Master Phonetics: Speech Sounds, Production, Transmission, and Perception

Question 1

When pronouncing the English consonant sound /t/, where is the primary place of articulation?

Accepted Answer

Alveolar ridge

Answer

Lips

Answer

Back of the mouth

Answer

Vocal cords

Question 2

In articulatory phonetics, what term describes the range of constrictions and closures created by the speech organs during sound production?

Accepted Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Voicing

Answer

Stress

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a formant frequency?

Accepted Answer

F0

Answer

F1

Answer

F2

Answer

F3

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a distinctive feature used to describe consonants in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?

Accepted Answer

Height

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Voicing

Question 5

Which of the following is **not** a consonant manner of articulation?

Accepted Answer

Glide

Answer

Stop

Answer

Fricative

Answer

Nasal

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a binary feature used to describe speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Height

Answer

Voiced

Answer

Nasal

Answer

Continuant

Question 7

In speech sounds, which of these refers to the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration?

Accepted Answer

Voiced

Answer

Labial

Answer

Fricative

Answer

Nasal

Question 8

Which of the following features is not used specifically to describe vowels?

Accepted Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Height

Answer

Backness

Answer

Rounding

Question 9

Which field of study is separate from the subfields of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Historical Linguistics

Answer

Articulatory Phonetics

Answer

Acoustic Phonetics

Answer

Auditory Phonetics

Question 10

In phonetics, which feature is NOT used to describe speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Pitch

Answer

Place of Articulation

Answer

Manner of Articulation

Answer

Voicing

Question 11

Which of the following is not a subfield of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Syntax

Answer

Articulatory Phonetics

Answer

Acoustic Phonetics

Answer

Auditory Phonetics

Question 12

Which of the following is not a core subfield of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Sociolinguistics

Answer

Articulatory phonetics

Answer

Acoustic phonetics

Answer

Auditory phonetics

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a manner of articulation for a consonant?

Accepted Answer

Diphthong

Answer

Plosive

Answer

Fricative

Answer

Approximant

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a type of sonorant consonant in English?

Accepted Answer

Fricatives

Answer

Nasals

Answer

Liquids

Answer

Glides

Question 15

Which formant frequency does NOT contribute to the acoustic properties of vowels?

Accepted Answer

F4

Answer

F1

Answer

F2

Answer

F3

Question 16

What is the IPA symbol for the voiced bilabial stop?

Accepted Answer

[b]

Answer

[p]

Answer

[m]

Answer

[f]

Question 17

Which of the following is **NOT** a parameter used to describe how speech sounds are produced?

Accepted Answer

Pitch

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Voicing

Question 18

Which of the following is **not** a key feature used to categorize consonant sounds?

Accepted Answer

Length

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Voicing

Question 19

Which feature is NOT used to describe consonants?

Accepted Answer

Formant frequency

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Voicing

Question 20

In articulatory phonetics, what feature differentiates voiced from voiceless sounds?

Accepted Answer

Voicing

Answer

Articulation method

Answer

Articulation location

Answer

Aspiration

Question 21

Which of the following features is **not** used to describe vowels?

Accepted Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Height

Answer

Backness

Question 22

Which of the following is a perceptual parameter used to describe the perceived frequency of a sound?

Accepted Answer

Pitch

Answer

Hertz

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Wavelength

Question 23

What is a defining characteristic of glides in spoken language?

Accepted Answer

Articulatory transitions in the vocal tract

Answer

Distinct formant structure like vowels

Answer

Complete closure of the vocal tract

Answer

Higher intensity than vowels

Question 24

How do voiced and voiceless consonants differ in their production?

Accepted Answer

Vocal cord vibration

Answer

Air pressure

Answer

Pitch

Answer

Oral cavity size

Question 25

Which articulatory phonetic feature indicates how the vocal cords modify the airstream?

Accepted Answer

Voicing

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Aspiration

Question 26

What is the term for the study of the physical characteristics of speech sounds, like their frequency, amplitude, and formant frequencies?

