Change Letter --> big change in pronunciation

It’s a comon phenomenon to be able to change a single letter in one word to get a different word. This usually does not make a big change in the pronunciation. Examples: drain -> grain -> train; change -> charge; step -> stop; latter -> letter -> litter. There are many other examples where the only pronunciation change is the letter that changes.

However, sometimes such a change causes a massive change to pronunciation. Not every sound will change, but most do. This is most comon with short words. Examples: die -> dig; out -> put; eat -> fat. Because of that, lets restrict this to words at least 5 letters long. Here are a few that I’ve come up with:

aloha -> alpha
hideous -> hideout
nougat -> nought

So any others? Remember they must be at least 5 letters long.

statutes/statuses

boughed/coughed/roughed for a triple :).

There is at least one case where changing the case of a single letter changes the pronunciation: polish vs. Polish.

Or even no change in letters at all.

unionized

Show that to a blue-collar worker and you’ll hear UNion ized
Show it to a chemist, and you’ll hear un IONized

Words that end in -ough are a classic case

5 letters: tough, bough, cough, dough
6 letters: plough, slough, though

Also: brought, drought

Note as long as specified in the OP but of and if differ the pronunciation of both their vowel and consonant.

Yes, I forgot about that one. There’s others that are similar:

predate

  1. antedate
  2. what a predator does

But the only thing that changes is the first vowel, so it doesn’t qualify as a big change.

chase/chasm: different numbers of syllables, no sounds in common

I vaguely remember hearing that there’s a word where you can change a letter and add two syllables (maybe from Will Shortz?), but I can’t find it now.

I was watching a ball game the other night and made a list of players whose names looked like they should rhyme, but they don’t.

Key / Cey
Jones / Bones
Rose / Jose
Rowe / Howe
Bowens / Cowens
Garner / Warner
Yount / Blount
Hough / Gough
Loney / Money
Haller / Baller
Ross / Gross
Agee / Magee
Smalley / O’Malley
Reese / Freese
Tabler / Gabler
Leal / Neal
Frey / Grey
Rush / Bush
Puhl / Buhl
Barber / Schwarber
Knoop / Schoop
Hisle / Belisle

chase/chasm is most excellent.

You may be thinking of are/area, where you add a single letter and two syllables.

ETA: This post was meant to be a response to Kimble.

Idaho/Imaho

There’s more than that one. It’s what I learned to call a capitonym, although the Wiki page I just linked to has a somewhat different definition. There’s lots more with different pronunciations if you consider geographic and personal names. For instance: rainier has three different pronunciations depending on whether you mean “more rainy”, the mountain, or the Prince.

I know of one case where you can add a letter and, in doing so, you subtract a syllable.

Any guesses?
mmm
ETA: There are probably a few, but I know just one

Whenever I see the word “secreted”, it usually means that something has been hidden. But I always picture it as having been oozed out from a bodily orifice. Sometimes makes for some weird imagery!

You can change one letter, and add/subtract two syllables:

France / fiance

Not an answer to my question, but good one nonetheless.
mmm

They might not be yours, but I just thought of cafe/chafe and (with a jtur88 assist) fiance/finance.

And idea => ideal adds a letter and subtracts a syllablle.

Doesn’t that ADD a syllable?

Mea / Mean.