mile
哩 centers on the unit of distance 'mile'. It is a specialized character used almost exclusively for this measurement.
哩 is a modern character created in Japan as a phono-semantic compound: 口 (mouth) suggests a phonetic loan, and 里 (ri) provides the sound for 'mile' (ri). It was coined to represent the English word 'mile' using the existing reading of 里.
The mouth 口 speaks the distance, and 里 (ri) gives the sound. Together they mark a mile: a spoken 'ri' that means mile.
For リ, the right side 里 already has the on-reading リ. Think of a mile marker with the character 里 on it, and the mouth 口 just confirms the reading: リ.
curry (esp. Japanese curry)