Solution to The Least You Could Do Is Phone Me

by Aaron Dinkin

The answer to each clue is a single word that differs in exactly one phoneme from one of the words in the clue. The following list shows the clue answers, the clue word with which the answer forms a minimal pair, and the pair of phonemes that differ:

HEREwe're/h//w/
SLEDslide/ɛ//ai/
GOLDgoals/d//z/
LASTlaughed/s//f/
TRAMcram/t//k/
RINGSthings/ɹ//θ/
FEASTfast/i://æ/
WORMword/m//d/
SNACKsnake/æ//ei/
TAILwhale/t//w/
THOUnow/ð//n/
SCUBAScooby/ə//i:/
SLITslim/t//m/
STOPstep/ɒ//ɛ/
PRYtry/p//t/
PITAPeter/ə//ɚ/
STOVEstoke/v//k/
CANOLAcannoli/ə//i:/
ROAMhome/ɹ//h/
WINone/ɪ//ʌ/
LIVERliquor/v//k/
TERMtime/ɚ//ai/
ZOOyou/z//j/
CANNIBALHannibal/k//h/
PORTpart/ɔ//a/
ROGERDodger/ɹ//d/
LICElike/s//k/

The third column of this chart—the phonemes which appear in the answers and distinguish them from the words in the clues—read as follows:

/hɛdstɹi:m æt ðə tɒp əv ə ɹɪvɚz kɔɹs/

i.e., HEADSTREAM AT THE TOP OF A RIVER'S COURSE. This clue can be solved to yield an answer that differs in one phoneme from one of the words in the clue, namely SOURCE, the answer to the puzzle.