ENGLISH PHONETICS: A

COMPREHENSIVE QUESTION BANK

INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH PHONETICS
English phonetics is the scientific study of the sounds used in spoken English.
It plays a crucial role in language learning, as it helps learners understand
how sounds are produced, perceived, and transcribed. Mastery of phonetics
improves pronunciation, listening comprehension, and overall
communication effectiveness.

Key terms essential to English phonetics include:

• Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning

between words. For example, the difference between the words pat and
bat lies in the phonemes /p/ and /b/.
• Allophone: Variations of a phoneme that do not change meaning and
occur in different contexts, such as the aspirated /pʰ/ in pin versus the
unaspirated /p/ in spin.
• International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): A standardized system of
symbols used worldwide to represent the sounds of all spoken
languages, including English. IPA enables precise and consistent
transcription of speech sounds.

It is important to distinguish phonetics from phonology. While phonetics

focuses on the physical properties and articulation of speech sounds,
phonology studies how those sounds function within a particular language or
dialect to encode meaning. In other words, phonetics considers the actual
sound production, whereas phonology analyzes the abstract sound system
and patterns.

CONSONANT SOUNDS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION

This section focuses on the categorization and properties of consonant
sounds in English. Understanding consonant classification is essential for
accurate transcription, pronunciation, and phonetic analysis. Consonants are
classified primarily by three articulatory features:

• Place of articulation: Where in the vocal tract the airflow restriction

occurs.
• Manner of articulation: How the airflow is constricted or modified.
• Voicing: Whether the vocal cords vibrate during the production of the
sound.

The common manners of articulation include:

• Plosives (Stops): Complete closure followed by a release of air, e.g., /p/, /

b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /ɡ/.
• Fricatives: Narrow constriction causing turbulent airflow, e.g., /f/, /v/, /
θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/.
• Affricates: Combination of a plosive followed by a fricative, e.g., /tʃ/, /dʒ/.
• Nasals: Air flows through the nasal cavity due to lowered velum, e.g., /
m/, /n/, /ŋ/.
• Liquids: Partial closure allowing smooth airflow, e.g., /l/, /r/.
• Glides (Semivowels): Slight constriction with a vowel-like quality, e.g., /
w/, /j/.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following is a voiced plosive sound?

◦
/p/
◦
/b/ (Correct)
◦
/t/
◦
/k/
2. Identify the manner of articulation for the consonant /ʃ/:
◦
Plosive
◦
Nasal
◦
Fricative (Correct)
◦
Liquid
3. The consonant sound /ŋ/ is classified as a:
◦
 Nasal (Correct)
◦
Affricate
◦
Plosive
◦
Liquid

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Describe the difference between voiced and voiceless consonants and

provide two examples of each.
2. Name the place of articulation for the consonant /t/ and explain how it is
produced.
3. What is an affricate consonant? Give two examples found in English.
4. Explain why the /l/ sound is categorized as a liquid consonant.
5. List all nasal consonants in English and mention one word example for
each.

VOWEL SOUNDS AND THEIR FEATURES

Vowel sounds in English are fundamental to pronunciation and are classified
according to three primary articulatory features: height, backness, and
roundedness. Understanding these features is essential for accurate
transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and for
mastering correct pronunciation.

• Height refers to the vertical position of the tongue during vowel

articulation. Vowels can be high (close), mid, or low (open).
• Backness refers to the horizontal position of the tongue: front, central,
or back.
• Roundedness indicates whether the lips are rounded or unrounded
when producing the vowel sound.

MONOPHTHONGS AND DIPHTHONGS

Monophthongs are single, pure vowel sounds where the tongue stays
relatively steady during articulation. Examples include:

• /iː/ as in see
• /ɪ/ as in sit
• /æ/ as in cat
 • /ʌ/ as in cup
• /uː/ as in food

Diphthongs involve a glide from one vowel sound to another within the same
syllable. Common English diphthongs include:

• /aɪ/ as in bite
• /eɪ/ as in day
• /ɔɪ/ as in boy
• /aʊ/ as in cow
• /əʊ/ as in go (British English)

SHORT ANSWER AND GAP-FILL QUESTIONS

1. Define vowel height and give two examples of IPA symbols for high
vowels.
2. Fill in the blank: The vowel sound /uː/ is classified as a _______ (height),
_______ (backness), and _______ (roundedness) vowel.
3. Explain the difference between monophthongs and diphthongs,
providing one example of each using IPA symbols.
4. Identify the backness and roundedness features of the vowel /ɔɪ/ found
in the word boy.
5. Which IPA symbol represents the unstressed vowel sound commonly
found in the second syllable of the word sofa?
6. Fill in the blank with the correct IPA symbol: The diphthong in the word
light is /a__/.
7. Name two short vowels and two long vowels in English, indicating their
IPA symbols.
8. Describe how the lip shape changes in the production of rounded versus
unrounded vowels.
9. Complete the table by classifying the following vowels according to
height, backness, and roundedness:

IPA Symbol Height Backness Roundedness

/iː/ High Front Unrounded

/ʌ/ Mid Central Unrounded

/ɔː/ Mid Back Rounded

/æ/ Low Front Unrounded

EXAMPLE PRACTICE

Transcribe the following words using IPA and classify the main vowel sound
according to height, backness, and roundedness:

• Beat
• Foot
• Cat
• Go

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION PRACTICE

This section provides targeted practice for transcribing English words and
sentences into the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Exercises test
students’ ability to accurately represent consonant and vowel sounds, with
attention to distinctions between British and American English pronunciation
where relevant.

