Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave

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Sekretariát

PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Segmental Aspects

KEY TO THE EXERCISES

Part A:
Choose the correct option:

  1. A linguistic discipline dealing with speech sounds from the functional point of view is:
    2. – phonology
  2. A phoneme is the basic unit of:
    3. – phonology
  3. Clear and dark /l/ are:
    4. combinatory variants
  4. Aspirated /ph/ and unaspirated /p/ are:
    5. -combinatory variants
  5. English /n/ and /η/ are:
    6. -phonemes.
  6. Slovak /n/ and /η/ are:
    7. -allophones.
  7. A linguistic discipline dealing with speech sounds from the material point of view is:
    8. -phonetics.
  8. An abstract unit of the sound level is:
    9. -phoneme.
  9. The process of selecting the signals and putting them into the channel in communication (speech chain) is called:
    10. -encoding.
  10. Variants of phonemes are:
    11. -allophones.
  11. A set of symbols used in transcription is:
    12. -phonetic alphabet.
  12. Simple and comparative are types of:
    13. -phonemic transcription.
  13. IPA is an abbreviation for:
    14. -International Phonetic Alphabet.
  14. When the vocal folds are active
    15. -voiced sounds are produced.
  15. When the soft palate is raised, the airstream is released through
    16. -the oral cavity.
  16. The opening between the vocal folds is:
    17. -glottis.
  17. When the soft palate is lowered, the air escapes through:
    18. -the nasal cavity.
  18. The mandible is:
    19. -the lower jaw.
  19. Diphthongs with the /ə/ as the second component, are called:
    20. -centring.
  20. According to the part of the tongue which is raised, the vowels /i: e æ/ are:
    21. -front.
  21. Diphthongs with a higher degree of prominence on the first component are:
    22. -falling.
  22. The length of English vowels
    23. -decreases when they are followed by a voiceless consonant.
  23. Diphthongs /eɪ aɪ ͻɪ əʋ aʋ/ are:
    24. -closing.
  24. In American English, there are:
    25. -no centring diphthongs.
  25. PI is an abbreviation for:
    26. -Phonemic Inventory.
  26. Plosives, fricatives, affricates, nasals, laterals and approximants are groups of consonants according to the:
    27. -manner of articulation.
  27. /p/, /t/, /k/ lose their aspiration when they are:
    28. -preceded by /s/.
  28. Nasal speech sounds are produced when the:
    29. -soft palate is lowered.
  29. The group of consonants articulated with little muscular effort is called:
    30. -lenis.
  30. Fortis consonants are:
    31. -voiceless.
  31. Which consonants can be aspirated?
    32. -voiceless plosives.
  32. Consonants made with the tongue touching the front teeth are called:
    33. -dental.
  33. Narrowing without friction is a typical way for pronunciation of:
    34. -approximants.
  34. Which of the consonants require a total obstruction to the flow of air (i.e. complete closure):
    35. -plosives, affricates, nasals.
  35. Which of the following example-words form a minimal pair?
    36. -/pet/, /set/.

Part B:

Answer the following questions:

 

