1. /p/,/θ/ 2. /p/,/s/,/t/ 3. /g/, /l/ 4. /dʒ/ 5./b/,/l/ 6. /s/,/p/,/t/ 7./θ/,/m/ 8. /f/ 9.

/z/,/b/,/r/
10. /m/,/ʒ/ 11. /tʃ/ 12./kw/ 13. /p/ 14./f/,/k/,/s/ 15./m/,/n/,/ŋ/ 16./θ/,/ŋ/,/k/ 17./j/,/n/,/t/
PRACTICE
Activity 4.1
List all consonants that occur in the following words as IPA symbols.
0. dot /d/, /t/ 7. thumb 14. foxes 21. witches
1. path 8. few 15. morning 22. eyes
2. post 9. zebra 16. thank 23. ache
3. girl 10. measure 17. unit 24. faith
4. age 11. itch 18. singer 25. cure
5. able 12. choir 19. thought 26. atlas
6. sport 13. pure 20. judge 27. gin

Activity 4.2 ks
Identify the error in the transcription of the consonant sounds in the following words and write
the correct symbol in the space provided after the word.
1. strength /strenŋθ/ 1. /streŋθ/
2. crime /craɪm / 2. /kraɪm/
3. wishing /wɪshɪŋ/ 3. /wɪʃiŋ/
4. wives /waɪvs/ 4./waɪvz/
5. these /θiːz/ should be 5./ðiːz/
6. hijacking /ˈhaɪjækɪŋ/ 6. /ˈhaɪ.dʒæk.ɪŋ/
7. chipping /ˈtʃɪppɪŋ/ 7. /ˈtʃɪp.ɪŋ/
8. yelling /yelɪŋ/ 8. /jeliŋ/
9. sixteen /ˌsixˈtiːn/ 9./ˌsɪksˈtiːn/
10. thesis /ˈðisɪs/
10. /ˈθiː.sɪs/

Activity 4.3
State whether the place of articulation is the same (S) or different (D) in the initial consonants
of each pair. In either case, state the place of articulation.
S/D Place of articulation
0. now – pneumonia: S alveolar

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 00. sun – sugar D alveolar – post-alveolar
1. goose – gerrymander D velar - post-alveolar
2. simple – shackle D alveolar - post-alveolar
3. curious – cereal D velar - alveolar
4. phonetic – fictional
S labiodental
5. manners – tankers
D bilabial - alveolar
6. normal – location D labiodental - palatal
7. wander – yesterday D bilabial-palatal
8. those – Thursday S (inter)dental
9. scissors – zipper S alveolar
10. temperate – chestnut
D alveolar-post-alveolar
11. chromosome – chief D velar- post-alveolar
12. baker – delegate D bilabial-alveolar
13. happened – usual D glottal - palatal
14. neuron – market D alveolar - bilabial
15. painting – broccoli
S bilabial
Activity 4.4
Underline the words:
1. beginning with a bilabial consonant
mat gnat sat bat rat pat
2. beginning with a velar consonant
knot got lot cot hot pot
3. beginning with an alveolar consonant
zip nip lip ship tip dip
4. beginning with a labiodental consonant:
fat cat that mat chat vat
5. beginning with an alveolar consonant:
zip nip lip sip tip dip
6. beginning with a dental consonant:

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 pie guy shy thigh thy high
7. beginning with a post-alveolar consonant:
sigh shy tie thigh thy lie
8. ending with an alveolar consonant:
pot sad boss lamb lamp size hen call

Activity 4.5
Identify (A) the place of articulation, (B) the plosives pronounced in the diagrams below and
(C) give examples of English words beginning with these sounds.

1.
(A) ___________________
(B) ___________________
(C) ___________________
___________________
2.
(A) ___________________
(B) ___________________
(C) ___________________
___________________
3.
(A) ___________________
(B) ___________________
(C) ___________________
___________________

Activity 4.6
Identify (A) the place of articulation, (B) the fricatives pronounced in the diagrams below and
(C) give examples of English words beginning with these sounds.

