Pronunciation Teaching & Phonology Flashcards

What is a phoneme in English linguistics?

Answer: The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another, such as /p/ vs /b/ in 'pin' and 'bin'.

Which of the following is an example of a minimal pair?

Answer: 'ship' and 'sheep'

'Ship' and 'sheep' differ by only one phoneme (/ɪ/ vs /iː/), making them a minimal pair used to highlight sound distinctions.

What does the schwa /ə/ represent in English pronunciation?

Answer: The most common vowel sound, found in unstressed syllables

The schwa /ə/ is the most frequently occurring vowel in English and always appears in unstressed syllables, such as the 'a' in 'about'.

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

Answer: pho- (first syllable)

In 'photograph,' primary stress falls on the first syllable: PHO-to-graph, following common English stress patterns for three-syllable nouns.

What is the International Phonemic Alphabet (IPA) primarily used for in ELT?

Answer: Representing pronunciation of words in a consistent, language-independent system

The IPA provides a standardized system of symbols to represent sounds across languages, helping teachers and learners accurately describe and reproduce pronunciation.

Which of the following best describes 'connected speech'?

Answer: The natural flow of speech where sounds link and change across word boundaries

Connected speech refers to how sounds naturally blend, link, and change when speaking at normal speed, including features like assimilation, elision, and linking.

What is a weak form in English pronunciation?

Answer: The reduced, unstressed pronunciation of function words in natural speech

Weak forms are the reduced, unstressed pronunciations of common function words (e.g., 'and' → /ənd/ or /ən/) that occur in natural, connected speech.