  1. Subbranches of phonetics are ARTICULATORY, ACOUSTIC AND AUDITORY PHONETICS………………………………….…………………………………..……..
  2. Subbranches of phonology are SEGMENTAL AND SUPRASEGMENTAL PHONOLOGY……………….………………………………………………………..…
  3. What is a “minimal pair”? Explain and give an example: A MINIMAL PAIR IS A PAIR OF WORDS WHICH DIFFER ONLY IN ONE SOUND AND HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS, e.g. /pet/ and /bet/…………………………………….……
  4. We recognise two types of allophones. Name them: COMBINATORY VARIANTS (IN COMPLEMENTARY DISTRIBUTION) AND FACULTATIVE VARIANTS (IN FREE VARIATION)………………..………………………………………………….
  5. Two types of phonemic transcription are recognised. These are: SIMPLE AND COMPARATIVE…………………………………………………………………….….
  6. Name three passive (fixed) articulators: THE ALVEOLAR RIDGE, THE TEETH, THE HARD PALATE…………………………….………………………..…………..
  7. Which of the articulators is lowered when we are pronouncing nasal consonants? THE SOFT PALATE………………………………………………………………………………………………….
  8. Voicing in speech sounds is caused by vibration of THE VOCAL FOLDS…………………………………………….………………………..……………
  9. The opening between the vocal folds is called THE GLOTTIS..……….…………..….
  10. PI stays for the term PHONEMIC INVENTORY…………………………….…….…..
  11. Vowels are tones, consonants are NOISES.…………………………………..…………
  12. From the phonological point of view, vowels function as CENTRES in syllables.
  13. According to what criterion vowels are described as tense or lax? THE MUSCULAR TENSION OF THE TONGUE………………………………………………………………………
  14. Who devised the reference system of cardinal vowels? DANIEL JONES…………………..
  15. Cardinal vowels are manifested in the two groups: PRIMARY AND SECONDARY………………………………………………………………………..…
  16. Quantity of vowels decreases if they are followed by A VOICELESS CONSONANT……………………………………………..……………………….…..
  17. Two segments of a vowel-cluster pronounced within one syllable form A DIPHTHONG……………………………………………………………………..……..
  18. Two segments of a vowel-cluster NOT pronounced within one syllable form A HIATUS.………………………………………………………………………..………..
  19. A diphthong is pronounced as falling if its first component is MORE PROMINENT………………………………………………………………..………….
  20. Name all British English centring diphthongs: /ɪə eə ʊə/ …………………..……….….
  21. Put down the symbols of vowels functioning as the second segment in closing diphthongs: /ɪ/ and /ʊ/……………………………………..…………………..…………  
  22. According to the manner of articulation we recognise six groups of consonants. Name them: PLOSIVES, FRICATIVES, AFFRICATES, NASALS, LATERALS, APPROXIMANTS…………………………..……………………………..….…………
  23. According to the muscular effort of the articulators, consonants are recognised as either FORTIS, or LENIS…………………………………………………..……………
  24. What group of consonants is (also) called “stops”? PLOSIVES………………………………..
  25. Name the English consonants that could be pronounced with aspiration: /p/, /t/, /k/
  26. In the post-release phase (when producing plosives) the air escaping through the vocal folds makes an additional puff of air called ASPIRATION…….……………………….
  27. What is the place and manner of articulation for /h/? GLOTTAL FRICATIVE…………..
  28. According to voicing, the English /h/ is VOICELESS, while the Slovak /h/ is VOICED……………………………………………………………………….………..
  29. Name all British English bilabial consonants: /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/.………………..……….
  30. Name English sibilants: /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /ʧ/, /ʤ/…………………………………..……..
  31. Name Slovak sibilants: /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /c/, /dz/, /ʧ/, /ʤ/…………………………..…….
  32. While the English /n/ and /η/ are phonemes, Slovak /n/ and /η/ are ALLOPHONES…………………………………………………………..…………..….
  33. The discipline dealing with the sequential arrangement of speech sounds in a language is called PHONOTACTICS……………………………………………………….…….
  34. Name the English fricative consonants: /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/……..…………………………………………………………………..………………
  35. Name the dental consonants: /θ/, /ð/………………………………………………………………………

Part C:

Fill in the missing IPA symbols representing the British English pronunciation:

Short vowels:

 

  1. sit /sɪt/
  2. cat /kæt/
  3. put /pʋt/
  4. win /wɪn/
  5. milk /mɪlk/
  6. let /let/
  7. apple /æpl/
  8. risky /rɪski/
  9. frog /frɒg/
  10. good /gɒd/
  11. bed /bed/
  12. fit /fɪt/
  13. hot /hɒt/
  14. wet /wet/
  15. cut /kɅt/
  16. pot /pɒt/
  17. shut /ʃɅt/
  18. catch /kæʧ/
  19. bunny /bɅni/
  20. dot /dɒt/
  21. happy /hæpi/
  22. ban /bæn/
  23. merry /meri/
  24. love /lɅv/
  25. doll /dɒl/
  26. pretty /prɪti/
  27. son /sɅn/
  28. ham /hæm/
  29. dot /dɒt/
  30. handsome /hænsəm/
  31. sand /sænd/
  32. up /Ʌp/
  33. the /δə/
  34. an /ən/
  35. come /kɅm/

Part D:

Fill in the missing IPA symbols representing the British English pronunciation:

Long vowels:

 

  1. clean /kli:n/
  2. call /kͻ:l/
  3. dream /dri:m/
  4. answer /ɑ:nsə/
  5. turn /tɜ:n/
  6. beat /bi:t/
  7. girl /gɜ:l/
  8. peace /pi:s/
  9. ask /ɑ:sk/
  10. corn /kͻ:n/
  11. heat /hi:t/
  12. daughter /dͻ:tə/
  13. tree /tri:/
  14. born /bͻ:n/
  15. cool /ku:l/
  16. earn /ɜ:n/
  17. earth /ɜ:θ/
  18. keep /ki:p/
  19. barn /bɑ:n/
  20. cheat / ʧi:t/
  21. part /pɑ:t/
  22. noon /nu:n/
  23. curl /kɜ:l/
  24. sweet /swi:t/
  25. blue /blu:/
  26. leap /li:p/
  27. freeze /fri:z/
  28. burn /bɜ:n/
  29. seat /si:t/
  30. shoe /ʃu:/
  31. scream /skri:m/
  32. card /kɑ:d/
  33. heart /hɑ:t/
  34. learn /lɜ:n/
  35. sleep /sli:p/

