Phonetic Spelling Clues Flashcards

A phonetic key shows the word 'fayt'. Which English word does this represent?

Answer: fate

The long 'a' sound followed by 't' corresponds to 'fate', where the silent 'e' lengthens the vowel.

In an MLAT phonetic key, which symbol most commonly represents the sound in the word 'ship' (the 'sh' sound)?

Answer: ʃ

The IPA symbol ʃ represents the voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant, the 'sh' sound in 'ship'.

A key gives: 'dʒ = the sound in jump'. The phonetic spelling 'dʒentle' represents which word?

Answer: gentle

The 'dʒ' sound is the voiced affricate heard at the start of 'gentle', making 'dʒentle' = gentle.

Which phonetically spelled word matches 'caught'?

Answer: kawt

'Caught' is pronounced with the 'aw' vowel sound, so 'kawt' is the correct phonetic rendering.

A phonetic spelling guide lists 'ŋ' for the sound at the end of 'sing'. The phonetic form 'riŋ' represents which word?

Answer: ring

The ŋ symbol stands for the velar nasal, the final sound in 'ring', so 'riŋ' = ring.

In phonetic clues, an unstressed vowel often becomes a schwa (ə). Which syllable in 'banana' contains a schwa?

Answer: The first and third syllables

In 'ba-NA-na', the first and third syllables are unstressed and contain the schwa sound (bə-NA-nə).

A phonetic key shows 'θ = the sound in thin'. What does 'θiŋk' represent?

Answer: think

θ is the voiceless dental fricative (as in 'thin'), and ŋ is the nasal; together 'θiŋk' = 'think'.