ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

PART 1: PHONETICS
1. The organs of articulation are located in:
A. Along the vocal tract C. The chest
B. The throat D. The head
2. The vocal sounds are produced in the:
A. Trachea C. Larynx
B. Lungs D. Pharynx
3. The produced vocal sounds are resonated and modified in the:
A. Nose C. Pharynx
B. Mouth D. Resonators
4. The vocal tract is the air passage beginning with the lungs and ending in:
A. The mouth and the nose C. The front
B. The head D. Pharynx
5. Vocal folds are two elastic bands of tissue located in the:
A. Larynx C. Pharynx
B. Trachea D. Mouth
6. The velum is the front part of the roof of the mouth which is formed by a bony structure.
A. False B. True
7. Vibration happens when......
A. Vocal folds are under tension & partially opened
B. The glottis is narrow
C. The vocal bands are wide apart
D. Vocal bands are tightly closed
8. Soft palate which can be touched by the tongue, at the back of the mouth is called:
A. Alveolar C. Velum
B. Uvula D. Palate
9. ........... is (are) considered the most important speech instrument inside the larynx.
A. Adam’s apple C. Glottis
B. Trachea D. Vocal cords
10. When the glottis is wide apart, we can......
A. Breathe normally and produce some consonants
B. Produce vowels
C. Produce all consonants
D. Produce vowels & diphthongs
11. For the voiceless sounds to be produced, the glottis is ........
A. Narrow C. Mid-open
B. Wide apart D. Tightly closed
12. The most movable speech instrument along the vocal tract is:
A. Tongue C. Lips
B. Teeth D. Vocal folds
13. A sound produced while the vocal folds are not vibrating is called:
A. Voiced C. Consonants
B. Voiceless D. Vowels
14. English vowels and consonants are different from each other in:
A. Manner of articulation & distribution
B. Voicing
C. Place of articulation
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15. Which of the following words contains a short vowel?
A. Touch C. Smooth
B. Mere D. Bear
16. The English ................... end in /ɪ/
A. Closing diphthongs B. Centering diphthongs C. Triphthongs
17. Diphthongs
A. are the combinations of two single vowels
B. consist a glide from one vowel to another
C. are two single vowels appearing within a syllable.
18. Which of the followings is not a criterion to classify English simple vowels?
A. Tongue of height C. Tongue part
B. Voicing D. Length of sound
19. Vowels followed by nasal consonants are:
A. Lengthened C. Devoiced
B. Shortened D. Nasalized
20. /i:/ & /u:/ are different in:
A. Tongue position C. Length
B. Muscle tension D. Lip shape
21. Which of the following diphthongs is pronounced differently from the others?
A. Really C. Hear
B. Fear D. Bear
22. Which of the vowels in the following words is pronounced differently from the others?
A. Pour C. Touch
B. Double D. Country
23. /i:/ in .............. is shorter than the others.
A. Mean C. Meat
B. Bead D. Bee
24. The sound beginning with a mid central vowel, then gliding towards a high back vowel is
A. ɪə B. aɪ C. əʊ D. aʊ
25. Diphthongs
A. consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another, the former of which is much longer and
stronger than the other.
B. are the combinations of two single vowels.
C. are two simple vowels appearing within a syllable.
26. Which of the following is not included in the criteria to classify English vowels?
A. Place of articulation C. Tongue height
B. Lip shape D. Muscle tension
27. A vowel is ......... when preceding a final fortis/voiceless sound
A. Devoiced C. Nasalized
B. Shortened D. None of the above
28. The vowel in .................... is pronounced differently form the others.
A. Fool B. Food C. Pool D. Foot
29. Which of the following words does not contain a central vowel?
A. Hat B. Worm C. But D. Ago
30. Which of the statement is true?
A. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in relation to how much they obstruct the air flow and
what position they can occupy.
B. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in their distribution.

