Ch. 2 | Exercise 2

Chapter 2
English Consonants and Vowels

Exercise 2.2
English Consonants

1.

Give a complete description of the consonant sound represented by the symbol and then supply an English word containing the sound.

Example: /tʃ/
Answer: voiceless alveolopalatal affricate
Word: cherry
a.

/θ/

b.

/ŋ/

c.

/ʒ/

d.

[ɫ]

e.

/r/

f.

/j/

g.

/g/

2.

Give the phonetic symbol representing the consonant sound described and then supply an English word containing the sound.

a.

voiced alveolopalatal affricate

b.

aspirated voiceless bilabial stop

c.

alveolar flap

d.

dentalized alveolar nasal

e.

voiceless labiovelar fricative

f.

voiceless labiodental fricative

g.

voiceless glottal fricative or voiceless vowel

3.

Of the sounds in questions (1) and (2)

a.

Which never occur word initially in English?

b.

Which sound is replaced by a labiovelar glide by many speakers?

c.

Which occurs only word or syllable initially before a stressed vowel?

d.

Which sound replaces /t/ or /d/ between vowels for most North American speakers?

e.

Which occurs only before dental sounds?

f.

Which involves labialization?

g.

Which sound can also be analyzed as a complex sound?

h.

Which sound is produced only following vowels?

i.

Which are sibilants?

j.

Which never occur word finally in English?

4.

Give the phonetic symbol for the initial consonant sound(s) in each of the following words.

a.

rhetoric

b.

one

c.

know

d.

Thomas

e.

sure

f.

cereal

g.

jaguar

h.

unity

i.

pheasant

j.

theme

k.

psalm

l.

chorus

m.

chaste

n.

charade

o.

shave

p.

gnat

q.

wrong

r.

zero

s.

ghost

t.

science

5.

Give the phonetic symbol for the medial consonant sound(s) in each of the following words.

a.

toughen

b.

visage

c.

alloy

d.

descent

e.

azure

f.

away

g.

errand

h.

ocean

i.

adjourn

j.

aghast

k.

listen

l.

plumber

m.

cupboard

n.

soften

o.

measure

p.

author

q.

lather

r.

psyche

s.

future

t.

lawyer

6.

Give the phonetic symbol for the final consonant sound(s) in each of the following words.

a.

froth

b.

miss

c.

stomach

d.

indict

e.

ledge

f.

itch

g.

sign

h.

niche

i.

hiccough

j.

ooze

k.

phase

l.

lathe

m.

tongue

n.

comb

o.

brogue

p.

mall

q.

rough

r.

beige

s.

hopped

t.

solemn

7.

For the words – anger, finger, wringer, as opposed to hanger, ringer, singer – can you see a rule at work which determines whether the -g is pronounced or not? (Hint: Are the -er's the same in all of the words?)

8.
a.

In which of the following words is one of the stops likely to be unreleased?

  1. right

  2. leap

  3. accent

  4. carry

  5. scepter

  6. backpack

b.

In which of the following words is the /t/ or /d/ likely to be flapped in North American English?

  1. plotter

  2. filter

  3. muddy

  4. hidden

  5. middle

  6. pattern

c.

In which of the following words is nasal or lateral release likely to occur?

  1. madness

  2. maudlin

  3. sideline

  4. ignore

  5. tippler

  6. madly

d.

In which of the following words is the /l/ likely to be “dark”(velarized)?

  1. alive

  2. Carl

  3. pal

  4. kill

  5. play

  6. loom

1.
a.

voiceless dental fricative

thesis

b.

velar nasal

thing

c.

voiced alveolopalatal fricative

measure

d.

velarized alveolar lateral

pill

e.

alveolar retroflex

rough

f.

palatal glide

euphemism

g.

voiced velar stop

guilty

2.
a.

/dʒ/

jam

b.

[ph]

apart

c.

[ɾ]

pretty

d.

[n̪]

tenth

e.

[ʍ]

which

f.

/f/

fun

g.

/h/

harm

3.
a.

/ŋ/, /ʒ/, [ɾ], [ɫ], [n̪]

b.

[ʍ]

c.

[ph]

d.

[ɾ]

e.

[n̪]

f.

/ʒ/, /r/, [ʍ]

g.

/dʒ/

h.

[ɫ]

i.

/dʒ/, /ʒ/

j.

/j/, [ph], [ɾ], [n̪], [ʍ], /h/

4.
a.

/r/

b.

/w/

c.

/n/

d.

/t/

e.

/ʃ/

f.

/s/

g.

/dʒ/

h.

/j/

i.

/f/

j.

/θ/

k.

/s/

l.

/k/

m.

/tʃ/

n.

/ʃ/

o.

/ʃ/

p.

/n/

q.

/r/

r.

/z/

s.

/ɡ/

t.

/s/

5.
a.

/f/

b.

/z/

c.

/l/

d.

/s/

e.

/ʒ/

f.

/w/

g.

/r/

h.

/ʃ/

i.

/dʒ/

j.

/ɡ/

k.

/s/

l.

/m/

m.

/b/

n.

/f/

o.

/ʒ/

p.

/θ/

q.

/ð/

r.

/k/

s.

/tʃ/

t.

/j/

6.
a.

/θ/

b.

/s/

c.

/k/

d.

/t/

e.

/dʒ/

f.

/tʃ/

g.

/n/

h.

/ʃ/ or /tʃ/

i.

/p/

j.

/z/

k.

/z/

l.

/ð/

m.

/ŋ/

n.

/m/

o.

/ɡ/

p.

/l/

q.

/f/

r.

/ʒ/

s.

/t/

t.

/m/

7.

In anger, finger, and wringer, the -er is part of the root of the word, whereas in hanger, ringer and singer, the er is a derivational suffix added to hang, ring, and sing, where the ng is actually word final.

8.
a.

right

leap

accent

scepter

backpack

b.

plotter

muddy

pattern

c.

madness

maudlin

sideline

madly

d.

Carl

pal

kill