1. 2.
(A) ___________________ (A) ___________________
(B) ___________________ (B) ___________________
(C) _________________________________ (C) _________________________________

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 3. 4.
(A) ___________________ (A) ___________________
(B) ___________________ (B) ___________________
(C) ___________________________________ (C) _________________________________

Activity 4.7
Characterize the following sounds according to their place and manner of articulation, and
voicing:
Place of articulation Manner of articulation Voicing (Fortis / Lenis)
1. /z/
2. /k/
3. /θ/
4. /ʃ/
5. /ð/
6. /t/
7. /h/
8. /b/

Activity 4.8
What phonetic property distinguishes the following pairs of sounds (voicing, manner or place
of articulation)?
1. /k/ and /ɡ/ 2. /s/ and /z/
3. /d/ and /z/ 4. /v/ and /ð/
5. /d/ and /ɡ/ 6. /ʃ/ and /s/
7. /t/ and /d/ 8. /ʃ/ and /ʒ/
9. /t/ and /s/ 10. /ð/ and /ʒ/

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Activity 4.9
Underline the words that begin/end with a fricative.
psychology philosophy whale half haze cuts meet
round think use halve phase sheep hour
plot xylophone epitaph hash path seventh swim

Activity 4.10
Write the phonemic symbols for the following characterizations and illustrate with two English
words.
Description of phoneme Phoneme Words
1. A voiceless dental fricative
2. A glottal fricative
3. A voiced post‐alveolar affricate
4. A voiceless alveolar fricative
5. A voiced labiodental fricative

Activity 4.11
Identify (A) the place of articulation, (B) the nasals / approximants pronounced in the diagrams
below and (C) give examples of English words beginning or ending with these sounds.

1. 2.
(A) ___________________ (A) ___________________
(B) ___________________ (B) ___________________
(C) _________________________________ (C) ______________________________

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 3. 4.
(A) ___________________ (A) ___________________
(B) ___________________ (B) ___________________
(C) _____________________________ (C) ______________________________

Activity 4.12
Fill in the table below with the appropriate consonants.
Bilabial Labio Dental Alveolar Post Palatal Velar Glottal
dental alveolar
Plosives
Fricatives
Affricates
Nasals
Lateral
(approximant)
Approximants

Activity 4.13
The following groups consist of sounds that share a phonetic feature plus one sound that does
not belong to this group. Underline the sound that does not belong to the group, and identify the
feature shared by the remaining sounds of the group.
0. /l, d, s, t, k, z/ /k/ is a velar, the rest are alveolars
1. /f, s, tʃ, z, θ, ʒ, ð /
2. /t, z, n, m, d, l, s/
3. /n, ɡ, v, s, z, r, m/
4. /m, w, ŋ, p, b/

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Activity 4.14
Divide each of the following groups of symbols into two sets of three, each of which has some
common feature (voicing, place, or manner) of articulation.
Symbols Set 1 Set 2
1. p m t n k ŋ p t k (plosive) m n ŋ (nasal)
2. s l p m v ʃ
3. f j w r z θ
4. s v h ð ʒ θ
5. d k n l ŋ ɡ
6. t m b ʃ s ɡ
7. ʃ p ʒ b tʃ m
8. h j z r w s

9. n s p k j w
10. j w b d ɡ r

Activity 4.15
Consider how the sounds represented by the underlined letters are made in the following pairs
of words. Which features (voicing, place, or manner) distinguish the sounds and hence the words
from each other?

