MLAT Phonetic Script Association 4

Question 1

The MLAT presents a symbol chart where ✿ = the first sound in 'thought.' Which other word's initial sound would also be represented by ✿?

Accepted Answer

thin

Answer

The first sound in 'thought' is the voiceless dental fricative /θ/, which also begins the word 'thin.'

Question 2

A phonetic script reserves one symbol for all vowels that appear in unstressed syllables. In 'banana,' how many syllables would receive this special symbol?

Accepted Answer

2

Answer

In 'banana' (/bəˈnænə/), the first and third syllables are unstressed and contain a schwa, so two syllables get the special symbol.

Question 3

An invented alphabet assigns unique symbols to phonemes, not letters. How many unique symbols would 'knight' require?

Accepted Answer

3

Answer

'Knight' is pronounced /naɪt/, containing three phonemes: /n/, /aɪ/, and /t/.

Question 4

A test script shows that symbol ☐ marks any consonant where airflow is completely blocked before release. Which sound would NOT use ☐?

Accepted Answer

/s/

Answer

/s/ is a fricative where airflow is partially obstructed but never fully stopped, so it would not use ☐.

Question 5

In a phonetic task, symbol pairs that differ by one feature are shown in adjacent columns. ☀ = /d/ and ★ = /t/. What single feature separates them?

Accepted Answer

Voicing

Answer

/d/ and /t/ are both alveolar stops with identical place and manner; the only difference is that /d/ is voiced and /t/ is voiceless.

(MLAT) Modern Language Aptitude Test Practice Test

(MLAT) Modern Language Aptitude Test Practice Test

MLAT Phonetic Script Association 4