Phonetics

What to remember

• English has about 44 sounds (phonemes) but only 26 letters. Spelling does not show pronunciation, so we study sounds with phonetic symbols.
• Standard English has 20 vowel sounds (12 pure vowels and 8 diphthongs) and 24 consonant sounds.
• Stress (which syllable is strong) and intonation (the rise and fall of the voice) give English its rhythm and meaning.

Basic terms

• Phonetics is the study of speech sounds. Phonology studies how sounds work as a system in a language.
• A phoneme is the smallest sound unit that can change the meaning of a word. For example, /p/ and /b/ separate "pin" and "bin".
• A syllable is a unit of speech with one vowel sound. "Teacher" has two syllables (tea-cher).
• Minimal pairs are two words that differ in only one sound, such as "ship" and "sheep", or "bat" and "bad".
• Phonetic symbols are written between slanting lines, for example /kæt/.
• The reference accent used in most dictionaries is Received Pronunciation (RP). The symbols below follow that system.

Vowel sounds

Vowels are made with the air passing freely through the mouth. They are always voiced.

Pure vowels (monophthongs): 12

The five long vowels are /iː, ɑː, ɔː, uː, ɜː/. The seven short vowels are /ɪ, e, æ, ɒ, ʊ, ʌ, ə/. The schwa /ə/ is the most common sound in English. It appears in weak, unstressed syllables.

Diphthongs: 8. A diphthong is a glide from one vowel to another within one syllable.

A triphthong is a vowel glide with three parts, such as /aɪə/ in "fire".

Consonant sounds

Consonants are made when the air is blocked or narrowed. A consonant is voiced if the vocal cords vibrate (b, d, g, v, z, m) and voiceless if they do not (p, t, k, f, s). Put a finger on your throat to feel the difference.

By manner of articulation

By place of articulation

Note: "think" begins with the voiceless /θ/; "this" begins with the voiced /ð/. The sound /ŋ/ in "sing" is one sound, not "n" plus "g".

Transcription

Transcription means writing a word in phonetic symbols. Write the sounds you hear, not the letters you see.

A stress mark is written before the strong syllable: ˈ for primary stress and ˌ for secondary stress. Example: "teacher" /ˈtiːtʃə/, "education" /ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃn/.

Regular endings

• Plural "s": /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced sounds (dogs), /ɪz/ after /s z ʃ ʒ tʃ dʒ/ (buses).
• Past "ed": /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced sounds (played), /ɪd/ after /t d/ (wanted).

Word stress

Every English word of two or more syllables has one strongest syllable.

• Two-syllable nouns and adjectives usually take stress on the first syllable: ˈtable, ˈhappy.
• Two-syllable verbs usually take stress on the second syllable: beˈgin, reˈpeat.
• Some words change stress and meaning: ˈrecord (noun) and reˈcord (verb); ˈpresent (noun) and preˈsent (verb).
• Words ending in -tion, -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity, -ify put the stress on the syllable just before the ending: eduˈcation, ecoˈnomic, aˈbility.
• Compound nouns usually stress the first part: ˈblackboard, ˈclassroom.

Sentence stress and rhythm

In a sentence, content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are stressed. Function words (articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, pronouns) are usually weak. English is a stress-timed language: the stressed syllables come at roughly equal intervals. Telugu is closer to a syllable-timed language, so learners often stress every syllable. Teachers should model weak forms and the schwa.

Intonation

Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice in speech.

Question tags: falling when the speaker is sure and rising when really asking.

Silent letters

A silent letter is written but not pronounced.

Classroom angle

Use minimal-pair drills for confusing sounds, rhymes and tongue twisters, and listen-and-repeat. Telugu-medium pupils find /θ/ and /ð/, /v/ and /w/, /z/, and final consonant clusters difficult. Pupils often add a vowel before words such as "school" (saying "ischool"). Teach sounds, not spelling. A teacher should be a clear model and use the dictionary pronunciation guide.

Exam traps

• 1. English has 26 letters but about 44 sounds.
• 2. "ch" in "church" is /tʃ/, one sound, not /t/ plus /ʃ/.
• 3. /θ/ in "think" is voiceless; /ð/ in "this" is voiced.
• 4. /ŋ/ in "sing" is one nasal sound.
• 5. "Knife" begins with /n/; the k is silent.
• 6. "Hour" begins with a vowel sound; the h is silent. "Honest" too.
• 7. A diphthong has one syllable, not two.
• 8. The schwa /ə/ is a weak, unstressed vowel, never stressed.

