MLAT Phonetic Script Association 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An MLAT-style chart lists symbols for consonants only. The word 'aye' would be represented by how many consonant symbols from this chart?
- 0 (Correct answer)
- 1
- 2
- 3
Correct answer: 0
'Aye' is pronounced /aɪ/ and consists entirely of a diphthong vowel with no consonants.
Question 2: A phonetic script encodes pitch by placing a symbol above (high), on (mid), or below (low) the baseline. The word 'really?' said as a question rises in pitch. Where would its final vowel symbol appear?
- Above the baseline (Correct answer)
- On the baseline
- Below the baseline
- Crossed through the baseline
Correct answer: Above the baseline
A rising pitch at the end of a question maps to the high-pitch position, which is above the baseline.
Question 3: A code requires students to identify which two symbols share the same vowel sound. Which pair shares the exact same vowel?
- 'feet' and 'beat' (Correct answer)
- 'bit' and 'beat'
- 'bat' and 'bot'
- 'book' and 'boot'
Correct answer: 'feet' and 'beat'
Both 'feet' and 'beat' contain the long /iː/ vowel sound, making them a matching pair.
Question 4: In a phonetic association task, ✈ is defined as the sound shared by 'measure,' 'vision,' and 'genre.' What sound is ✈?
- /ʒ/ (Correct answer)
- /ʃ/
- /tʃ/
- /dʒ/
Correct answer: /ʒ/
All three words contain the voiced palato-alveolar fricative /ʒ/, the 'zh' sound found in 'measure.'
Question 5: A phonetic script marks syllable boundaries with a vertical bar |. How many | marks would appear inside the word 'uncomfortable'?
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 3
- 5
- 2
Correct answer: 4
'Uncomfortable' has 5 syllables (un-com-for-ta-ble), requiring 4 internal boundary marks.
Question 6: A learner is told: symbol ✜ represents any sound where the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth. Which group of sounds would all use ✜?
- /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/ (Correct answer)
- /p/, /b/, /m/
- /k/, /g/, /ŋ/
- /f/, /v/
Correct answer: /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/
/t/, /d/, /n/, and /l/ are all alveolar sounds produced with the tongue tip at the alveolar ridge.
Question 7: An MLAT phonetic script uses ❑ for any vowel in a stressed open syllable and ❒ for any vowel in a stressed closed syllable. In 'go,' the vowel is in a(n) ___ syllable and receives ___.
- open; ❑ (Correct answer)
- closed; ❒
- open; ❒
- closed; ❑
Correct answer: open; ❑
'Go' ends with a vowel sound and no closing consonant, making it an open syllable that receives ❑.
MLAT Phonetic Script Association 5
An MLAT-style chart lists symbols for consonants only.
The word 'aye' would be represented by how many consonant symbols from this chart?