Accepted Answer

Acoustic phonetics

Answer

Phonology

Answer

Articulatory phonetics

Question 27

In acoustic phonetics, which acoustic parameter corresponds to our perception of pitch?

Accepted Answer

Frequency

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Duration

Question 28

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a universal system of phonetic transcription designed by phoneticians to accurately represent:

Accepted Answer

Phonetic segments independently of language

Answer

Phonemes of specific languages

Answer

Suprasegmental features of speech, such as intonation and stress

Question 29

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of glides?

Accepted Answer

Glides feature a smooth transition between two vowel sounds.

Answer

Glides involve a complete closure in the vocal tract.

Answer

Glides always have a voiced element.

Answer

Glides are the only speech sounds that can form syllables.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a defining characteristic of liquids in phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Having a high intensity of friction

Answer

Having a central or lateral release of the airstream

Answer

Being voiced

Question 31

Which acoustic characteristic distinguishes sonorant consonants from obstruent consonants?

Accepted Answer

Clearly identifiable formant frequencies despite airflow obstruction

Answer

Complete airflow obstruction, resulting in no audible sound

Question 32

Which feature is essential for producing voiced speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Vibrating vocal cords

Answer

Narrowed vocal tract

Answer

Increased airflow

Answer

Reduced intensity

Question 33

How do acoustic properties influence our subjective perception of speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

B. Acoustic properties constrain speech sound perception, but interpretation is subjective.

Answer

A. Acoustic properties solely determine speech sound perception.

Answer

C. Acoustic properties have no impact on speech sound perception.

Answer

D. Acoustic properties are irrelevant to speech sound perception, as perception is purely cognitive.

Question 34

Which of the following is not considered a subfield of phonetics?

Accepted Answer

Neurolinguistics

Answer

Articulatory phonetics

Answer

Acoustic phonetics

Answer

Perceptual phonetics

Question 35

What is the main purpose of the vocal tract?

Accepted Answer

To create speech sounds

Answer

To filter sound waves

Answer

To protect the lungs

Answer

To control breathing

Question 36

In phonetics, what's the primary purpose of transcription?

Accepted Answer

Documenting and representing speech sounds using a standardized system

Answer

Determining the grammatical structure of words

Answer

Identifying errors in grammar and usage

Answer

Translating speech into different languages

Question 37

Which of the following accurately describes the acoustic distinction between a diphthong and a monophthong?

Accepted Answer

A monophthong is a single, steady vowel sound, while a diphthong involves a smooth transition between two vowel sounds.

Answer

A diphthong is a single, steady vowel sound, while a monophthong involves a smooth transition between two vowel sounds.

Answer

Diphthongs and monophthongs do not differ acoustically.

Question 38

What key acoustic difference distinguishes voiced from voiceless speech sounds during their production?

Accepted Answer

Voicing, determined by vocal cord vibration

Answer

Frequency, determined by vocal fold oscillation rate

Answer

Intensity, determined by sound wave amplitude

Answer

Duration, determined by vocal cord vibration time

Question 39

What is the technical term for the lowest frequency component of a speech signal?

Accepted Answer

F0

Answer

F1

Answer

F2

Answer

F3

Question 40

Explain the distinction between a phoneme and an allophone.

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are distinctive speech sounds, while allophones are variations of the same phoneme.

Answer

Allophones are distinctive speech sounds, while phonemes are variations of the same allophone.

Answer

Phonemes and allophones are identical concepts.

Answer

Allophones are smaller units than phonemes.

Question 41

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

Accepted Answer

To represent speech sounds using a standardized system of symbols

Answer

To provide rules for pronouncing English words

Answer

To aid in teaching speech therapy

Answer

To compile a comprehensive dictionary of languages

Question 42

Which technique is commonly used to analyze speech signals?

Accepted Answer

Spectrogram

Answer

Oscilloscope

Answer

Electromyography

Answer

Electroencephalography

Question 43

What term describes the changes in speech sounds that occur when produced in continuous speech?

Accepted Answer

Coarticulation

Answer

Assimilation

Answer

Neutralization

Answer

Deletion

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT a component of the human vocal tract?

