ABLE Pronunciation and Phonetics 2

Question 1

What is the term for the reduction of an unstressed vowel to the neutral /ə/ sound in connected speech?

Accepted Answer

Reduction

Answer

Vowel reduction refers to the process by which unstressed syllables are pronounced with the schwa /ə/, as in 'about' where the 'a' is reduced.

Question 2

Which of the following pairs are minimal pairs?

Accepted Answer

'bat' and 'bad'

Answer

Minimal pairs differ by exactly one phoneme; 'bat' /bæt/ and 'bad' /bæd/ differ only in the final consonant /t/ vs. /d/.

Question 3

In English, word stress can change the grammatical category of a word. Which example correctly demonstrates this?

Accepted Answer

'RE-cord' (noun) vs. 're-CORD' (verb)

Answer

In English, many two-syllable noun/verb pairs shift stress, so 'RE-cord' functions as a noun while 're-CORD' functions as a verb.

Question 4

The /θ/ sound, as in 'think', is classified phonetically as which type of consonant?

Accepted Answer

Dental fricative

Answer

The /θ/ sound is a dental fricative, produced by placing the tongue near or between the upper teeth and allowing air to pass through narrowly.

Question 5

Which feature distinguishes 'pin' /pɪn/ from 'spin' /spɪn/ in English phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Aspiration of the initial /p/

Answer

In English, /p/ at the start of a stressed syllable is aspirated (followed by a puff of air), but /p/ after /s/ is unaspirated.

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