All answers are five-letter words. Match a numbered and a lettered clue. Correct matches will be a pair of words that have all but one letter in common. The clues are in no particular order. When all clues have been answered the first and last letters of each clue will spell out undecipherable gibberish.

Example: woven tress / variety = braid / brand

-1. initiation
-2. spring, lobster or box (jewelry)
-3. educate
-4. circular (print)
-5. word with charge and under
-6. track companion
-7. woodworking tool
-8. sci-fi weapon known by its acronym
-9. inquisition
-10. thin crisp cake
-11. union beginnings?

-a. confirm
-b. type of beer
-c. style (chic)
-d. melanoma
-e. landing (home)
-f. word with mark and white
-g. reliable
-h. desire
-i. desolate
-j. brute
-k. short walk on the high seas?

8b. laser/lager

3d. tutor/tumor

10f. wafer/water

1-l = start, stark

Oops.

7/k plane/plank

5/h cover/covet

Nice matches.

9/a probe, prove

6j. field/fiend

Excellent pairings, ladies

4g. round sound

Hmmm...I like the answer but it isn't the pairing I have.

11g. local/loyal maybe

That's the ticket, Joan

2c. clasp/class
4e. flyer/foyer

You've wrapped up another one, Joan

Hints sure do help. Lost some sleep over those last two.
I had flyer, but didn't think of foyer being a landing.

spring, lobster or box was a real doozy

I figured that one would be solved by the process of elimination.