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Pronunciation and Phonetics Flashcards

7 cards from real ABLE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. In English phonology, what is the term for the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates the rhythm of speech?

    Answer: Stress-timed rhythm

    English is described as stress-timed, meaning stressed syllables occur at roughly regular intervals regardless of how many unstressed syllables fall between them.

  2. What does the term 'place of articulation' refer to in phonetics?

    Answer: The location in the vocal tract where airflow is obstructed to produce a sound

    Place of articulation describes where in the mouth or throat the active articulator makes contact or comes closest to the passive articulator to produce a sound.

  3. Which phonetic symbol represents the vowel sound in the word 'bird' in standard American English?

    Answer: /ɜːr/

    The vowel in 'bird' in American English is represented as /ɜːr/, a mid-central vowel with r-coloring (rhotic quality).

  4. A language learner substitutes /w/ for /v/ when speaking English, saying 'wery' for 'very'. This is best described as:

    Answer: A phonemic substitution due to L1 interference

    Phonemic substitution due to L1 interference occurs when a learner replaces a target-language sound with the closest equivalent from their native language.

  5. What is 'linking' in connected speech, as in the pronunciation of 'an orange' sounding like 'a-no-range'?

    Answer: Connecting the final consonant of one word to the initial vowel of the next

    Linking occurs when a word ending in a consonant is immediately followed by a word starting with a vowel, causing the consonant to attach to the next syllable.

  6. Which of the following best describes the difference between a monophthong and a diphthong?

    Answer: A monophthong is a pure, steady vowel; a diphthong glides between two vowel positions

    A monophthong is a single, stable vowel quality, while a diphthong involves a glide from one vowel position to another within the same syllable, as in 'coin' or 'time'.

  7. In an ABLE language assessment, a candidate produces rising intonation at the end of a declarative statement. What does this typically signal?

    Answer: Uncertainty, seeking confirmation, or an incomplete thought

    Rising intonation on a statement typically signals that the speaker is uncertain, seeking confirmation, or presenting the utterance as incomplete rather than a final assertion.