ESL Speaking & Pronunciation 2

Question 1

Which word has the stress on the SECOND syllable?

Accepted Answer

beGIN

Answer

'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?

Accepted Answer

They are asking a yes/no question.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

A flap or tap /d/-like sound

Answer

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'?

Accepted Answer

tur-noff (blending the n and o)

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Two words that differ by only one sound, like 'ship' and 'sheep'

Answer

A minimal pair consists of two words that differ by exactly one phoneme, such as 'ship' /ɪ/ vs. 'sheep' /iː/.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Practice Test