English Phonetics and Phonology Languages

Exam: Nasals, Syllables, and Word Stress

20 questions

35 min

Answer key

Exam info

Subject: English Phonetics and Phonology
Exam type: Languages
Questions: 20
Duration: 35 min
Answers: ✓ With explanations

Questions (20)

Q 1.
Which physical feature identifies a consonant as nasal?
- A.
  Air is released through the nose while the vocal tract is configured for nasal resonance.
- B.
  Air is blocked completely and then released suddenly.
- C.
  Air escapes along the sides of the tongue.
- D.
  The articulators approach each other without making contact.
Q 2.
What is the place of articulation of English /m/?
- A.
  Bilabial
- B.
  Alveolar
- C.
  Velar
- D.
  Palatal
Q 3.
Which description correctly identifies the place of articulation of English /n/?
- A.
  Bilabial, because the lips form the closure.
- B.
  Alveolar, because the tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge.
- C.
  Velar, because the back of the tongue touches the soft palate.
- D.
  Retroflex, because the tongue tip is curled backward.
Q 4.
Which place of articulation belongs to English /ŋ/?
- A.
  Bilabial
- B.
  Alveolar
- C.
  Velar
- D.
  Palatal
Q 5.
Which statement accurately describes the usual occurrence of English /ŋ/?
- A.
  It does not begin an English word and occurs at the end of a syllable.
- B.
  It may begin an English word but cannot end a syllable.
- C.
  It can occur both at the beginning and at the end of a syllable whenever phonotactics permit.
- D.
  It can form the peak of a syllable by itself.
Q 6.
Which transcription best applies the morpheme rule to 'singer', analysed as sing + -er?
- A.
  /ˈsɪŋə/
- B.
  /ˈsɪŋɡə/
- C.
  /ˈsɪɡə/
- D.
  /ˈsɪnə/
Q 7.
Which description best fits the English /r/ in 'red'?
- A.
  An approximant produced with a retroflex tongue shape and no direct tongue contact.
- B.
  A plosive produced by releasing the tongue tip from the alveolar ridge.
- C.
  A lateral fricative produced with turbulent airflow along the tongue.
- D.
  A bilabial nasal produced by closing the lips.
Q 8.
Which environment and quality normally identify clear /l/?
- A.
  Before a vowel, with a quality resembling [i].
- B.
  Before a consonant, with a quality resembling [u].
- C.
  At a pause, with a quality resembling [u].
- D.
  Immediately after any vowel, with a quality resembling [a].
Q 9.
In which of the following words is /l/ normally dark?
- A.
  milk
- B.
  little
- C.
  play
- D.
  hello
Q 10.
Which comparison between rhotic and non-rhotic accents is correct?
- A.
  Rhotic accents may pronounce /r/ before a consonant or at a pause, whereas non-rhotic accents normally use /r/ only before a vowel.
- B.
  Rhotic accents pronounce /r/ only before vowels, while non-rhotic accents pronounce it before every consonant.
- C.
  Both types pronounce /r/ at the end of 'car', but only non-rhotic accents use /r/ before a vowel.
- D.
  Non-rhotic accents use /r/ before consonants and pauses, while rhotic accents omit it in all positions.
Q 11.
Why can /j/ and /w/ be counted as consonants even though older books call them semivowels?
- A.
  They create a consonantal constriction and can function in consonant onset positions.
- B.
  They are ordinary vowels that can never occur at the beginning of a word.
- C.
  They are fricatives that produce turbulent airflow at the hard palate.
- D.
  They require complete closure of the lips or mouth.
Q 12.
Which analysis of the syllable /klʌb/ is correct?
- A.
  Onset /k/, peak /lʌ/, coda /b/, rhyme /ʌb/
- B.
  Onset /kl/, peak /ʌ/, coda /b/, rhyme /ʌb/
- C.
  Onset /kl/, peak /b/, coda /ʌ/, rhyme /b/
- D.
  Onset /ʌ/, peak /kl/, coda /b/, rhyme /klb/
Q 13.
Which segment can constitute a minimum syllable on its own?
- A.
  /ɑː/
- B.
  /st/
- C.
  /k/
- D.
  /l/
Q 14.
Which statement about the sequences /str/ and /kstr/ is correct?
- A.
  /str/ is a permitted English word-initial consonant cluster, while /kstr/ is not permitted word-initially.
- B.
  /kstr/ is permitted word-initially, while /str/ is not a consonant cluster.
- C.
  Both sequences are consonant clusters, and English phonotactics imposes no restriction on them.
- D.
  /str/ represents one consonant phoneme, whereas /kstr/ contains two separate phonemes.
Q 15.
In /kluː/, how should /l/ be classified relative to the initial consonant?
- A.
  Post-initial
- B.
  Pre-initial
- C.
  Pre-final
- D.
  Post-final
Q 16.
In /læmp/, how is the medial /m/ classified?
- A.
  Pre-final
- B.
  Post-final
- C.
  Post-initial
- D.
  Pre-initial
Q 17.
Which division is selected by the maximal onsets principle for 'morning'?
- A.
  /mɔː.nɪŋ/
- B.
  /mɔːn.ɪŋ/
- C.
  /mɔː.nɪ.ŋ/
- D.
  /mɔːnɪŋ/
Q 18.
Which statement correctly describes the English stress marks /ˈ/ and /ˌ/?
- A.
  /ˈ/ marks primary stress, /ˌ/ marks secondary stress, and both are written before the relevant syllable.
- B.
  /ˈ/ marks secondary stress, /ˌ/ marks primary stress, and both are written directly above vowels.
- C.
  Both marks indicate the number of syllables in a word.
- D.
  Only /ˌ/ is used in English transcription, while /ˈ/ is reserved for dictionaries.
Q 19.
Which transcription represents the final weak syllable of 'button' as a syllabic consonant?
- A.
  /ˈbʌt.n̩/
- B.
  /ˈbʌ.tən/
- C.
  /ˈbʌtən/
- D.
  /bʌtˈnoʊn/
Q 20.
Which pair correctly shows the usual noun–verb stress contrast in 'transport'?
- A.
  Noun /ˈtrænspɔːt/; verb /trænˈspɔːt/
- B.
  Noun /trænˈspɔːt/; verb /ˈtrænspɔːt/
- C.
  Noun /ˈtrænspɔːt/; verb /ˈtrænspɔːt/
- D.
  Noun /trænˈspɔːt/; verb /trænˈspɔːt/

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