop rather than an incline.
· Words referring to inclines or cliffs which do not contain a labial contain either /l/ or /n/.

Some Wavy/Curvy Phonesthemes
· bl - force pressing out from within
· bVl: bale, ball, belch, bell, bilge, boil, boll, bowl, bulb, bulge, burl
· blV: blimp, blip, bloat, blob, blotch, blouse, blow
· lVb: flab, glob, globe, lob, lobe
· nV[b,p] - smallish
knob, neb, nib, nub, nap, nip
· ump - solid interior
bump, clump, hump, lump, mump/s, plump, rump, slump, stump
· nch - compressed against resistance
bunch, cinch, clench, clinch, conch, crunch, flinch, haunch, hunch, inch, munch, pinch, punch, scrunch, winch, wrench
· rl - curled
· Vrl: birl, burl, curl, furl, gnarl, knurl, purl, swirl, twirl, whirl, whorl
· rVl: drill, rail, rill, roll, scroll, trill
· lV[b,p] - loop
blimp, blob, clump, flab, flap, flip, flop, glob, globe, lob, lobe, leap, lip, loop, lope, sloop, slump
· k - corner, kink
arc, check, cleft, coil, coin, cone, crease, crook/ed, cross, curl, curve, cusp, disk, dukes, flex, fork, hook, keel, kink, nock, pike, screen, screw, scroll, skein, skew, torque, tuck

Summary

The point is that almost all the wavy and bumpy words in English contain a labial consonant (a consonant whose primary point of articulation is at the lips). More than this, the nature of the bump or wave is fairly narrowly determined by the particular labial consonant in question. Certain types of meanings apparently become impossible when other consonants are around. For example, fuzziness is impossible in the presence of velar consonants.

The only monosyllabic bumpy/wavy words which I found which don't contain a labial consonant are:
cant, cline, dance, gush, hill, hunch, jack, kink, lean, sag, scend, slant, slide, stand, tuck

Consonant Percentages in Monosyllabic 'Bumpy' Words
Consonant	b	p	f	r	w	l	s	t	n	m	v
# Bumpy	81	97	46	128	107	99	87	68	49	33	8
Total #	373	532	333	1008	858	798	858	797	560	396	109
% Bumpy	22%	18%	14%	13%	12%	12%	10%	8%	8%	8%	7%

Percentage of Consonants that Appear in Monosyllabic 'Bumpy' Words
Consonant	y	ng	k	g	sh	h	ch	j	d	z	th	th	zh
# Bumpy	64	8	48	17	10	10	12	7	24	6	1	0	0
Total #	927	106	698	278	158	156	187	133	431	115	93	33	5
% Bumpy	7%	7%	7%	6%	6%	6%	6%	5%	5%	5%	1%	0%	0%

This table includes 'y' and 'w' as glides in a long vowel. If I have not missed any 'bumpy' words, then 96% of the 367 English monosyllabic 'bumpy/wavy/folded' words contain a labial, but only 68% of English monosyllables in general contain a labial. If you do not count the 'y' and 'w' sound in long vowels, then 54% of consonants in the English monosyllabic 'bumpy' words are labials as opposed to 34% in the general monosyllabic vocabulary.

Fountains and Blowing

Fountains, Pops, Bombs
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bam, bang, barf, bash, belch, blast, bloom, blow, blurt, boil, bolt, bomb, boom, burp, burst, bust	pip, plash, pop, pow	vent	fart, flue, font, fount
2nd Pos.		spark, spew, spill, spit, splash, splay, splotch, spot, spout, spray, spread, spring, sprout, spume, spurt
3rd Pos.						spray, spread, spring, sprout	squirt
Prefinal Position						barf, barge, burp, burst, fart, snort, spark, spurt, squirt	bolt, bloom, boom, fount, spout, sprout, spume
Final Position		burp, pip, pop		barf, cough	bam, bloom, bomb, boom, come		blow, flue, pow, spew

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 33%, /p/ - 41%, /v/ - 2%, /f/ - 10%, /m/ - 11%, /r/ - 35%, /w/ - 12%
Monosyllabic exploding or fountain words which do not contain a labial: gush

Some Observations:
· With the exceptions of 'squirt' and 'snort', all the words in the table contain either /b/, /p/ or /f/. Except in the case of 'cough', /b/, /p/ or /f/ must appear before the vowel.
· If the word contains /l/, /r/ or /s/ then the explosion involves light or fire that spurts forth from an opening. Otherwise the explosion is generally a bomb-like rupture of an object in its entirety.
· The explosions involving /b/ are more violent than those involving /p/ and generally less intentional. Those involving /f/ are generally due to natural causes.