Accepted Answer

Bronchus

Answer

Larynx

Answer

Pharynx

Answer

Velum

Question 45

What is the term for the highest frequency sound that a human can perceive?

Accepted Answer

Upper limit

Answer

Lower limit

Answer

Threshold

Answer

Amplitude

Question 46

Which of the following types of speech sounds is produced with a complete closure in the vocal tract?

Accepted Answer

Consonant

Answer

Closed vowel

Answer

Open vowel

Answer

Diphthong

Question 47

What is the term for the process of identifying and interpreting speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Perception

Answer

Phonetics

Answer

Phonology

Answer

Morphology

Question 48

Which of the following is a suprasegmental feature of speech that affects entire syllables or larger units?

Accepted Answer

Stress

Answer

Voice

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Question 49

What is the term for the study of the relationship between speech sounds and meaning in language?

Accepted Answer

Phonology

Answer

Phonetics

Answer

Semantics

Answer

Syntax

Question 50

What is the term for the smallest unit of sound that differentiates meaning in a language?

Accepted Answer

Phoneme

Answer

Phone

Answer

Syllable

Answer

Word

Question 51

How do formant frequencies contribute to our perception of vowel sounds?

Accepted Answer

They create the unique spectral envelope of each vowel.

Answer

They determine the pitch of the vowel.

Answer

They distinguish between vowels and consonants.

Answer

They are the sole acoustic cues used in vowel perception.

Question 52

In phonetic research involving human participants, which ethical principle is of paramount importance?

Accepted Answer

Informed consent

Answer

Confidentiality

Answer

Anonymity

Answer

Data security

Question 53

How does coarticulation affect the production of speech sounds in connected speech?

Accepted Answer

Coarticulation is the overlapping of articulatory gestures for neighboring sounds, resulting in a continuous flow of speech.

Answer

Coarticulation occurs when a sound is produced incorrectly, leading to speech errors.

Answer

Coarticulation only affects the production of vowels, but not consonants.

Answer

Coarticulation has no impact on how listeners perceive speech sounds.

Question 54

Which component is NOT part of the vowel quadrilateral?

Accepted Answer

Roundness

Answer

Front

Answer

Back

Answer

High

Question 55

Which phonetic symbol represents a voiceless bilabial stop?

Accepted Answer

/p/

Answer

/b/

Answer

/t/

Answer

/k/

Question 56

What acoustic property distinguishes voiced sounds from unvoiced sounds?

Accepted Answer

Presence of harmonics

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Duration

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT a perceptual cue for consonant recognition?

Accepted Answer

Speaker identity

Answer

Place of articulation

Answer

Manner of articulation

Answer

Vowel context

Question 58

What is the term for the smallest unit of speech that can distinguish words?

Accepted Answer

Phoneme

Answer

Phone

Answer

Syllable

Answer

Morpheme

Question 59

What is the term for the physiological process that converts articulatory gestures into sound waves?

Accepted Answer

Phonation

Answer

Articulation

Answer

Resonance

Answer

Perception

Question 60

Which characteristic is typical of voiced fricatives?

Accepted Answer

Periodic vibrations

Answer

High-frequency noise

Answer

Low-frequency noise

Answer

Random vibrations

Question 61

Which method is used to investigate speech perception in noisy environments?

Accepted Answer

Speech-in-noise testing

Answer

Electroencephalography

Answer

Magnetic resonance imaging

Answer

Eye tracking

Question 62

What is the primary focus of articulatory phonetics?

Accepted Answer

The physical mechanisms of speech production

Answer

The perceptual cues for speech sounds

Answer

The acoustic characteristics of speech sounds

Question 63

Which of the following accurately describes the acoustic differences between vowels and consonants?

Accepted Answer

Vowels have higher formants, longer duration, and more intensity than consonants.

Answer

Consonants have higher formants, longer duration, and more intensity than vowels.

Answer

Vowels and consonants have similar acoustic properties.

Question 64

In acoustic phonetics, which technique is commonly used to visualize and analyze the acoustic properties of speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Spectrogram

Answer

Articulography

Answer

Electroglottography (EGG)

Answer

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)