1. What is phonetics? What are main areas of phonetics?
Transcription is the use of a system of symbols and diacritic to show
Phonetics is study of speech sounds which are utilized by all human
languages to represent meaning.
Phonetics is concerned with describing speech sound that occurs in
the language of the world. So, the 1st job of phoneticians is try to find
out what pp are doing while talking as well as listening to the speech.
Phonetics consists of 3 main of aspects (areas):
- Articulatory phonetics
- Acoustic phonetics
- Auditory phonetics
2. State the difference between articulatory phonetics and
auditory phonetics?
- Articulatory phonetics deals with the way in which speech sounds
are produced. Sounds are usually classified according to the
position of the lips and the tongue, how far open the mouth is,
whether or not the vocal cords are vibrating.
- Auditory phonetics deals with how speech sounds are perceived by
listeners.
Eg: A listener may perceive difference in aspiration, for example, the
difference between aspirated /p/ in pit and unaspirated /p/ in
speed.
3. What is phonology?
Phonology is the description of systems & patterns of sounds in a
language. It involves the study of language to determine its
distingtive sounds & to establish the set of rule that describes the set
of changes when the occur in # relationship with other sounds
Phonology is also concerned with:
- The study of word-to-word in sentences that is how sound patterns
are affected by the combination of words.
Ex: give/gv/ and him /hm/ may combine to become /gvm/
- The investigation of intonation patterns.
4. What is phonetic transcription/ allophonic transcription?
Phonetic transcription is the use of symbols to record, describe or to
show sounds or sound sequences in written form. In phonetic,
(narrow transcription) - written in square brackets [ ] - phonetic
symbols are used to show in detail how of particular sound is
pronounced.
Ex: month [mn]
5. What is phonemic transcription?
Phonemic transcription transcribes a word in a way that shows none
of the details of the pronunciation that are predictable by
phonological rules, for example, aspiration or nasalization. In other
word, phonemic transcription shows only distinctive sound of
language (phonemes) it doesnt show the final point of pronunciation.
Phonemic transcription is written in slanting brackets / /.
Ex: cat / kt/, car /k/, dog /dg/
Phonemic transcription may be used:
- For language which have no writing system of their own.
- For language teaching purpose. This kind of transcription is
especially important for learners of E which have 44 phonetic
sounds but only 26 letters.
6. What is transcription?
or to record, describe the # in sounds or sound sequences.
7. What is the difference between phonetic transcription and
description?
- Phonetic transcription is the use of phonetic symbols to represent
various sounds including symbols to show in detail how a particular
sound is pronounced.
- Phonetic description is the description of the way that sounds are
made. Here, the attention is paid to how organs of speech work to
produce the sounds.
Eg: /k/ in cat /kt/. Its transcribed phonetically as [k] but it is
described as a velar, aspirated plosive, voiceless, oral consonant.
8. What is the difference between phonetic and phonemic
transcription?
- Phonemic transcription shows no detail of pronunciation. Neither
does it show the final point of pronunciation & it is written in
slanting bracket / /. Eg: car /k/.
- Phonetic transcription shows details of pronunciation including the
final point of pronunciation and it is written in square bracket [ ]. Eg:
car [k].
9. What is a phoneme? How many phonemes are there in
the English language? How many types are they often divided
into?
Phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language which can
distinguish two words by its contrast within words.
Ex: Ban /bn/ and bin /bn/ differ only in their vowel. // and //.
Therefore, there are 44 phonemes divided into 2 types: 24
consonants and 20 vowels.
10. Give the classification of English phonemes. List all the
consonantal phonemes, providing example in each case by
giving a broad transcription of the word containing the
consonant.
Phoneme is the smallest sound unit segment that can be
distinguished by their contrast within word. The contrast is identified
by the fact that the word changes the own form & meaning.
Phoneme can be classified into:
- Segmental phonemes: vowels and consonants
o Super segmental phonemes: stressed and intonation
In E, there are 24 consonantal phonemes divided into 2 types:
- Voiceless: p t k f s h t
pen /pn/, sound /sand/, teacher /tit/, car /k/, thin /n/, change
/tend/, horror /hr/, five /fav/, show //
- Voiced: b d g v z d m n l w r j
book /bk/, very /vr/, zoo /zu/, they /e/, measure /m/, John
/dn/, month /mn/, nose /nz/, sing /s/, life /laf/, rhythm
/rm/, year /j/, world /wld/
11. What is allophone?
An allophone is any of different form of the phoneme. It derives from
the same phoneme in different distribution or different relationship.