0. rope robe Voicing

1. right ride
2. home hope
3. link sing

4. leaf leap
5. word bird

6. think zinc
7. yeast feast
8. sick tick
9. lip lick

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 10. rift wrist
11. cad can
12. bad bag

Activity 4.16
Underline the words
1. ending with a fricative.
race wreath bush breathe bang rave rose rough
2. ending with a nasal.
rain comb rail rang dumb deaf lamp climb
3. beginning with a lateral.
load nut lull bar lose rob one lure
4. beginning with an approximant
we who one nut jet yet only rule
5. ending with an affricate.
much back edge choose fuss range rush touch
6. start with a fricative.
foreign theater tidings hospital cassette shroud
7. have an approximant.
winter university captive ripe little mute
8. end in an alveolar.
went atom rigor column multiple garnish

Activity 4.17
Define the sounds in bold according to their voicing, place and manner of articulation.
Sound Voicing Place of Manner of
(Fortis / Lenis) articulation articulation
0. adder /d/ Lenis Alveolar Plosive
1. brother
2. ringing
3. etching

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 Sound Voicing Place of Manner of
(Fortis / Lenis) articulation articulation
4. robber
5. ether
6. pleasure
7. hopper
8. telling
9. funny
10. lodger
11. youth
12. arrow
13. wonder
14. survey
15. forty

Activity 4.18
Group the sounds represented by the underlined letters in the words below according to their
manner of articulation, using the terms in the lesson.
door jaw war more raw your zoom there
shore nor gore paw bore vote think horse
sing chore four law core tore sing treasure
1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

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Activity 4.19
Transcribe the following words. Which consonants are aspirated?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
0. pin /pɪp/ [pʰɪp]
00. spin /spɪn/ [spɪn]
1. pain
2. team
3. key
4. supper
5. batter
6. please
7. hate
8. break
9. Spain
10. team
11. ski
12. attend
13. task
14. competitor
15. competent

Activity 4.20
Transcribe the following words. Which initial consonants are devoiced?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
0. bag /bæɡ/ [b̥æɡ]
1. bake
2. coat
3. goat
4. doubt
5. cook

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 Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
6. bought
7. pull
8. bored
9. billboard
10. handbag

Activity 4.21
Transcribe the following words. Which consonants are devoiced?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
0. cab /kæb/ [kæb̥]
1. lid
2. rays
3. bag
4. judge
5. leave
6. breathe
7. freeze
8. bomb
9. rouge
10. gag
11. add two
12. cheesecake
13. bad times
14. bad guys
15. good news

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Activity 4.22
Transcribe the following words. Which consonants are devoiced?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
0. please /pliːz/ [pl̥ iːz̥]
1. try
2. quick
3. tune
4. play
5. twin
6. cue
7. clean
8. spring
9. strength
10. student

Activity 4.23
Transcribe the following words. Which vowels or consonants undergo pre-fortis clipping?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
1. mode
2. thick
3. kiss
4. safer
5. raised
6. debt
7. walk
8. lamp
9. receipt
10. husband

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Activity 4.24
Transcribe the following proverbs and identify the vowels that are likely to undergo pre-fortis
clipping.
1. Many hands make light work.
2. A bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush.
3. A stitch in time saves nine.
4. Many a slip twixt cup and lip.
5. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Activity 4.25
Transcribe the following words. Which vowels are nasalized?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
1. hang
2. soon
3. man
4. ant
5. mom
6. sing
7. can
8. ten
9. morning
10. danger

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Activity 4.26
Transcribe the following words. In which of them is the /l/ likely to be “dark” (velarized)?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
1. alive
2. kill
3. play
4. loom
5. allow
6. tell us
7. dullness
8. Hilton
9. cool and calm
10. gambler

Activity 4.27
Transcribe the following words. Which consonants can be glottalised?
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
1. captive
2. arctic
3. actor
4. petrol
5. stopwatch
6. football
7. nature
8. sleepwalker
9. stepbrother
10. lipstick

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Activity 4.28
Transcribe the following sentences, marking aspiration, devoicing, pre-fortis clipping,
nasalization, velarization, and glottalization wherever applicable.
Word Phonemic transcription Phonetic transcription
1. asset
2. conflict
3. attend
4. damage
5. cashback
6. convene
7. customs
8. counter
9. credit
10. pension
11. replace
12. posture
13. debtor
14. second
15. retain
16. deceive
17. principal
18. earnings
19. birthday
20. recall

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