Introduction to Phonetics: Master the Basics of Speech Sounds

Question 1

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system of symbols used to represent:

Accepted Answer

Speech sounds

Answer

Morphemes

Answer

Allophones

Answer

Phonemic contrasts

Question 2

Which of the following is a common method of acoustic analysis used in phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Spectrogram

Answer

Waveform

Answer

Laryngograph

Answer

Electroglottograph

Question 3

The place of articulation for the sound /t/ is:

Accepted Answer

Alveolar ridge

Answer

Dental ridge

Answer

Labial

Answer

Velar

Question 4

Which of the following is considered a voiced consonant?

Accepted Answer

/b/

Answer

/p/

Answer

/t/

Answer

/s/

Question 5

The study of how speech sounds change in connected speech is known as:

Accepted Answer

Coarticulation

Answer

Phonetics

Answer

Phonology

Answer

Assimilation

Question 6

Which acoustic parameter plays a crucial role in distinguishing between vowels and consonants?

Accepted Answer

Formant structure

Answer

Duration

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Frequency

Question 7

What is the primary purpose of employing a spectrogram in phonetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

To visualize the acoustic characteristics of speech sounds

Answer

To identify the articulators engaged in speech production

Answer

To determine the duration of phonemes

Answer

To transcribe speech into orthographic form

Question 8

Which field is NOT considered a major application of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Musical analysis

Answer

Forensic linguistics

Answer

Speech therapy

Answer

Language teaching

Question 9

What linguistic unit represents the smallest distinctive sound in speech?

Accepted Answer

Phoneme

Answer

Syllable

Answer

Allophone

Answer

Phone

Question 10

Which characteristic accurately describes the glottal stop sound?

Accepted Answer

Voiceless

Answer

Voiced

Answer

Nasal

Answer

Lateral

Question 11

How do monophthongs differ from diphthongs in their phonetic structure?

Accepted Answer

Monophthongs consist of a single vowel, while diphthongs consist of two vowels.

Answer

Diphthongs consist of a single vowel, while monophthongs consist of two vowels.

Answer

Diphthongs are stressed, while monophthongs are unstressed.

Answer

Diphthongs are nasal, while monophthongs are oral.

Question 12

Which of these is acknowledged as the earliest known system for transcribing phonetics?

Accepted Answer

The Siddham script

Answer

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

Answer

The Devanagari script

Answer

The Arabic alphabet

Question 13

How do spectrographic analysis and electropalatography contribute to our understanding of speech production?

Accepted Answer

They provide visual representations of both articulatory movements and acoustic patterns.

Answer

They help identify the perceptual qualities of speech sounds.

Answer

They determine the neurological foundations of speech production.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a voiced consonant?

Accepted Answer

/b/

Answer

/p/

Answer

/t/

Answer

/k/

Question 15

The concept of 'allophones' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Different pronunciations of the same phoneme in different contexts

Answer

Different phonemes that are pronounced similarly

Answer

The smallest units of sound in a language

Answer

The mental representations of speech sounds

Question 16

The term 'prosody' refers to the study of:

Accepted Answer

Suprasegmental features of speech

Answer

Grammatical structure of sentences

Answer

Meaning of words

Answer

Physical properties of speech sounds

Question 17

Which of the following is a cross-linguistic phonetic universal?

Accepted Answer

All languages have a bilabial stop consonant

Answer

All languages have a 5-vowel system

Answer

All languages use tones to distinguish words

Answer

No language has a velar fricative

Question 18

The 'Great Vowel Shift' is associated with which language?

Accepted Answer

English

Answer

French

Answer

German

Answer

Spanish

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT considered a principal branch of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Biophonetics

Answer

Auditory phonetics

Answer

Acoustic phonetics

Answer

Articulatory phonetics

Question 20

In phonetics, what is the term for the smallest unit of speech that can be distinguished in a language?

Accepted Answer

Phoneme

Answer

Syllable

Answer

Morpheme

Answer

Allophone

Question 21

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of voiced speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Vibration of the vocal cords

Answer

High frequency

Answer

Short duration

Question 22

What is the primary purpose of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?

Accepted Answer

To provide a standardized system for transcribing speech sounds across languages.

Answer

To describe the grammatical structure of sentences

Answer

To analyze the social context of speech

Question 23

Which of the following is a suprasegmental feature of speech, operating above the level of individual speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Intonation

Answer

Syllables

Answer

Segments

Answer

Phonemes

Question 24

Which of the following is a technique commonly used in acoustic phonetics to analyze speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Spectrography

Answer

Electroglottography

Answer

Kinematic analysis

Answer

Palatography

Question 25

What is the term used to describe the study of how speech sounds are perceived by listeners?

Accepted Answer

Auditory phonetics

Answer

Acoustic phonetics

Answer

Biophonetics

Answer

Articulatory phonetics

Question 26

What is the primary objective of phonetic transcription?

Accepted Answer

To provide a systematic and unambiguous representation of speech sounds in written form.

Answer

To analyze the acoustic properties of speech

Answer

To identify the grammatical structure of a sentence