Blowing, Dropping, Falling, Flying
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	barf, bam, bang, belch, blast, blow, blurt, bolt, bomb, boom, breath, breathe, breeze, burp, burst, bust	pass, pee, piss, pitch, plash, plop, plump, plunge, plunk, pooh, poop, pop, pour, pow, puke, punt	vent	faint, fall, fart, fell, fill, flash, flap, flee, flight, flip, flit, float, floe, flood, floor, flop, flow, flume, flush, fly		raft, rain, roar, row, run, rush	waft, wail, wheeze, whiff, whip, whirl, whish, whisk, whiz, whoop, whoosh, wind(v), wisp
2nd Pos.		spark, spawn, spend, sperm, spew, spill, spit, splash, splat, splay, spleen, split, splotch, spore, spout, sprawl, spray, spread, spring, sprout, spume, spurt				breathe, breeze, draft, drain, drape, draw, drench, drift, drip, drool, droop, drop, trade	swash, sweep, swish, swoon
3rd Pos.						spray, spread, spring, strain, stream, strew
Prefinal Position				draft, drift, lift, loft, raft, shift, sift, waft		barf, burp, course, fart, forth, snort, spurt, squirt, storm
Final Position		crap, drape, drip, droop, drop, dump, flip, flop, glop, plop, poop, pop, scrap, seep, slip, slop, slump, stoop, swoop, tip, trip, weep, wipe(out)	dive	barf, cough, off, sniff, snuff, whiff	bloom, bomb, come, steam, storm, stream	oar, pour, soar, tear	blow, floe, flow, fro, row, shoo, snow, sow, spew, strew, throw, to

Percentages of words in above table which contain:
/b/ - 12%, /p/ - 42%, /v/ - 1%, /f/ - 23%, /m/ - 9%, /r/ - 53%, /w/ - 21%
Monosyllabic blowing words which do not contain a labial:

Some Observations:
· Most of the /b/ words are explosive. The /p/ words either start from a point (initial), pass through a point (second), or land at a point (final). The /f/, /m/, /w/ and /b/ words have an involuntary or uncontrolled quality about them. Those containing /b/ are more violent and explosive. Those containing /f/ tend to flow or float on air or water or to fall.

Foundations

The bias in the labials also manifests as a frame, base or mold on which something rests or depends. This can also be thought of as the beginning, planning or founding of something. Labials are generally used for extremes or endpoints.

Foundations
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	back, balk, bank, bar, base, beam, bed, bier, block, bloom, boost, bra, brace, brick, brook, brunt, bum, bun, bunk, butt	pro, prone, prop		fence, floor, font, form, frame, fret, frieze	mast, mesh, mod, mode, mold, mood	rack, raft, rail, ramp, rest, rib, rig, rock, rod, roof, root, rung	weft, woof
2nd Pos.		spar, spine, splint, spoke, sprit, spur				bra, brace, brick, brook, brunt, crane, crust, crutch, frame, graph, grid, grill, grille, grip, ground, pro, prone, prop, thrust, tray, trunk, truss
3rd Pos.						sprit, strut
Prefinal Position				weft	stamp	arch, arm, board
Final Position	cob, rib, sub, web	grip, lap, prop, ramp, step, stipe		clef, graph, staff, woof	beam, bloom, bum, cam, clime, form, frame, heme, home, jamb, limb, loom, stem, theme, womb	bar, bier, floor, gear, spar, stair

Monosyllabic foundation words which do not contain a labial: ass, chock, hinge, jack, neck, seat, sill, stalk, stand, stock

