ESL Speaking & Pronunciation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which word has the stress on the SECOND syllable?
- ALpha
- beGIN (Correct answer)
- CHILdren
- WEAther
Correct answer: beGIN
'Begin' is stressed on the second syllable: be-GIN.
Question 2: What does it mean when a speaker uses 'rising intonation' at the end of a sentence?
- They are making a statement of fact.
- They are expressing anger.
- They are asking a yes/no question. (Correct answer)
- They are giving a command.
Correct answer: They are asking a yes/no question.
Rising intonation at the end of a sentence typically signals a yes/no question in English.
Question 3: In American English, the 't' in the word 'butter' is often pronounced as which sound?
- A hard /t/ sound
- A flap or tap /d/-like sound (Correct answer)
- A silent letter
- A /th/ sound
Correct answer: A flap or tap /d/-like sound
In casual American English, the 't' between vowels (a flap) sounds like a quick /d/, making 'butter' sound like 'budder'.
Question 4: Which of the following is the correct way to link words in the phrase 'turn off'?
- tur-noff (blending the n and o) (Correct answer)
- turn-off (pause between words)
- tur-noff with a glottal stop
- TURN OFF (stress both equally)
Correct answer: tur-noff (blending the n and o)
In connected speech, 'turn off' is linked so the final consonant of 'turn' blends into 'off', sounding like 'tur-noff'.
Question 5: What is a 'minimal pair' in pronunciation practice?
- Two words that are spelled the same but mean different things
- Two words that differ by only one sound, like 'ship' and 'sheep' (Correct answer)
- Two words with the same pronunciation but different spelling
- A pair of words that rhyme perfectly
Correct answer: Two words that differ by only one sound, like 'ship' and 'sheep'
A minimal pair consists of two words that differ by exactly one phoneme, such as 'ship' /ɪ/ vs. 'sheep' /iː/.
Question 6: In the word 'photograph,' where is the primary stress?
- pho-TO-graph
- PHO-to-graph (Correct answer)
- pho-to-GRAPH
- PHO-TO-graph
Correct answer: PHO-to-graph
'Photograph' has primary stress on the first syllable: PHO-to-graph.
Question 7: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of 'falling intonation'?
- Are you coming to the party?
- Really?
- She lives in Chicago. (Correct answer)
- You finished already?
Correct answer: She lives in Chicago.
Declarative statements like 'She lives in Chicago' use falling intonation at the end.
ESL Speaking & Pronunciation 2
Which word has the stress on the SECOND syllable?