EXERCISE FOR REVISION OF PHONETICS & PHONOLOGY

1. Which of the following statements is correct?

A. Phonology studies the ways phonemes function in language
B. Phonology aims to provide the set of features, or properties, that can describe all sounds in
human language.
C. Phonology deals with the articulatory and acoustic aspects of speech sounds.
D. Phonology provides the means for describing speech sounds.
ANSWER: A

2. When two or more sounds never occur in the same phonemic context or environment they are said to
be
A. allophones of a phoneme
B. in free variation
C. different phonemes
D. identical segments
ANSWER: A

3. Which of the following symbols corresponds to the following phonetic description: voiceless
labiodental fricative
A. [ v ]
B. [ w ]
C. [ ð ]
D. [ f ]
ANSWER: D

4. How many segments are there in the sound sequence ['ʧɒkəlɪt] chocolate ?
A. 8
B. 7
C. 5
D. 6
ANSWER: B

5. In English, a syllable is generally NOT formed by.........

A. A vowel
B. One vowel and one consonant
C. One vowel and two consonants
D. Two stops
ANSWER: D
6. Which of the following groups contains a segment that differs in manner of articulation from the other
segments?
A. [ w, r, j ]
B. [ p, b, d ]
C. [ t, d, ɡ ]
D. [ θ, k, s ]
ANSWER: D

7. Which of the following is the definition of rhyme of a syllable?

A. Initial segment of a syllable
B. Core of a syllable, consisting of a nucleus and coda
C. Central segment of a syllable
D. Closing segment of a syllable
ANSWER: B

8. How many segments are there in the word “psychology”?

A. 8
B. 5
C. 4
D. 6
ANSWER: A

9. Which of the following phonetic variations the voiceless alveolar [ t ] may have in this context [ 'sᴂ
tə deɪ ] Saturday?
A. [ t ] may become glottal stop between stressed vowel [ᴂ] and unstressed vowel [] ]
B. [ t ] may be deleted between stressed vowel [ᴂ] and unstressed vowel [ ] ]
C. [ t ] becomes aspirated between stressed vowel [ᴂ] and unstressed vowel [ ] ]
D. [ t ] may become voiced flap between stressed vowel [ᴂ] and unstressed vowel [ ] ]
ANSWER: D

10. Which of the following coarticulation processes occurs to the voiceless alveolar [ t ] in this context
[eɪtjɪəz] eight years
A. [ t ] is palatalized before palatal [ j ]
B. [ t ] is velarized before palatal [ j ]
C. [ t ] is deleted before palatal [ j ]
D. [ t ] is aspirated before palatal [ j ]
ANSWER: A

11. Which of the following phonetic variations that may happen to the nasal [ n ] in this context: ['ga:dn
] garden?
A. [ n ] becomes unaspirated after voiced stop [ d ]
B. [ n ] becomes devoiced after voiced stop [ d ]
C. [ n ] becomes syllabic after voiced stop [ d ]
D. [ n ] becomes aspirated after voiced stop [ d ]
ANSWER: C

12. Which of the following is not considered (an) articulator(s)?

A. The tongue
B. The lips
C. The velum
D. The ears
ANSWER: D

13. Which of the following symbols that corresponds to each of the following phonetic description:
voiceless affricate
A. [ ∫ ]
B. [ t ]
C. [ ʧ ]
D. [ ʤ ]
ANSWER: C
14. Which of the following symbols that corresponds to each of the following phonetic description: long
high front vowel
A. [ e ]
B. [ i:]
C. [ ᴂ ]
D. [ ɒ ]
ANSWER: B

15. Which of the following coarticulation processes that may happen to the alveolar [ d ] in this context:
[ əd'maɪə ] admire?
A. [ d ] may be labialised before the bilabial [ m ]
B. [ d ] may be devoiced before the the voiceless stop [ m ]
C. [ d ] may be nasalised before the bilabial [ m ]
D. [ d ] may be aspirated before the voiceless stop [ m ]
ANSWER: A

16. Which of the following words contains a close vowel?

A. Sand
B. Hard
C. Sit
D. Hot
ANSWER: C
17. Which of the following is a glide?
A. [l]
B. [r]
C. [j]
D. [z]
ANSWER: C

18. Which of the following is a rising dipthong?

A. [ aɪ ]
B. [ aʊ ]
C. [ eɪ]
D. All are correct
ANSWER: D

19. Which of the following is the phonetic transcription of this form “singing"?
A. [ 'sɪŋgɪng ]
B. [ 'sɪngɪŋ ]
C. [ 'sɪŋɪŋ ]
D. [ 'sɪŋɪng ]
ANSWER: C

20. Vowels are characterised by which of the following properties?

A. The place and manner of articulation
B. The position of the velum and the shape of the pharynx
C. The position of the uvula and the shape of the larynx
D. Whether the tongue is high or low in the oral cavity and whether it is in the front or back
ANSWER: D