Some Observations:
· There's a phonestheme for support in /s/ as well. It is related to the strength of /s/. /k/ in final position also can cling to something to serve as a foundation. In /h/ there's a large class for hampering and hindering. What is specifically emphasized in the labials is a base or foundation, not a catching, grabbing or holding, which occurs in the velars. The labials bear the weight of something which is already under pressure, whereas the velars in general drag something toward themselves using their own force. When the word contains a labial, the burden is typically on top. When it contains a labial, the weight is typically downward or out in front.
· The beams and blooms of /b/ are in general much heavier than the spokes and spars of /p/. Those in /f/ carry no weight at all, but only provide an outline, a fence, graph or clef. On the other hand, /m/ serves as a mold or climate which doesn't simply outline or serve as a background, but which pervades (final position) or is filled entirely by (initial position) something else. /r/ differs from /b/ in that it generally supports something that is in motion, whereas in /b/, it is generally static.
· The labials /v/ and /w/ do not seem to serve as foundations. And /f/ only outlines, but does not carry weight.

Bearing, Floating
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bath, bathe, bear, boat, bob, boil, boost, bound, breach, bridge, bring, brook, bus	peel, plow, plumb, plunge, pool, prime, pull, pulse, pump		flap, fleet, flight, flit, float, floe, fly	mount, move	raft, ride, roll, row
2nd Pos.		sponge, spot				bridge, bring, brook, draft, draw, drive, freight, prime, trawl, troll, truck
3rd Pos.
Prefinal Position				draft, drift, lift, loft, raft, waft	pump	board, cart, surf, turn
Final Position		grip, keep, mop, pump, sap, schlep, scoop, sweep, swipe	drive, heave, move, shove		prime, scum, skim, steam, stream, swarm, swim, tram	bear, oar, steer

Monosyllabic bearing/floating words which do not contain a labial:

Some Observations:
· Those containing /f/ generally concern flying or floating on air or water. Those containing /b/ and /p/ imply that the subject of the verb is carrying weight or applying force. In the case of /b/, the force is generally greater. /p/ tends toward more of a pulling or pumping in which the object is brought toward the subject of the sentence. With /b/, the motion tends to be carrying, often to or for someone else. When /r/ is in second position, the subject is generally also actively exerting a force. When /r/ is in other positions, the subject is riding or steering something which is self-driven.

Hub, Crux, Meat
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	back, base, brunt, bulk	peak, pit, pith, point, pole, prime, punch		foot, force	main, mean, meat, mid, midst, might	real, right, root	womb
2nd Pos.						breast, brunt, crest, cross, crown, crux, thrust, true, trump	quick
3rd Pos.						stress
Prefinal Position					trump	heart, norm, source
Final Position	cob, hub, nub	cusp, trump	nave	half, self	come, home, norm, prime, stem, womb	core, here	now

Monosyllabic crux words which do not contain a labial: gist, heat, height, seat

Some Observations:
· All the exceptions end in /t/ and contain /h/ or /s/.

Help, Serve
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	back, bear, bis, bless, boost	pat, pet, patch, please, point, praise, preen, press, primp, prod, prompt	vice	feed, fix, fuel, fund	man, meet, mend, mind(v)	rah, raise, rise, root, round (applause) , rouse	wake, ward, watch, wive
2nd Pos.		spare, speed, spoon, spruce				drive, grace, grant, groom, praise, preen, press, primp, prod, prompt, train, treat	squire
3rd Pos.						spruce, stroke
Prefinal Position				gift	primp, prompt	arm, charge, guard, nurse, serf, serve, spark, urge, ward
Final Position		chip(in), help, keep, primp, stoop	drive, give, save, serve, slave, wive	serf, staff, wife?	groom	bear, care, cheer, cure, rear, share, spare, squire, steer

Monosyllabic helping words which do not contain a labial: aid, ease, guide, heal, side(with), teach, shield

Some Observations:
· The vowel in all the exception words is long and ends in a 'y' sound.
· The 'backing' /b/ words in this class have an semantic element of moral or physical support. Those containing /p/ are less powerful. Those in /v/ imply ongoing service, as opposed to one-time assistance as in /p/, and a kind of devotion not present in /b/. Those beginning with /f/ imply the fuel by which a project is nurtured, and in other positions, /f/ in general implies dependence, unlike /b/ and /p/, but not devotion, as in /v/. In /m/, the service is ongoing as in /v/ and /f/, but the servant is superior rather than inferior to the thing which is served... that is, the service in /m/ implies maintanance. In /r/, like in /v/, /f/ and /m/, the support is ongoing, but the supporter is neither superior nor inferior to the thing supported. The support in /r/ also implies a high level of activity and energy. In /w/, helpfulness primarily takes the form of watchfulness.

