ABLE Pronunciation and Phonetics

Question 1

Which term describes the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish meaning between words?

Accepted Answer

Phoneme

Answer

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change word meaning, such as the difference between /p/ and /b/ in 'pat' and 'bat'.

Question 2

In English, the words 'ship' and 'sheep' are distinguished by which phonetic feature?

Accepted Answer

Vowel length and quality

Answer

The short /ɪ/ in 'ship' versus the long /iː/ in 'sheep' represents a difference in vowel length and quality.

Question 3

What is the term for the rise and fall of pitch in speech that conveys meaning or emotion?

Accepted Answer

Intonation

Answer

Intonation refers to the melodic pattern of pitch changes across an utterance that signals meaning, attitude, or sentence type.

Question 4

Which of the following correctly describes a voiced consonant?

Accepted Answer

The vocal cords vibrate during its production

Answer

Voiced consonants are produced with vibration of the vocal cords, which is what distinguishes /v/ from /f/ and /z/ from /s/.

Question 5

In the word 'photograph', which syllable receives primary stress?

Accepted Answer

pho-

Answer

In 'photograph' (PHO-to-graph), primary stress falls on the first syllable, which is why the vowels in the unstressed syllables are reduced.

(ABLE) Assessment Board for Language Examinations Practice Test