ELSA ELSA Pronunciation & Phonetics 2

Question 1

Which word pair demonstrates the voiced/voiceless consonant contrast?

Accepted Answer

pat / bat

Answer

'Pat' begins with the voiceless /p/ and 'bat' with the voiced /b/, illustrating a voiced/voiceless consonant contrast.

Question 2

In the word 'button,' the second syllable contains which special sound?

Accepted Answer

A syllabic /n/

Answer

In casual American English, 'button' is often pronounced with a syllabic /n/ in the final syllable, with no distinct vowel.

Question 3

Which word contains the /θ/ sound (as in 'think')?

Accepted Answer

three

Answer

The word 'three' begins with the voiceless dental fricative /θ/, the same sound at the start of 'think.'

Question 4

What is the term for the slight puff of air produced after the /p/ sound at the start of 'pot' in English?

Accepted Answer

Aspiration

Answer

Aspiration is the puff of air that follows voiceless stops like /p/, /t/, and /k/ at the beginning of stressed syllables in English.

Question 5

Which is an example of vowel reduction to a schwa /ə/ in connected speech?

Accepted Answer

The word 'and' pronounced as /ənd/ in fast speech

Answer

Unstressed function words like 'and' commonly reduce to a schwa /ə/ in natural connected speech.

(ELSA) English Language Skills Assessment Practice Test