Part E:

Fill in the missing IPA symbols representing the British English pronunciation:

Diphthongs/ triphthongs:

 

1) cake /keɪk/                                                                                               

2) high /haɪ/

3) higher /haɪə/

4) brown /braʋn/

5) hear /hɪə/

6) loud /laʋd/

7) drive /draɪv/

8) bone /bəʋn/

9) low /ləʋ/

10)lower /ləʋə/

11)boy /bͻɪ/

12)coin /kͻɪn/

13)layer /leɪə/

14)here /hɪə/

15)liar /laɪə/

16)there /δeə/

17)care /keə/

18)go /gəʋ/

19)mower /məʋə/

20)oil /ͻɪl/

21)royal /rͻɪəl/

22)cry /kraɪ/

23)enjoy /ɪn´ʤͻɪ/

24)voice /vͻɪs/

25)play /pleɪ/

26)player /pleɪə/

27)mile /maɪl/

28)day /deɪ/

29)night /naɪt/

30)tour /tʋə/

31)phone /fəʋn/

32)bind /baɪnd/

33)bound /baʋnd/

34)power /paʋə/

35)writer /raɪtə/

Part F:

Fill in the missing IPA symbols representing the British English pronunciation:

Consonants:

 

  1. this /δɪs/
  2. usher /Ʌʃə/
  3. cheetah /ʧi:tə/
  4. think /θɪηk/
  5. juice /ʤu:s/
  6. kingdom /kɪηdəm/
  7. wet /wet/
  8. vet /vet/
  9. whale /weɪl/
  10. shrink /ʃrɪηk/
  11. monk /mɅηk/
  12. otherwise /Ʌδəwaɪz/
  13. Christmas /krɪsməs/
  14. heir /eə/
  15. hairdresser /heədresə/
  16. shark /ʃɑ:k/
  17. pleasure /pleʒə/
  18. teacher /ti:ʧə/
  19. church /ʧɜ:ʧ /
  20. three / θri:/
  21. tree /tri:/
  22. free /fri:/
  23. show /ʃəʋ/
  24. one /wɅn/
  25. teeth /ti:θ/
  26. breath /breθ/
  27. breathe /bri:δ/
  28. bath /bɑ:θ/
  29. bathe /beɪδ/
  30. shirt /ʃɜ:t/
  31. school /sku:l/
  32. technology /tek´nɒləʤi/
  33. chef /ʃef/
  34. sheep /ʃi:p/
  35. justice /ʤɅstɪs/

Part G:

Transcribe the following words using the IPA symbols representing the British English pronunciation:

 

  1. develop /dɪ´veləp/
  2. development /dɪ´veləpmənt/
  3. author /ͻ:θə/
  4. examine /ɪg´zæmɪn/
  5. examination /ɪgzæmɪ´neɪʃən/
  6. analyse /ænəlaɪz/
  7. analysis /ə´næləsɪs/
  8. occur /ə´kɜ:/
  9. occurrence /ə´kɅrəns/
  10. course /kͻ:s/
  11. identify /aɪ´dentɪfaɪ/
  12. wrap /ræp/
  13. hypothesis /haɪ´pɒθəsɪs/
  14. technique /tek´ni:k/
  15. hotel /həʋ´tel/
  16. determine /dɪ´tɜ:mɪn/
  17. European /jʋərə´pi:ən/
  18. queue /kju:/
  19. quay /ki:/
  20. basic /beɪsɪk/
  21. advantage /əd´vɑ:ntɪʤ/
  22. advantageous /ædvən´teɪʤəs/
  23. receipt /rɪ´si:t/
  24. recipe /resɪpi/
  25. carrier /kæriə/
  26. career /kə´rɪə/
  27. criterion /kraɪ´tɪəriən/
  28. thoroughly /θɅrəli/
  29. acoustic /ə´ku:stɪk/
  30. bilabial /baɪ´leɪbiəl/
  31. cupboard /kɅbəd/
  32. nasal /neɪzl/
  33. nasality /neɪ´zæləti/
  34. auxiliary /ͻ:g´zɪliəri/
  35. focus /fəʋkəs/