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Phonetic Spelling Clues Flashcards

7 cards from real MLAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. On the MLAT, a phonetic clue pairs a nonsense word with a real word to teach a sound. If 'platch' rhymes with 'catch', what vowel sound does 'a' represent in 'platch'?

    Answer: The short A as in 'cat'

    Because 'platch' rhymes with 'catch', its vowel is the short A sound (æ), as in 'cat'.

  2. A phonetic key uses 'ð' for the sound in 'the'. Which phonetic string represents 'this'?

    Answer: ðɪs

    The voiced dental fricative ð (as in 'the') starts 'this', giving 'ðɪs'.

  3. A test presents the phonetic form 'ɔːtəm'. Which English word is this?

    Answer: autumn

    The ɔː (as in 'law') + 't' + schwa + 'm' pattern matches the pronunciation of 'autumn'.

  4. In a phonetic spelling exercise, 'r' is always pronounced. Given that rule, 'fɜːrm' represents which word?

    Answer: firm

    The ɜː vowel (as in 'her') plus a pronounced 'r' and final 'm' gives 'firm'.

  5. A phonetic clue shows 'wɪndəʊ'. Which word does this represent?

    Answer: window

    The sequence w + ɪ + n + d + əʊ (the 'oh' diphthong) spells out 'window'.

  6. Which of the following words contains TWO instances of the schwa sound (ə)?

    Answer: banana

    'Banana' is pronounced bə-NA-nə, with unstressed schwas in both the first and third syllables.

  7. A phonetic key defines 'aɪ' as the vowel in 'bite'. Which word does 'straɪk' represent?

    Answer: strike

    str + aɪ + k gives the pronunciation of 'strike', with the long I diphthong in the middle.