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 C. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in the way the air flow is obstructed when producing
the sound.
31. /ɔː/ in .................. is the longest.
A. Thought B. Store C. Fork D. Port
32. Both ............. are front vowels
A. /i:/ & /e/ B. /i:/ & /u:/ C. /a:/ & /ɜː/ D. a:/ & /u:/
33. Which of the following is true?
A. All vowels are the centers of syllables
B. Consonants are produced without obstruction of the air stream.
C. All consonants are voiced.
D. Vowels are produced with a complete closure in the vocal tract.
34. Which of the following words begins with a voiceless, post-alveolar, fricative sound?
A. Enough B. Soldier C. Shoes Phenomenon
35. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. Plosives are produced with the total or partial obstruction of the air stream.
B. Nasals are continuant vowels.
C. Hissing sound is a characteristic of fricatives.
D. The fortis fricatives and plosives in final position often shorten the vowel preceding them.
36. The consonant /n/ & /z/ are different from each other in their
A. Length B. Place of articulation C. Voicing D. Manner of articulation
37. The main difference between /d/ & /z/ is
A. Manner of articulation B. Place of articulation C. Voicing D. Length
38. Sounds produced with a momentarily total obstruction to the airflow are
A. Plosives B. Fricatives C. Nasals D. Approximants
39. Which of the following is the final sound in “debt”
A. /e/ B. /b/ C. /bt/ D. /t/
40. ................ are pronounced with the contact made between lower lip & upper teeth
A. Labio-dentals B. Alveolars C. Bilabials D. Dentals
41. ...................... consonants have the effect of shortening a preceding vowel or diphthong
A. Lenis B. Fortis C. Voiced D. Fortis/voiceless
42. Voiceless stops are aspirated when occurring after the initial /s/.
A. True B. False
43. Lips can be pressed together, brought into contact with the teeth or rounded to produce the lip-shape
for........
A. Vowels and some consonants C. Consonants
B. Bilabial plosives D. Vowels
44. In manner of articulation, the important factor to help distinguish consonants & vowels is ........
A. Voicing C. Obstruction to airflow
B. Lip shape D. Tongue height
45. The most important difference between initial voiceless and voiced plosives is the ........
A. Aspiration C. Voicing
B. Plosion D. Length
46. The initial sound of “cold” is a(n)..........
A. Alveolar B. Palatal C. Dental D. Velar
47. Consonants are classified according to their place of articulation, manner of articulation and:
A. Vibrations of vocal bands C. Position of occurence
B. Position of tongue D. Lip shape
48. For the voiceless sounds to be produced, the vocal cords are ............
A. Mid-closed C. Wide apart

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 B. Partially open D. Completely closed
49. When plosives are made, the escape of the compressed air will produce a small .........
A. Hissing noise B. Friction C. Explosion
50. Lenis consonants are produced with ........... force than the fortis ones.
A. Less B. More C. Same D. Most
51. Fortis consonants at final position have the effects of ...... a preceding vowel.
A. Shortening B. Lengthening C. Devoicing D. Nasalizing
52. The final sound in “ache” is a(n) .......
A. Voiceless velar plosive C. Voiced palatal-alveolar plosive
B. Voiced velar plosive D. Voiceless palatal-alveolar plosive
53. The sounds articulated with a strong hissing noise are called .........
A. Plosives B. Groove fricatives C. Slit fricatives D. Sibilants
54. Phonetically, the fricative /h/ is similar to
A. Vowel B. Consonant C. Diphthong D. Triphthong
55. The initial sound in “chef” is a(n) .......
A. Approximant B. Affricate C. Fricative D. Plosive
56. Homorganic sounds have the same ...........
A. Organ of articulation B. Manner C. Voicing D. Sound
57. In speech, the .......... is raised so that the air cannot escape through the nose.
A. Palate B. Uvula C. Velum D. Tongue
58. The final sound of “laugh” is a(n) .........
A. Labial-dental B. Dental C. Glottal D. Velar
59. To be an affricate, the two component sounds must ............
A. Be ham-organic B. Have the same voice C. Have the same manner
60. When fricatives are made, the escape of the air through a small passage produces a(n) ......
A. Explosion B. Loud hissing noise C. Soft hissing noise D. Friction noise

61. The fricatives articulated with a strong hissing noise are also called .......
A. Groove fricatives B. Sibilants C. Slit fricatives D. Plosives
62. Phonologically, the fricative /h/ is similar to .......
A. Consonant B. Vowel C. Diphthong D. Triphthong
63. ............ is not a type of consonant classified according to the place of articulation
A. Plosive B. Palatal C. Velar D. Dental
64. .................. are pronounced with the air flow escaping through a narrow passage
A. Fricatives B. Approximants C. Affricates D. Plosives
65. By distribution, the fricative /h/ is similar to .................
A. Consonant B. Vowel C. Diphthong D. Triphthong
66. The initial sound in “chief” is a(n) ............
A. Plosive B. Approximant C. Fricative D. Affricate
67. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Hissing noise is one of the characteristics of fricatives.
B. Nasals are not continuant sounds.
C. Plosives are produced with the total or partial obstruction of the air stream.
D. The fortis fricatives and plosives at initial position often shorten the vowel following them.
68. The initial sound of “jam” is a(n) .........
A. Affricate B. Approximant C. Fricative D. Plosive
69. /ŋ/ never occurs at…………………………………….
A. Initial position B. Medial position C. Final position
70. The sound /l/ when occuring after a vowel is called .........