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Eg: In E, when the phoneme /p/ occurs at the beginning of words like Middle:
put/pt/ and pair /p/, its said with a little puff of air (that is its Low:
aspirated). But when /p/ occurs in words like speak /spik/ and 3. Highest part of tongue:
spare /sp/, its said without a puff of air (its unaspirated). Both the Front:
unaspirated [p] in span and [p] in put have the same phonemic Central:
function, that is, they are both heard and identified as /p/ and not as Back:
/b/. They are both allophone of the phoneme /p/. 4. Length of sounds:
12. What is the difference between a phoneme and an Long: i u
allophone?
The difference between them is the phoneme is a basic sound unit Short:
which not used to denote a particular pronunciation whereas the 16. What is a consonant? What makes it different from a
allophone gives an actual detail pronunciation of the same phoneme. vowel in terms of articulation stability?
We can identify the number of phonemes of a particular language but A consonant is a speech sound in which the airstream from the lung
we cant do that with allophone. is either completely blocked (stopped) or partially blocked (lateral) or
Eg: 2 words head and dead are distinguished by a change in the where the opening is so narrow that the air escapes with audible
1st consonantal element /h/ and /d/ (phoneme). friction (fricative). With some consonants (nasal), the airstream is
But allophone of /k/: [k] in cat, car and [k] in sky, skin, skate. blocked in the mouth but allowed to escape through the nose.
13. What is vowel? How many groups can they be divided In the pronunciation of a consonant, the organs of speech always
into? form obstruction. The airstream is stopped before going out of the
A vowel is a speech sound in which the airstream from the lung is not mouth, and the pronunciation is made with or without vibration of the
blocked in any way in the mouth or the throat & which is usually vocal cords. In contrast, in the pronunciation of vowels, the organ of
pronounced with vibration of the vocal cords. speech do not form obstruction, the airstream goes out without any
Eg: /i/ in see stop and the vocal cords are always vibrated.
The types of vowel sound which is produced depend largely on the 17. Name the criteria for classifying English consonant. List
position of the tongue: all English consonant phonemes according to manner of
- Which part of the tongue (front, middle & back) is raised. articulation.
- How far the tongue is raised. English consonants are classified according to the phoneme criteria:
Vowels are divided into 2 groups: 1. Place of articulation
2. Manner of articulation.
- 12 monophthongs: i u 3. Voicing
- 8 diphthongs: e a a 4. Position of soft palate.
14. What is the difference between monophthongs and 5. Force of articulation
diphthongs? Give example. Regarding to the manner of articulation, E consonantal phonemes
Monophthongs are pure vowel sounds which are pronounced include:
without changing the organ of speech throughout the process of 1. Plosives: p, b, t, d, k, g.
sound production:. 2. Fricatives: f, v, s, z, h, , , ,
Eg: me /mi/, man /mn/.
Diphthongs are complex vowel sounds consisting of 2 vowel 3. Affricates: t d
element which are pronounced to form a single syllable. In 4. Nasals: m, n,
diphthong production, the organ of speech starts in the position of 5. Lateral: l
st
the 1 vowel and glides gradually to the next. 6. Glides: w, r, j
18. What are manner of articulation referred to? Describe in
Ex: shy /a/, day /de/. brief the manner of articulation in producing stop and
15. What are the general criteria for English vowel affricate.
classification? Manner of articulation is the way in which the obstruction of the
General criteria for E vowel classification include: airstream is achieved:
1. Shapes of lips: Stop: complete obstruction of the airstream is produced by
Spread: i stopping the airstream that passage from the lung into the mouth
Rounded: u and then suddenly releasing (The air can be can be completely
stopped because the lips or the tongue actually touch some part of
Unrounded: upper mouth.
2. Position of tongue: Eg: bilateral /p/, /b/ are bilabial stopped formed by stopping the air
High: i u with the lips and then releasing them.
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 Affricate: are complex consonant sounds. In the articulation, the top
- Voiceless: p t k
of the tongue makes contact with the top of the mouth and then - Voiced: b d g
separates slightly with a friction so that a fricative is made 23. What is voicing?
immediately after the stop. Voicing refers to the vibration of the vocal cords. Sounds made with
Eg: /t/ begins with the stop consonant /t/ and is released as the the vocal cords vibrating are voiced sounds and those made with no
such vibration are voiceless sounds.
fricative // Voicing is one way that make consonant different from one another.