WORD TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISES

Transcribe the following words using IPA. Indicate relevant dialectal

differences where applicable.

1. thought (Consider the British English pronunciation vs. American

English)
2. schedule (British vs. American pronunciation)
3. garage
4. either (Note possible variation in vowel sounds)
5. privacy (Different stress and vowel quality in British and American
English)
6. aluminium (British English) / aluminum (American English)
7. tomato (Compare British and American vowel differences)
8. process (British vs. American English)

SENTENCE TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISE

Transcribe the following sentence into IPA, paying attention to connected

speech, assimilation, and stress patterns:

"She sells seashells by the seashore."

Additionally, transcribe the same sentence as it might be pronounced in
casual, fast speech in American English.

FOCUSED PHONEME TRANSCRIPTION

Transcribe the underlined sounds in these words (use IPA symbols):

• c**h**eck (affricate sound)

• ri**ng** (nasal consonant)
• f**i**sh (vowel + fricative)
• t**r**ee (consonant cluster)
• c**ou**ntry (diphthong sound)
• b**a**d (short vowel sound)

DIALECT VARIATION QUESTIONS

1. Transcribe the vowel sound in the word car as pronounced in Received

Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GA).
2. How does the pronunciation of water differ in IPA transcription between
British and American English? Provide both transcriptions.
3. Explain the phonetic symbol difference in representing the /r/ sound in
non-rhotic British English versus rhotic American English.

SUPRASEGMENTAL FEATURES: STRESS,

INTONATION, AND RHYTHM
Suprasegmental features refer to phonetic properties that extend over more
than one sound segment. They include stress, intonation, and rhythm, and
are crucial in conveying meaning, emotion, and grammatical structure in
English. Mastery of these features enhances both pronunciation and listening
comprehension.

KEY CONCEPTS

• Word Stress: The emphasis placed on a particular syllable within a word.

For example, the word record functions differently as a noun (REcord)
and a verb (reCORD) depending on stress placement.
• Sentence Stress: The pattern of stressed and unstressed words in a
sentence, often highlighting important information.
• Intonation: The variation in pitch across a phrase or sentence, affecting
meaning, such as distinguishing between statements and questions.
 • Rhythm: The pattern of timing and stress in speech, often described as
stress-timed in English, with stressed syllables occurring at roughly
regular intervals.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Which syllable is stressed in the noun ‘address’?

◦
First syllable (Correct)
◦
Second syllable
2. Intonation in a yes/no question typically:
◦
Falls at the end of the sentence
◦
Rises at the end of the sentence (Correct)
◦
Remains flat
3. English rhythm is often classified as:
◦
Syllable-timed
◦
Stress-timed (Correct)
◦
Mora-timed

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS

1. Sentence stress can change the meaning or focus within a sentence.

(True)
2. Intonation only affects emotion but does not alter meaning of a
sentence. (False)
3. Word stress is fixed and never changes regardless of word function.
(False)
4. Rhythm in English speech helps listeners anticipate stressed syllables.
(True)

EXAMPLE PRACTICE

Identify the correct stress pattern and intonation for the following:

• The word ‘present’: noun vs. verb stress placement.

• Intonation pattern for the question: “You’re coming tomorrow?”
 • Effect of changing stress in the sentence: “I didn’t say she stole the
money.” (Stress on different words alters meaning.)

COMMON PHONETIC ERRORS AND MINIMAL PAIRS

Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme and are
instrumental in helping learners distinguish similar sounds. This section
focuses on common phonetic errors by targeting the most frequently
confused phonemes through minimal pair exercises and error correction
tasks.

MINIMAL PAIR IDENTIFICATION

Listen or read the following pairs and identify which phoneme differs in each
pair. Note the subtlety of the sound contrast:

• ship /ʃɪp/ vs. sheep /ʃiːp/ (distinguishing /ɪ/ and /iː/)

• thin /θɪn/ vs. tin /tɪn/ (distinguishing /θ/ and /t/)
• bat /bæt/ vs. pat /pæt/ (voiced vs voiceless plosives)
• peace /piːs/ vs. piece /piːs/ (homophones to discuss stress and timing)
• bed /bɛd/ vs. bad /bæd/ (distinguishing /ɛ/ and /æ/)

COMMON ERROR RECOGNITION AND CORRECTION

1. Identify the error in this learner’s pronunciation: “I live in a tin house”

when they intended to say “thin.” What phoneme should be replaced?
2. Correct the mistaken substitution: Replacing the voiced /v/ with /f/ in
words like very pronounced as ferry. What impact does this have on
meaning and intelligibility?
3. Explain why confusing the vowels /ɪ/ and /iː/ can lead to
misunderstandings, using examples from minimal pairs such as bit and
beat.
4. Given the phrase “Thank you,” learners often pronounce /θ/ as /t/.
Suggest exercises to help distinguish these sounds and reduce this
common error.

PRACTICE EXERCISE

Listen to or produce the following pairs, focusing on accurate articulation and

perception of the contrasted phonemes:

• think /θɪŋk/ – sink /sɪŋk/

• fit /fɪt/ – feet /fiːt/
• bat /bæt/ – bad /bæd/
• coat /kəʊt/ – goat /ɡəʊt/