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 A. Devoiced B. Clear C. Dark D. Syllabic
71. To let the air escape through the nose, the velum must be ........
A. Lowered B. Raised C. Pushed forwards D. Drawn back
72. The sound /l/ when following an initial fortis plosive is called .........
A. Devoiced B. Dark C. Clear D. Syllabic
73. The sounds that never occur in final position are…………….
A. /w, j, h/ B. /m, n, l, g/ C. /r, w, h, k/ D. /h, w, j, p/
74. The sound /l/ when preceding a vowel is called ........
A. Dark B. clear C. devoiced D. syllabic
75. To prevent the air from escaping through the nose, the soft palate must be:
A. Closed B. lowered C. raised D. A & C
76. In British English, the approximant sound in “card” is ........
A. non-rhotic B. rhotic B. devoiced D. shortened
77. The main difference between /b/ & /m/ is ..........
A. Manner of articulation B. Voicing C. Place of articulation
78. Which of the following is the final sound in “climb”
A. /b/ B. /m/ C. /mb/
79. A syllabic consonant stands as the center of a week syllable instead of a vowel
A. True B. False
80. Vowels occuring before final /m, n, ŋ/ are .........
A. Velarized B. Labialized C. Dentalized D. Nasalized
81. The underlined sound in “lantern” is ……………………………………
A. Not syllabic B. Syllabic C. Nasalized D. Devoiced
82. The ......... consonant is made with the air escaping along the sides of the tongue.
A. Approximant B. Lateral C. Semi-vowel D. Semi-consonant
83. The initial sound in .......... is a voiced, bilabial, approximant.
A. Bin B. Wet C. Red D. Man
84. Clear [l] only occurs before:
A. Vowels B. Consonants C. Diphthongs D. A & C
85. The underlined sound in London is:
A. Not syllabic B. Syllabic C. Nasalized D. Devoiced
86. The underlined sound in initial is:
A. Oral B. Nasal C. Nasalized D. Devoiced
87. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a. One sound in English may be represented by one letter.
b. One sound in English must be represented by many letters.
c. There is one- to – one relation between sounds and spelling in English
d. There is no one – to – one relation between sounds and spelling in English
88. Which criteria can be used to distinguish consonants in English?
a. Voicing b. Manner of articulation c. Lip rounding d. a&b
89. Voiceless sounds are found……..
a. In stops consonants b. In nasal consonants
c. In fricative consonants c. A & C are correct
90. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
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 A. The fricatives are consonants produced with a continuous airflow through the mouth.
B. The fricatives are consonants produced with the complete stoppage of the air in the mouth which causes
explosion
C. The fricatives are consonants produced with the narrowing of the articulators causing audible friction.
D. The fricatives are continuant consonants
91. Which of the following groups contains a sound that differs in manner of articulation?
a. /r, l, d/ b. /p, t, k/ c. /m, n, ŋ/ d. /θ,∫,/
92. Which of the following groups contains a sound that differs in place of articulation?
a. /b, p, m/ b. /t, d, s/ c. /k, g, ŋ/ d. /θ,∫,/
93. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Velars are sounds made at the soft area toward the rear of the roof of the mouth.
B. Velars are sounds made at the teeth ridge.
C. Velars are sounds made just behind the alveolar ridge.
D. Velars are sounds made with the tongue placed against the teeth.
94. Which of the following is true about vowels?
a. are syllabic b. are sonorous
c. are produced with little obstruction d. A & B & C are correct
95. Glides are called semi – vowels or semi – consonants because:
a. They can function as a consonant.
b. They are articulated like vowels
c. They show properties of both vowels and consonants
d. All of the above
96. A ……….. is a speech sound which is produced by stopping the airstream from the lung and suddenly
releasing it.
a. consonant b. stop consonant
c. nasal consonant d. vowel
97. Which of the following pairs is different in voicing?
a. / b, m/ b. /t, k/ c. /s, n/ d. /a, u:/
98. Choose a sound that corresponds to the following description [high front short unrounded vowel]
a. /i:/ b./I/ c. /o/ d. /e/
99. Which of the statement is not true?
a. Most consonants are all not syllabic
b. Consonants are sonorous
c. Consonants are produced with relatively little obstruction in the vocal tract.
d. All vowels are syllabic
100. Which of the following words contains a long vowel?
a. clean b. play c. home d. some