19. What happens to English fortis plosive when they are
preceded by a voiceless alveolar fricative? Eg: voiceless consonant: p t k f s h t
The fortis plosive in English: p, t, k Voiced consonant : b d g v z d m n l w r j
The voiceless alveolar fricative: s 24. Classify the consonant in the English language according
When fortis plosive are preceded by /s/, they become unaspirated. to the work of the vocal cords.
Eg: pan [pn], span [spn] According to the work of the vocal cords, consonants in the English
20. What make an English plosive different from English language can be classified into 2 types namely
fricative? - Voiceless
English plosive is pronounced when the air passage is completely - Voiced
closed in the flow of air is stopped at the place of articulation. Voiced consonants can be subdivided into 2 subtypes:
When the obstruction is instantly removed or broken, the air goes out + Non- sonorous: b d g v z d
causing an effect of an explosion. + Sonorous: m n l r j w
English fricative is pronounced when the air passage is narrowed,
the air flow passes through the narrow gap causing audible friction
Eg: Plosive: p, b, k, g, t, d
Fricative: f, v, s, z, , , , , h
21. State the difference between fricatives and affricates in English in 25. Give the definition of minimal pair.
the manner of production. Minimal pairs are pairs of words in which a difference in meaning
In terms of manner of production, an English fricative is pronounced depends on difference of the phoneme that occurs in the same
by allowing the airstream from the lung to escape with a friction. This position or distribution or place (The two identical in every way
is caused by bringing the two articulators. For example, the upper except one sound)
teeth and the lower lip are close together, but not close enough to /ht/ & /kt/
stop the airstream completely. 26. What is minimal set?
E.g: alveolar: /s/; /z/ A minimal set is two or more than two words that are identical in
Labial dental : / /, /v/ every way except one phoneme (sound) that occur in the same
Dental: / , / position or distribution or place.
Affricates are complex consonant sounds: In their articulation, the tip fat - /ft/; cat - /kt/; hat - /ht/; rat - /rt/, train, brain, drain
of the tongue makes contact with the top of the mouth and then 27. What can be stated as necessary condition for forming
separate slightly with a friction, so that a fricative is made minimal set?
immediately after the stop. Minimal set:
- More than two words.
E.g: palate-alveolar: /t /, /d / - Different in the meaning
22. What are the basic features that must be included in the - Same number of segments.
classification on English plosive? - One different segment in the same distribution.
English plosives are classified according to: 28. It can be said that English words spelling and
1. Place of articulation: pronunciation dont agree. Give 10 examples to support.
- Bilabial plosive: b p For most English words, one can not tell how to pronounce them by
- Alveolar plosive: t d looking at how they are spelled. There are rules, of course, but there
- Velar plosive: k g are more exception for the rules than rules themselves.
2. Force of articulation:
- Fortis plosive: p t k chose /tz/ - lose /luz/; face /fes/ - surface /sfis/
- Lenis plosive: b d g here /h/ - hear /h/; no /n/ - know /n/
3. Aspiration: 29. What is stress? Give examples of different types of
- Aspirated: p t k stress.
- Unaspirated: b d g Stress is the pronunciation of the syllable with more force than the
4. Voicing: surrounding ones, thus making it more prominent than others.

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Eg: translation /tnslen/ /t/ /p/ before /p/ /b/ /m/That pen [bpn]
30. What are main types of word stress? /t/ /k/ before /k/ /g/ That cup [kkp]
Two types:
- Primary: the stress is put above the sound or syllable. The stress /d/ /b/ before /b/ /m/ Good morning [gbmn]
falls very clearly on the syllable making it more prominent than /d/ /g/ before /k/ /g/ Good girl [gggl]
others. /s/ // before /j/ This year [j]
Eg: unknown /nnn/ /z/ /d/ before /j/
- Secondary stress: the stress is put under the sound or syllable 34. What are degrees of assimilation?