One-liners

• 1. Phonetics is the study of speech sounds.
• 2. A phoneme is the smallest sound unit that changes meaning.
• 3. English has 12 pure vowels and 8 diphthongs.
• 4. English has 24 consonant sounds.
• 5. /ʃ/ is the first sound of "ship".
• 6. /ʒ/ is the middle sound of "measure".
• 7. The glottal sound is /h/.
• 8. Bilabial sounds are /p b m w/.
• 9. Verbs of two syllables are usually stressed on the second syllable.
• 10. Wh-questions usually have a falling tone.
• 11. Yes/no questions usually have a rising tone.
• 12. The "b" is silent in "comb" and "debt".

Practice questions

1. The study of speech sounds is called

   1. syntax
   2. semantics
   3. morphology
   4. phonetics
   Answer

   D. phonetics

   Phonetics deals with speech sounds.

2. The smallest sound unit that can change the meaning of a word is a

   1. stanza
   2. morpheme
   3. syllable
   4. phoneme
   Answer

   D. phoneme

   Phonemes separate words such as pin and bin.

3. The number of pure vowel sounds (monophthongs) in the standard British model is

   1. 8
   2. 24
   3. 20
   4. 12
   Answer

   D. 12

   There are 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs.

4. The number of diphthongs in the standard British model is

   1. 5
   2. 12
   3. 20
   4. 8
   Answer

   D. 8

   There are 8 diphthongs.

5. The number of consonant sounds in the standard British model is

   1. 26
   2. 24
   3. 20
   4. 21
   Answer

   B. 24

   There are 24 consonant sounds.

6. The vowel sound in 'ship' is

   1. /iː/
   2. /æ/
   3. /e/
   4. /ɪ/
   Answer

   D. /ɪ/

   Ship has the short vowel /ɪ/; sheep has /iː/.

7. The word 'knife' begins with the sound

   1. /n/
   2. /nk/
   3. /k/
   4. /kn/
   Answer

   A. /n/

   The k is silent, so the first sound is /n/.

8. The first sound of 'think' is

   1. /t/
   2. /θ/
   3. /s/
   4. /ð/
   Answer

   B. /θ/

   Think begins with the voiceless dental fricative /θ/.

9. The first sound of 'this' is

   1. /z/
   2. /d/
   3. /θ/
   4. /ð/
   Answer

   D. /ð/

   This begins with the voiced dental fricative /ð/.

10. The middle consonant sound in 'measure' is

    1. /dʒ/
    2. /ʃ/
    3. /ʒ/
    4. /z/
    Answer

    C. /ʒ/

    The sound /ʒ/ is voiced post-alveolar.

11. The correct transcription of 'cat' is

    1. /kɑːt/
    2. /keɪt/
    3. /kæt/
    4. /kɒt/
    Answer

    C. /kæt/

    Cat has the short vowel /æ/.

12. The correct transcription of 'church' is

    1. /kɜːk/
    2. /ʃɜːʃ/
    3. /tʃʌtʃ/
    4. /tʃɜːtʃ/
    Answer

    D. /tʃɜːtʃ/

    Both ch letters represent /tʃ/ and the vowel is /ɜː/.

13. The correct transcription of 'judge' is

    1. /dʒʌdʒ/
    2. /dʒɒdʒ/
    3. /dʒʊdʒ/
    4. /ʒʌʒ/
    Answer

    A. /dʒʌdʒ/

    Judge has /dʒ/ at both ends and /ʌ/ in the middle.

14. The silent letter in 'comb' is

    1. c
    2. b
    3. m
    4. o
    Answer

    B. b

    The b after m is silent.

15. The silent letter in 'honest' is

    1. o
    2. s
    3. n
    4. h
    Answer

    D. h

    Honest begins with a vowel sound; the h is silent.

16. The silent letter in 'write' is

    1. i
    2. t
    3. w
    4. r
    Answer

    C. w

    The w before r is silent.

17. The silent letter in 'autumn' is

    1. a
    2. n
    3. u
    4. t
    Answer

    B. n

    The final n after m is silent.

18. The silent letter in 'island' is

    1. s
    2. i
    3. l
    4. d
    Answer

    A. s

    The s in island is not pronounced.

19. The silent letter in 'receipt' is

    1. e
    2. p
    3. c
    4. r
    Answer

    B. p

    The p in receipt is silent.

20. The stress in the noun 'record' falls on the

    1. second syllable
    2. both syllables equally
    3. neither syllable
    4. first syllable
    Answer

    D. first syllable

    The noun is ˈrecord; the verb is reˈcord.

21. Two-syllable verbs such as 'begin' are usually stressed on the

    1. third syllable
    2. no syllable
    3. second syllable
    4. first syllable
    Answer

    C. second syllable

    Verbs such as beˈgin and reˈpeat carry second-syllable stress.

