MLAT Phonetic Script and Association 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a phonetic script exercise, the symbol 'θ' represents the sound in which English word?
- think (Correct answer)
- this
- then
- those
Correct answer: think
The symbol 'θ' represents the voiceless dental fricative, as in 'think,' not the voiced version in 'this,' 'then,' or 'those.'
Question 2: A learner is told that the symbol [ʃ] maps to a specific sound. Which word demonstrates this phoneme?
- shell (Correct answer)
- sell
- cell
- spell
Correct answer: shell
[ʃ] represents the voiceless palato-alveolar fricative, heard at the start of 'shell.'
Question 3: If symbol 'Δ' is defined to mean the sound /k/, which invented word would be pronounced 'kari'?
- Δari (Correct answer)
- Sari
- Tari
- Fari
Correct answer: Δari
Since 'Δ' = /k/, 'Δari' would be read as 'kari.'
Question 4: On the MLAT, a new phonetic symbol 'ℜ' is paired with the sound /b/. Which transcription stands for 'bana'?
- ℜana (Correct answer)
- Lana
- Gana
- Wana
Correct answer: ℜana
Replacing /b/ with 'ℜ' in 'bana' yields 'ℜana.'
Question 5: Which phonetic concept best describes the difference between /p/ in 'pit' and /p/ in 'spit'?
- Aspiration (Correct answer)
- Voicing
- Nasality
- Stress
Correct answer: Aspiration
The /p/ in 'pit' is aspirated (a puff of air follows), while the /p/ in 'spit' is unaspirated.
Question 6: In a practice MLAT exercise, symbol '◆' = /m/ and '★' = /a/. What does '◆★◆' represent?
- mam (Correct answer)
- aba
- nan
- dad
Correct answer: mam
Substituting each symbol: ◆=/m/, ★=/a/, so ◆★◆ = /m/ + /a/ + /m/ = 'mam.'
Question 7: The MLAT phonetic association task primarily tests a learner's ability to do what?
- Link unfamiliar symbols to spoken sounds quickly (Correct answer)
- Memorize grammar rules
- Translate sentences between languages
- Recognize cognates across languages
Correct answer: Link unfamiliar symbols to spoken sounds quickly
The phonetic association section measures how rapidly and accurately a learner can pair novel symbols with their corresponding sounds.
MLAT Phonetic Script and Association 2
In a phonetic script exercise, the symbol 'θ' represents the sound in which English word?