CHAPTER 3: CLASSIFICATION OF ENGLISH SOUNDS

Exercise 1: Filling in the blank:

1. Speech sounds are divided into……….… and consonants.
2. A ………………..….. is a sound in the production of which the air passage
through the mouth is free.
3. In the English language, vowels can be classified into Pure Vowels
(Monophthong) and…..………….... (and possibly triphthongs).
4. There are…………....….front vowels in the English language in the production of
which the front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate.
5. There are 4 open (or low) vowels in the production of which one part of the tongue
is very……………...…and the air passage is very wide, e.g. /æ/, /ɑ:/, /ɒ/ and /ʌ/.

Exercise 2: TRUE/FALSE:
TRUE/FALSE
6. Rounded vowels are produced when the lips are
drawn together so that the opening between them is
more or less round
7. There are mid-open vowels in the production of
which the lips may be spread out so as to leave a
long narrow opening between them
8. Diphthong is a combination of two adjacent vowel
sounds within the same syllable.
9. The first element of a diphthong is called the
nucleus; the second element is called the glide.
10. In English, the second element in all the diphthongs
is louder, stronger, and more distinct than the first.

Exercise 3: Choose the best answer:

11. A consonant is a sound in the production of which an obstruction to the airstream
is formed in the ..................
A. mouth
B. lung
C. ears
D. nose
12. What are the two types of articulatory obstruction?
A. Egressive and ingressive
B. Complete and incomplete
C. Oral and nasal
D. Pulmonic and non-pulmonic
13. The .................. of the air stream - whether moving outwards or inwards.
A. source
B. direction
C. manner
D. position
14. Which is the main class of consonants distinguished according to the organs of
articulation?
A. Rolled
B. Lateral
C. Plosives
D. Alveolar
15. Which is the main class of consonants distinguished according to the manner of
articulation?
A. Dental
B. Palatal
C. Nasal
D. Glottal
16. When the sound in which all the air in the lungs escapes through the nose and not
through the mouth, the sounds they produce could be:
A. /m/, /l/ and /ŋ/
B. /m/, /n/ and /l/
C. /m/, /n/ and /ŋ/
D. /m/, /f/ and /v/

17. Which of the following is the sound in the production of which the tip of the
tongue vibrates in the stream of air?
 A. Rolled
B. Lateral
C. Nasal
D. Plosives

18. Which of the following is the sound that can occur only medially of Fricative?
A. /h /
B. /v/
C. /θ/
D. /ʒ/
19. How many sounds are known as approximants in English?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
20. Why are sounds that are not stopped are continuants?
A. Because they are produced by two articulators approaching one another as
for fricatives but not coming close enough to produce audible friction.
B. Because the stream of air continues without interruption through the mouth
opening.
C. Because stops, fricatives, and affricates share the phonetic property or
impeding the airflow by constricting the vocal passage.
D. Because the air stream is completely stopped for a moment.

~END~
 KEY ANSWER
1. Vowels 11.A
2. Vowel 12.B
3. Diphthongs 13.B
4. Four 14.D
5. Low 15.C
6. T 16.C
7. F (mid-open vowels - Spread 17.A
vowels)
18.D
8. T
19.D
9. T
20.B
10.F(The second – the first, the first
–the second)
21.
22. 1. 1.