22. In English, words ending in -tion take the stress on the

    1. syllable just before the ending
    2. last syllable
    3. first syllable always
    4. syllable after the ending
    Answer

    A. syllable just before the ending

    Example: eduˈcation.

23. The usual intonation of a wh-question such as 'Where do you live?' is

    1. falling
    2. fall-rise
    3. rising
    4. flat
    Answer

    A. falling

    Wh-questions usually fall.

24. The usual intonation of a yes/no question such as 'Are you ready?' is

    1. falling
    2. fall-rise
    3. rising
    4. flat
    Answer

    C. rising

    Yes/no questions usually rise at the end.

25. The most frequent vowel sound in English, found in weak syllables, is

    1. /ɒ/
    2. /iː/
    3. /ɑː/
    4. the schwa /ə/
    Answer

    D. the schwa /ə/

    The schwa is the commonest English vowel.

26. The sounds /p/, /b/ and /m/ are called

    1. dental sounds
    2. bilabial sounds
    3. glottal sounds
    4. velar sounds
    Answer

    B. bilabial sounds

    They are made with both lips.

27. The sound /h/ is a

    1. velar plosive
    2. alveolar nasal
    3. dental fricative
    4. glottal fricative
    Answer

    D. glottal fricative

    The sound /h/ is made at the glottis.

28. The 'ng' sound in 'sing' is

    1. a plosive sound
    2. two sounds /n/ and /g/
    3. a single nasal sound /ŋ/
    4. a fricative sound
    Answer

    C. a single nasal sound /ŋ/

    The symbol /ŋ/ represents one velar nasal.

29. The plural 's' in 'dogs' is pronounced

    1. /z/
    2. /ʃ/
    3. /ɪz/
    4. /s/
    Answer

    A. /z/

    After a voiced sound the plural ending is /z/.

30. The 'ed' in 'wanted' is pronounced

    1. /t/
    2. /ɪd/
    3. /ed/
    4. /d/
    Answer

    B. /ɪd/

    After /t/ or /d/ the ending is /ɪd/.

31. The 'ed' in 'walked' is pronounced

    1. /ed/
    2. /d/
    3. /ɪd/
    4. /t/
    Answer

    D. /t/

    After the voiceless /k/ the ending is /t/.

32. Telugu-medium learners often replace /θ/ in 'think' with /t/. This is an example of

    1. a spelling error
    2. mother-tongue interference
    3. a grammar error
    4. a vocabulary error
    Answer

    B. mother-tongue interference

    Telugu lacks /θ/, so the nearest sound is used.

33. A teacher uses 'ship' and 'sheep' for pronunciation practice. These words are

    1. homographs
    2. antonyms
    3. a minimal pair
    4. synonyms
    Answer

    C. a minimal pair

    They differ by one sound only.

34. How many syllables does the word 'education' have?

    1. 3
    2. 5
    3. 4
    4. 2
    Answer

    C. 4

    e-du-ca-tion has four syllables.

35. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. English has about 44 phonemes. 2. English has exactly 26 phonemes.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    English has about 44 sounds but 26 letters.

36. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. /θ/ is voiceless. 2. /ð/ is voiced.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Think has /θ/ voiceless; this has /ð/ voiced.

37. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. A diphthong is a glide from one vowel sound to another in one syllable. 2. A diphthong has two syllables.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    A diphthong is a single syllable.

38. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. The vowel in 'put' is /ʊ/. 2. The vowel in 'cut' is /ʌ/.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct short vowels.

39. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. Content words are usually stressed in a sentence. 2. Function words are usually stressed more than nouns.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Content words are stressed; function words are usually weak.

40. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Church' begins with a single affricate sound /tʃ/. 2. 'Church' begins with /t/ followed by /ʃ/ as two separate phonemes.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The ch is the single affricate /tʃ/.

41. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. The 'b' is silent in 'debt'. 2. The 'k' is silent in 'knee'.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both letters are silent.

42. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. The 'w' in 'two' is silent. 2. The 'l' in 'walk' is pronounced clearly.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The l in walk is silent; the w in two is silent.

43. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. English is stress-timed. 2. Telugu is closer to syllable-timed rhythm, so learners may stress every syllable.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

44. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. /s/ in 'sun' is voiced. 2. /z/ in 'zoo' is voiced.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    /s/ is voiceless; /z/ is voiced.

45. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. A stress mark ˈ is placed before the stressed syllable. 2. A stress mark ˈ is placed after the stressed syllable.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The mark comes before the strong syllable.