MA ELT

Phonetics and Phonology (Eng507)

Spring 2019
Assignment No. 1
Total Marks: 20
Lectures: 1-15

Instructions:

 Upload your assignments in a proper format, i.e. MS word file. Corrupt files will be awarded
zero marks.
 The assignments should be zoomed in at 100%.
 Please avoid plagiarism; plagiarized work will be marked zero.
 After the due date, the assignments submitted via email would not be entertained.
 Please avoid submitting copied assignments; otherwise, such a case would be referred to the
discipline committee.
 The font color should be preferably black and font size 12 Times New Roman.

Q1. Study the list of English diphthongs (given below), try to pronounce the words and
then match your pronunciation with the ones given in ‘Oxford Learners Dictionaries’
(follow the link given below). After reading and matching, answer these questions:

a) Which of the given diphthongs is the most problematic regarding pronunciation? In

what ways is your pronunciation different from the Received Pronunciation (RP)
i.e. British English?
b) Practice the problematic diphthong by using it in different other words (at least 4
words) and share your learning experience in a paragraph consisting of 150-200
words.
(5+5=10 Marks)
List of English Diphthongs

1) ɪǝ peer
2) eǝ pair
3) ʊǝ poor
4) eɪ bay
5) aɪ buy
6) ɔɪ boy
7) ǝʊ no
8) aʊ now
Note: Please see the following link to access Oxford Learners Dictionaries:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english

Q2. For the accurate and detailed transcription of the words, we need to use small markers
along with the phonetic symbols. These tiny markers are called diacritics. Read further
about IPA diacritics and write a brief note (300-350 words) on the use of diacritics detailing
five most commonly used diacritics from the IPA chart.

(10 Marks)