Ch. 2 | Exercise 3

Chapter 2
English Consonants and Vowels

Exercise 2.3
English Vowels

1.

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

a.

/u/

b.

/ɛ/

c.

/ɪ/

d.

/ɔɪ/

e.

/aʊ/

2.

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

a.

low front monophthong

b.

lower mid back monophthong

c.

high front (lax) to high back (tense) diphthong

d.

(upper) mid front to high front (lax) diphthong

e.

mid central monophthong

3.

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

a.

Which never occur in a stressed open syllable?

b.

Which diphthong may be “raised” before voiceless consonants?

c.

Which may be replaced by /ɑ/ by some speakers?

d.

Which is a “reduced” vowel?

e.

Which are falling diphthongs?

f.

Which is a rising diphthong?

g.

Which diphthong is often monophthongized?

h.

Which involve labialization?

4.

Give the phonetic symbol for the vowel sound in each of the following words.

a.

build

b.

gauge

c.

threat

d.

plaid

e.

earn

f.

brought

g.

town

h.

young

i.

stop

j.

fruit

k.

wolf

l.

feud

m.

vein

n.

flax

o.

mourn

p.

style

q.

heart

r.

war

s.

proud

t.

break

u.

cute

v.

throw

w.

slim

x.

weigh

y.

through

z.

their

aa.

peace

bb.

face

cc.

burn

dd.

hook

ee.

goose

ff.

blood

gg.

die

hh.

toe

ii.

shoe

5.

Transcribe the full vowel in the word in column A and the corresponding reduced vowel in column B.

A B
a. diploma diplomatic
b. assume assumption
c. notify notification
d. migrate migratory
e. implicit implication
f. emphatic emphasis
g. harmonic harmony
h. tempestuous tempest
1.
a.

high back tense monophthong

b.

lower mid front monophthong

c.

high front lax monophthong

d.

(lower) mid back to high front (lax) diphthong

e.

low central to high back (lax) diphthong

spoon

pet

silly

soil

mouse

2.
a.

/æ/

b.

/ɔ/

c.

/ɪu/

d.

/eɪ/

e.

/ɝ/

sand

corn

beauty

pale

shirt

3.
a.

/æ/, /ɛ/, /ə/, /ɪ/

b.

/aʊ/

c.

/ɔ/

d.

/ə/

e.

/ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /eɪ/

f.

/ɪu/

g.

/ɪu/ to /u/

h.

/ɪu/, /ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /u/, /ɔ/

4.
a.

/ɪ/

b.

/ɪ/

c.

/ɛ/

d.

/æ/

e.

/ɝ/

f.

/ɑ/

g.

/aʊ/

h.

/ʌ/

i.

/ɑ/ or /ɒ/

j.

/u/

k.

/ʊ/

l.

/ɪu/

m.

/eɪ/

n.

/æ/

o.

/ɔ/

p.

/aɪ/

q.

/ɑ/

r.

/ɔ/

s.

/aʊ/

t.

/eɪ/

u.

/ɪu/

v.

/oʊ/

w.

/ɪ/

x.

/eɪ/

y.

/u/

z.

/ɛ/

aa.

/i/

bb.

/eɪ/

cc.

/ɝ/

dd.

/ʊ/

ee.

/u/

ff.

/ʌ/

gg.

/aɪ/

hh.

/oʊ/

ii.

/u/

5.
A B
a. /oʊ/ /ə/
b. /(ɪ)u/ /ə/
c. /aɪ/ /ə/
d. /eɪ/ /ə/
e. /ɪ/ /ə/
f. /æ/ /ə/
g. /ɑ/ /ə/
h. /ɛ/ /ə/