Task 3_Transcription Exercises

Vowel sounds

1. Name the tongue position for each vowel. The first one is
done for you:
a) /ʌ/ Mid and back
b) /ʊ/ Near back vowel
c) /ɪ/ Near close
d) /ɔ:/ Open mind back round vowel
e) /æ/ Near open

2. Write only the symbols of the vowel sounds contained in the

following words, remember to write each symbol in slashes
(//).
 The first one is done for you.
Word Symbols of the vowel sounds
snub /ʌ/

bull /ʊ/
letter /e/-/ə/
keep /ɪ/
Gear /ɪ/-/ə/
 3. As you already know consonant and vowel symbols,
transcribe from IPA alphabet to regular English letters the
following text:

/westən jʊərəp həd biːn dɪˈskʌsɪŋ kɒnsəpts sʌʧ əz səˈsteɪnəbl ̩

dɪˈveləpmənt fə nɪərlɪ twentɪ jɪərz ət ðæt pɔɪnt/

Transcription:
Western Europe…had been discussing concepts staff is sustainable
development for nearly twenty years at tha point

4. Transcribe from regular English letter (graphemes) to IPA

symbols (phonemes) the following text.

When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It

was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly
worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the
miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish
Catholic childhood. (from Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt)
Transcription:
wɛn aɪ lʊk… bæk ɑn maɪ tʃɑɪldhud aɪ wʌnder hau aɪ sərvaɪv æt ɔːl ɪt wəz ʌv ˈkɔrs əɪ Comentado [Y1]:
mizrebl tʃɑɪldhud ðə hæpɪ tʃɑɪldhud iz hɑːrd.li wɝːθ jʊr waɪl wɝːs ðæn ðə ɔrdneri Comentado [Y2]:

mizrebl tʃɑɪldhud iz ðə mizrebl aɪə.rɪʃ tʃɑɪldhud ænd wɝːs jet iz ðə mizrebl aɪə.rɪʃ
kæθ.əl.ɪk tʃɑɪldhud
frəm endʒəl æʃ·əz baɪ fræŋk mkkɔ:rt
5. Write a word that includes each diphthong.
 The first one is done for you.

Symbol Word
a) / aɪ/ Cry
b) /eɪ/ say
c) /əʊ/ ocean
d) /aʊ/ about
e) / ɪə/ area