Beginnings

Beginning (Past)
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	back, bang, base, bear, birth, board, boost, boot, branch, break, breed, bride, bring(up), brink, broach, burst	pass, past, perk, plant, plunge, press, prod, prompt, prow, push	verge	farm, feed, first, fledge, foot, fore, forge, form, forth, found, frame, fresh, fro, from, front, fruit, fund	mark, mint(a), mod, mount, move	raise, rise, root, rouse	once, was, were, when, while, whilst, would
2nd Pos.		spark, spawn, speed, sperm, spore, spring, sprout				branch, break, breed, bride, bring(up), brink, broach, craft, draft, draw, drive, frame, fresh, fro, front, frruit, grail, greet, ground, press, prod, prompt, prow
3rd Pos.						scratch, screw, spring, sprout, strike
Prefinal Position					prompt	birth, board, burst, erst, first, forge, forth, germ, morn, perk, serve, source, spark, sperm, spurt, start, surge, urge, verge	youth
Final Position			eve, delve, dive, move, of, serve, shove		come(up), dream, drum, form, frame, from, home, sperm, stem, womb	bear, cheer, dare, ere, fore, hoar, lore, spore, sperm, spur, stir, were, yore	bow, brow, fro, new, now, prow, show, sow, throw, to

Monosyllabic beginning words which do not contain a labial: cause, dawn, dig(in), hatch, launch, seed, young

Some Observations:
· Those containing /m/ involve the manufacture of a product. Those containing /r/ and /p/ concern bringing into action. Those containing /p/ require a source of energy in the form of /s/, /r/ or /l/. The words containing /b/ generally refer to the beginning itself. Those beginning with /f/ refer to the fuel off of which the process feeds. Words containing /w/ concern time itself.

Preparations
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bait, bank, bate, bent(on), bet, bid, bide, bode, bond, bound, brace, braise, brew, bring, brink, broil, brood, brown	plan, play, plot, ploy, preen, prep, prime, primp, proof, prop, prone	verge, vote, vow	feed, fledge, form, frame, fruit, fry, fuel	make, mill, mint, mold, mount	raise, rare/ing, rev, rig, rife, right, rile, ripe, root, rouse	once, wake, wait, ward, warn, whet, will, would
2nd Pos.		spread, spruce			smith	brace, braise, brew, bring, brink, broil, brood, brown, craft, cram, crank, crash, draft, draw, dread, dream, dress, frame, fruit, fry, grill, grit, groom, ground, group, grow, preen, prep, prime, primp, train, try
3rd Pos.						screen, spread, spruce
Prefinal Position		apt		craft, draft	primp	arm, board, chart, forge, form, gird, learn, perk, thirst, warn	hone, sound, tone, tune
Final Position		dope, help, hope, map, prep, primp, prop, ripe, shape, whip	eve, pave, rev, save	staff	cram, doom, dream, drum, form, frame, groom, prime	gear(up), hire, scare(up)	brew, due, owe, sue, sow, vow

Monosyllabic preparations words which do not contain a labial: check, teach, test

Some Observations:
· There is a phonestheme in /t/which lies close to the preparations in the labials. It hints, at or tends toward a future event, but does not actually prepare anything. It is founded in the pointing tendency in /t/ as opposed to the bias in the labials. For this reason, unlike the words containing labials, these /t/ words don't carry any burden or make any efforts. They merely suggest.
· The words containing voiced labials in this table do more heard labor, so to speak. The voiced labials are generally more physical and less mental than the unvoiced sounds.
· The planning in /p/ differs from the framing in /f/ in that it is more distanced from the actual manifestation. The /p/ words do not actually bring anything into being, but only think out how it might be. When you draft, form or staff, you are, however, actually beginning to provide the fuel. Those 'making' and 'smithing' words containing /m/ are usually even further into the process than those containing /f/. /r/ supplies raw energy to the process.