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101. Which of the following words contains a diphthong?
a. clean b. mouth c. nasal d. climb
102. Which of the following words ends with a fricative?
a. race b. nut c. run d. zip
103. Which of the following statements is incorrect about segment?
A. smallest unit of sound pattern
B. second element of phonological structure
C. can combine to make syllable
D. all are correct
104. Which criteria can be used to distinguish vowels in English?
A. place and position of tongue C. lip rounding and voicing
B. manner and place of articulation D. . all are correct
105. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. The stops are consonants produced with a continuous airflow through the mouth.
B. The stops are consonants produced with the complete stoppage of the air in the mouth
which causes explosion
C. The stops are consonants produced with the narrowing of the articulators causing audible
friction.
D. The stops are continuant consonants
106. Which of the following groups contains a sound that differs in manner of articulation?
a. /m, w/ b. /p, g/ c. /m, ŋ/ d. /θ,∫/
107. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Alveolars are sounds made at the soft area toward the rear of the roof of the mouth.
B. Alveolars are sounds made at the teeth ridge.
C. Alveolars are sounds made in the nasal cavity.
D. Alveolars are sounds made with the tongue placed against the teeth.
108. Choose the correct statement
a. When a sound is influenced by its neighbouring sound, we have co-articulation.
b. Assimilation is the process of changing to sound to become less alike its neighbouring sound.
c. In assimilation process, the change of a sound is brought about by any sounds in the sequence.
d. When a sound influences itself, we have co-articulation.
109. Which word has the allophones of the phoneme /k/?
a. cat b. peak c. know d. A&B
110. Which word has the allophones of the phoneme /k/?
a. cat b. peak c. know d. A&B
111. Choose the best illumination for the following rule: “Voiceless stops are aspirated then they are syllable
initial.”
a. peak b. speak c. pneumonia d. leap

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 PART 2: PHONOLOGY
1. Phonetic transcription is the symbol for
A. A precise pronunciation of a sound B. A phoneme D. A & B
2. Phonemic transcription is written between
A. Parentheses B. Square brackets C. Slanted lines
3. Broad transcription is written between
A. Slanted lines B. Square brackets C. Parentheses
4. An allophone of a phoneme is another pronunciation of that phoneme which does not cause a
difference in .................
A. Meaning B. Pronunciation C. Spelling D. Stress
5. [t] & [th] are called the ........... of the phoneme /t/
A. Transcription B. Allophones C. Minimal pair D. Homophones
6. How many phonemes are there in the word “would”
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
7. A minimal pair is
A. A pair of words of the same pronunciation
B. Two allophones of the same phoneme
C. A pair of words which differ from each other by only one phoneme at the same position
D. A & C
8. Bean and dean are a minimal pair because
A. They contain the same vowel sound.
B. They are both singular nouns.
C. They differ in only one sound segment that occurs in the same place in the string.
9. Which of the followings does not form a minimal pair with night?
A. Height B. Kite C. Light D. Knight
10. A consonant is a ........... phoneme
A. Segmental B. Super-segmental C. Over-segmental D. B & C
11. Stress, able to cause a change in meaning of a word, is a ......... phoneme.
A. Segmental B. Super-segmental C. Over-segmental D. B & C
12. Which of the following is an allophone?
A. t B. /t/ C. [t] D. {t}
13. Which of the following is a phoneme?
A. t B. /t/ C. [t] D. {t}
14. The phonetic transcription is written between:
A. [ ] B. / / C. { } D. ( )
15. The broad transcription is written between:
A. [ ] B. / / C. { } D. ( )
16. In a weak syllable, the vowel is usually pronounced as
A. Schwa B. Approximant C. Syllabic D. Semi-vowel
17. The shortest English syllable consists of
A. CV B. C C. V D. VC
18. ONSET consonants in an English syllable are
A. Consonants preceding the PEAK
B. Consonants following the CENTER
C. Sound(s) in the center of a syllable
D. Vowels or diphthongs
19. The maximum number of consonants in ONSET of an English syllable is
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
20. In an English syllable, the consonants following the NUCLEUS are called
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 A. CODA B. ONSET C. PEAK D. NUCLEUS
21. The prominence of a stressed syllable is made up by the length, pitch, quality, and
A. Loudness B. Tension C. Strength D. Pronunciation
22. A syllable in English is identified by………………….
A. Consonant B. Vowel C. Stress D. Semi-vowel
23. The peak of an English syllable should always be a vowel, diphthong or a(n)
A. Syllabic consonant B. Appoximant C. Semi-vowel D. Consonant
24. The longest syllable structure in English may be
A. CCCVCCC B. CCCVCCCC C. CCVCCCC D. CCCCVCCC
25. The shortest English syllable consists of
A. One sound B. One consonant C. One vowel and a consonant D. A & B
26. When not emphasized, most ........ words are pronounced with a weal form
A. Functional B. Lexical C. Auxiliary D. Preposition
27. Auxiliaries are in strong form in
A. Final position B. Medium position C. Initial position D. All
positions
28. The maximum number of consonants in CODA of an English syllable is
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
29. A simple word is a word consisting of
A. 1 syllable B. 1 morpheme C. A base and affix(es) D. 2 words joined together
30. A complex word contains at least
A. 1 syllable B. 1 affix C. 1 suffix D. 1 prefix
31. Which one is not a factor making up the prominence of a stressed syllable?
A. Strength B. Pitch C. Quality D. Loudness
32. The stress in on the penultimate syllable in words ending in
A. –iar B. –oon C. –een D. –ette
33. The stress is placed on the last syllable in words ending with
A. –ic B. –ness C. –ese D. –er
34. ................. always occurs in English syllable
A. Vowel B. Consonant C. Onset D. Coda
35. Which of the following is not true?
A. A minimum syllable would be a single vowel and a coda.
B. Some syllables may have no onset but have a coda.
C. Some syllables have an onset.
D. Some syllables have an onset and a coda.
36. The stress is on the ......... syllable in the word uncomfortable
A. First B. Second C. Third D. Last
37. When not emphasized, most ........... words are pronounced with a weak form
A. Auxiliary B. Lexical C. Functional D. Preposition
38. Auxiliary is in strong form in……………….
A. Negative form B. Medial position C. Initial position D. All positions
39. The underlined word in the sentence “You must study hard to pass the exam” is in
A. Strong form B. Weak form C. Normal form D. B & C
40. The underlined word in the sentence “You must’t put ‘and’ at the end of a sentence” is in
A. Strong form B. Weak form C. Normal form D. B & C
41. The underlined word in the sentence “You must’t put ‘and’ at the end of a sentence” is in
B. Strong form B. Weak form C. Normal form D. B & C

