What is the difference between the words in Column I and those in Column II?

Column I        Column II

ELL                    APE

ARE                   OWN

EAR                   RINK

ORE                   ATE

ORT                    LIT

ILL                      ICE

IRE                     OIL 

HINT:

All the words in Column I have two things in common, which is not true of all the words in Column II.

Answer:

 

All the words in Column I can be preceded by SH and SP to make new words. The first three words in Column II can be preceded by SH, but not SP, to make new words, and the last four by SP, but not SH:

 

Column I                     Column II

 

SHELL/SPELL             SHAPE

SHARE/SPARE            SHOWN

SHEAR/SPEAR            SHRINK  

SHORE/SPORE            SPATE

SHORT/SPORT            SPLIT

SHILL/SPILL               SPICE

SHIRE/SPIRE               SPOIL

 

Credit:

Joseph Appel