Pairs, Names, Pictures, Symbols

The doubling and coupling occurs in the labials. Many people suggest that the reason for this is that you pronounce labials with the two lips. The doubling of the labials, however, is not essentially of two equals. You can see this more clearly in the writing, imaging, dubbing and copying as well as the faking, spoofing and duping. You also see it clearly in the function words, which are not in general included here: back, front, for, from, by, but, up, of, or, more, most, better, with, etc.., as well as in affixes like the be- in 'before' and 'become', the fore- in 'forego' and 'foreclose' and the comparative ending -er in 'faster' and 'hotter'.

Pairs, Mates, Wives
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	beau, both, bride	pair, par, peer, per	vice		make, match, mate, meet, mid, mold	right	we, wed, wife, wive, with
2nd Pos.		spare, spit/ting, spouse				bride, draw, truce	switch, twain, twelve, twice, twin
Prefinal Position				left			clone, deuce
Final Position	sub		halve, twelve, wive	half, wife	same, seem	par, pair, peer, per, share, spare	beau, thou, too, two, you

Monosyllabic Pair words which do not contain a labial: N/A

Dub, Print, Paint, Mold, Trace
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position		paint, pen, plaque, plot, pose, press, print		form, frame	make, map, mask, mean, mime, mint, mock, mold		word
2nd Pos.		spell				draft, draw, graph, press, print, trace
3rd Pos.						scrawl, scribe, script
Prefinal Position		script, sculpt		craft, draft	stamp	chart, word	clone
Final Position	dub, scribe	map, scope, shape, stamp, tape, type			form, frame, mime, name		clue, cue

Monosyllabic imaging words which do not contain a labial: sketch, sign

Some Observations:
· There are related phonesthemes in /k/ (copying) and /s/ (symbols). Many of these words therefore a;so comtain /s/ and/or /k/.

Deceit and Trickery

The labials do not have a monopoly on deceit and duplicity. There is sneakiness in /s/ and something is hidden in the velars. Still, by looking closely at words of deceit, guile and trickery, you can see that different sounds deceive in different ways. The clouding, fogging and hiding in the velars tends to simply involve concealment. In the labials, there are two things which you are to confuse... the real thing and its fake replacement.

Imposter, Spoof
	/b/	/p/	/v/	/f/	/m/	/r/	/w/
Initial Position	bilge, bilk, bluff, bosh, bribe, bull, bunk	pale, part, pawn, pinch, plant, plot, pose, prank, prop, prowl	vain, vex, vice	fake, false, fan, farce, faze, feign, feint, fence, fib, filch, fix, flay, fleece, fog, foil, foist, fool, forge, fox, frame, fraud, freak, fuck, fudge	mask, mime, mock	ruse	weave, wheel, wile, wolf, woo, work, worm
2nd Pos.		spell, spoof, spook, sport, spring			schmuck	bribe, craft, crime, crook, crypt, frame, fraud, freak, graft, grift, prank, prop, prowl, shrewd, throw, trap, trick, trip, trump	kwack, swap, sway, twist
3rd Pos.						screw, spring, strand, straw, strip
Prefinal Position		crypt		craft, graft, grift, left, shaft, shift, theft	stump, trump	curve, farce, forge, serve(line), shark, sharp, work, worm	hoax, cloud, joke, soak
Final Position	bribe, fib, job	ape, dupe, gyp, prop, scalp, sharp, slip, strip, stump, step(a), strip, swap, trap, trip, trump	curve, jive, knave, serve(line), sleeve, thieve, weave	bluff, goof, spoof, thief, wolf	frame, game, hem, mime, seem, scam, scheme, sham

Monosyllabic trickery words which do not contain a labial: cheat, gag, gloss, guile, guise, haze, hedge, heist, hide, jilt, jinx, lie, psych, sell, skin, skunk, sleuth, sneak, stealth, sting, stunt, take

Other semantic classes which are disproportionately represented in the labials include: emptiness/bareness, impediments, binding/fastening, departure/separation, better/prime/more/chief/pro. When examined carefully, these classes also exhibit the labial bias. They involve one thing in a non-reciprocal position relative to another thing.

For more data supporting the phonosemantic hypothesis, see the Dictionary of English Sound.

Margo's Magical Letter Page