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 42. The underlined word in the sentence “You haven’t eaten anything all day; you must be hungry now”
is in:
C. Strong form B. Weak form C. Normal form D. B & C
43. Which of the following sentences is not true?
A. In a sentence, functional words are always weak.
B. In a sentence, usually lexical words are stressed.
C. When being in weak form, the vowe is usually pronounced as /ə/.
44. In rapid and casual speech, “and you” can be pronounced as /ənʤu/ as a result of assimilation of
A. Manner & place B. Voice C. Place D. Manner
45. In natural connected speech, “today” can be pronounced as /tˈdeɪ/ as a result of
A. Linking B. Assimilation C. Elision D. Dissimilation
46. In rapid and casual speech, “hit you” can be pronounced as /hɪʧu/ as a result of assimilation of
A. Manner, place & voice B. Elision C. Assimilation D. Dissimilation
47. The pronunciation /kʌm ən si:/ of “come and see” is the result of
A. Linking B. Elision C. Assimilation D. Dissimilation
48. The assimilation in “dogs” is:
A. Progressive assimilation of voice
B. Progressive assimilation of place or articulation
C. Progressive assimilation of manner
D. Regressive assimilation of voice
49. The tone used to convey strong feeling is:
A. Rise-fall B. Rise C. Fall-rise D. Fall

 Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F)?

50. When pronouncing the sound sequence “TWO BOOKS”, the process of dissimilation will
happen.
51. When pronouncing the sound sequence “FATHER AND SON”, the process of linking
will happen

52. There are 5 syllabic elements are there in the word “INTERNATIONAL”.
53. The sound [w] is the onset of the syllable [wз:d]
54. The sound [a:] is the nucleus of the 2nd syllable in the word [ga:dņ]?
55. Voiced sounds cannot be found in stop consonants
56. Some vowel sounds are sometimes not syllabic
57. Hardly can consonants be sonorous
58. Most consonant sounds are produced with considerable obstruction in the vocal tract.
59. In the sound sequence “PEAK”, there is the aspiration of voiceless stops.
60. There are 4 kinds of syllabic consonants in English.

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