making it more prominent but less prominent than the one that has a. Complete:
primary stress. When the assimilation consonant fully coincide with the articulation of
Eg: Economic /iknmik/ the assimilating consonant (the sound is totally change to be exactly
31. What are the functions of stress? the same as the assimilating sound)
- To emphasize certain part of the sentence. This is also referred to Eg: good boy [gbb]
accentual function of the stress. b. Partial:
I bought a book yesterday focus on book When the assimilated consonant retain its main phonetic feature and
- To express syntactic relationship within words become only party similar in some feature of its articulation to the
a. Changing word class: Transport /trnspt/ (n) - /trnspt/ assimilating sound (the sound is changed to be in some way like the
(v) assimilating sound).
b. Changing the meaning of the word: Implement /mplmnt/ Eg: good morning [gbmn]
(v): carry out - /mplmnt/ (n): instrument. c. Intermediate
32. Define pattern of simplification in informal spoken When the assimilated consonant changes into a different sound but
English. does not coincide with the assimilating consonant (the sound is
The pattern of simplification in informal spoken English include: changed to be totally different from the assimilating sound).
1. Assimilation: Eg: havent you [hvntju]
Every consonant and every vowel will be affected by its neighboring 35. What is elision? What are main types of elision?
sound and by the rhythmic structure in which they occur. is the process of gradation or loss of phoneme that would be present
The adaptation of sounds to each other is inevitable and a universal in slow, careful pronunciation of a word in isolation.
fact of human language. Two main types:
Eg: cats [kts]; dogs [dgz] - Consonant elision: like in assimilation, the most common place to
2. Elision: find consonant elision is at the end of the word: first three [f:sri];
is the process of gradation or loss of phoneme that would be present - Vowel elision are found with //, //: similar [sml]; interest: /
in slow, careful pronunciation of a word in isolation.
ntrst/, / ntrst/
Eg: interest [ntrst] [ntrst] 36. What is liaison?
33. What is assimilation and what are main types of Liaison is the phenomenon where a sound is linked to another in real
assimilation? connected speech, especially a consonant to a vowel.
Assimilation is a phonetic process by which one speech sound Two main types are often found:
comes to resemble or becomes identical with adjacent
(neighbouring). - Final consonant + initial vowel: Come in [km in];
Eg: In the word width the phoneme /d/ is an alveolar plosive, // is a - Final vowel + initial vowel (with intrusive /r/): you and I [jurnda]
dental fricative. Because of //, /d/ in width becomes identical to the 37. State the function of the following tone:
position of //. So /d/ is said to be dentalized by //. - Low fall is used to express impatience.
Two main types - High fall is used to express excitement or indignation or
- Progressive assimilation: when the preceding sound assimilates disagreement.
the following one. - Falling- rising: is used to express doubt, not sure ore
Eg: in the word place /l/ become devoiced because of /p/ which is encouragement and also indignation.
voiceless and aspirated. We can transcribe the word as follow: 38. What is intonation? Describe basic intonation pattern
[ples] When speaking, people usually raise or lower their pitch of voice
- Regressive assimilation: in regressive, the preceding sound is forming pitch pattern. They also give some syllable in their
influenced by the one following it. utterances a greater degree of loudness and change their speech
Eg: in the word man, / / is nasalized by /n/. It becomes [mn]
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rhythm. In other word intonation is the rises and fall in pitch level or
pattern of pitch changes.
The basic intonation patterns are:
- Falling nucleus (tone)
- Rising nucleus
- Falling- rising nucleus
- Rising- falling nucleus
- Middle level
39. Give different description for aspiration and dentalization
Aspiration is a little puff of air that sometimes goes with speech
sounds: teacher [tit]
Dentalization is the change of an alveolar sound into dental sound
when standing before a dental sound: health [hl]
40. Fill each blank with one suitable word:
- A distinctive feature is a particular characteristic which
(1).distinguishes one distinctive sound of a language
(phoneme) from another or one group from another group. For
example, in the English (2)..sound. system, one distinctive
feature which shows the difference between the sound /k/ in
cool and the sound g in good is (3). voicing..The
sound /k/ is a (4)..voiceless..stop whereas the sound /g/ us a
voiced stop. Lets take another example, /t/ and /d/. They are
different sounds because /d/ is pronounced with the vocal
cords (5) vibrating..and /t/ is not.
Explain the differences between the sounds underlined
below:
- Meal learn: Palatalized clear
- People stop: aspirated unaspirated
- Money many: centre front
- Plan milk: devoicing palatalized
- Monthly inkpot: dentalized velar
- Lifeboat classification: clear devoicing