Chapter3 Phonology
100 MCQs
Phonemes and Allophones
1. What
is a phoneme?
A) A variant sound of a language
B) The smallest sound unit that can change meaning
C) The longest sound in a word
D) A sound that does not change meaning
2. Which
of these is NOT a phoneme?
A) /p/ in pat
B) [pʰ] in pin
C) /b/ in bat
D) /t/ in top
3. Allophones
are:
A) Different phonemes
B) Sounds that change meaning
C) Variant pronunciations of the same phoneme
D) Vowels only
4. Aspirated
[pʰ] and unaspirated [p] in English are examples of:
A) Phonemes
B) Minimal pairs
C) Allophones
D) Morphemes
5. Which
of these pairs are minimal pairs?
A) bit and biting
B) cat and bat
C) run and running
D) dog and dogs
6. The
difference between /p/ and /b/ is in:
A) Place of articulation
B) Voicing
C) Nasality
D) Aspiration
7. The
set of all allophones for a phoneme is called:
A) Phonetic inventory
B) Phoneme set
C) Phonological rule
D) Phoneme realization
8. Which
of the following is a pair of allophones in English?
A) /s/ and /z/
B) [tʰ] and [t]
C) /k/ and /g/
D) /m/ and /n/
9. What
is the main criterion that distinguishes phonemes?
A) They sound similar
B) They change meaning when substituted
C) They appear at the beginning of words
D) They are always vowels
10.
In the word stop, the /p/ is:
A) Aspirated
B) Unaspirated
C) Voiced
D) Nasalized
Minimal Pairs
11.
Which pair is NOT a minimal pair?
A) ship /ʃɪp/ vs. sheep /ʃiːp/
B) mat /mæt/ vs. bat /bæt/
C) cat /kæt/ vs. cats /kæts/
D) pin /pɪn/ vs. bin /bɪn/
12.
Minimal pairs prove:
A) Sounds do not affect meaning
B) Two sounds belong to the same phoneme
C) Two sounds are distinct phonemes
D) Allophones exist
13.
The minimal pair cot and cut
differ in:
A) Voicing
B) Place of articulation
C) Vowel quality
D) Manner of articulation
14.
How many phonemes differ in a
minimal pair?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
15.
Minimal pairs help linguists
identify:
A) Morphemes
B) Phonemes
C) Syllable structure
D) Syntax
Syllable Structure
16.
The syllable consists of:
A) Onset, nucleus, coda
B) Prefix, root, suffix
C) Subject, verb, object
D) Initial, medial, final
17.
What is the nucleus of a syllable?
A) The vowel or syllabic sound
B) The first consonant
C) The last consonant
D) The whole word
18.
In the word plant /plænt/,
the onset is:
A) /p/
B) /pl/
C) /t/
D) /nt/
19.
The coda is:
A) The vowel in a syllable
B) The consonant(s) following the vowel
C) The initial consonant(s)
D) The entire rhyme
20.
What is the rhyme in a syllable?
A) Onset + nucleus
B) Nucleus + coda
C) Only the coda
D) Only the onset
21.
Which of the following is a possible
English syllable onset cluster?
A) /str/
B) /mn/
C) /lt/
D) /ps/
22.
What is the maximum number of
consonants in English onset clusters?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
23.
Which is a valid syllable in
English?
A) /splint/
B) /tnip/
C) /ngat/
D) /ptak/
24.
The word orange has how many
syllables?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
25.
The syllable cat consists of:
A) Onset /k/, nucleus /æ/, coda /t/
B) Onset /c/, nucleus /a/, coda /t/
C) Onset /k/, nucleus /a/, coda /t/
D) Onset /k/, nucleus /æ/, coda none
Phonological Rules and Processes
26.
What is assimilation?
A) Deleting a sound
B) Adding a sound
C) A sound becoming like a neighboring sound
D) Swapping two sounds
27.
Which is an example of assimilation?
A) input pronounced as [ɪmpʊt]
B) friend pronounced as [frɛnd]
C) dog pronounced as [dɔg]
D) cat pronounced as [kæt]
28.
What is deletion in phonology?
A) Adding a sound
B) Removing a sound
C) Changing one sound to another
D) Swapping sounds
29.
Which word often undergoes deletion
of /t/?
A) friendship
B) cat
C) dog
D) play
30.
What is insertion (epenthesis)?
A) Adding a sound to break a cluster
B) Removing a sound
C) Reversing two sounds
D) Changing a sound to a vowel
31.
Which of the following is an example
of epenthesis?
A) Pronouncing athlete as [ˈæθəˌliːt]
B) Pronouncing friend as [frɛn]
C) Pronouncing ask as [aks]
D) Pronouncing stop as [stɒp]
32.
Metathesis means:
A) Deleting a sound
B) Swapping two sounds
C) Adding a sound
D) Changing a sound
33.
Which of these illustrates
metathesis?
A) ask → aks
B) cat → ca
C) input → imput
D) friend → frend
34.
What is flapping?
A) Deleting a consonant
B) Pronouncing /t/ and /d/ as a tap between vowels
C) Adding a vowel
D) Changing /s/ to /z/
35.
Which word demonstrates flapping?
A) butter
B) cat
C) friend
D) stop
Mixed Questions (Phonemes, Minimal Pairs, Syllables, Processes)
36.
The difference between /s/ and /z/
is mainly:
A) Place of articulation
B) Voicing
C) Aspiration
D) Nasality
37.
Which of these is NOT a minimal
pair?
A) pat and bat
B) sit and sat
C) dog and dogs
D) pin and bin
38.
The smallest unit of sound in a
language is called:
A) Morpheme
B) Phoneme
C) Syllable
D) Word
39.
Which of the following words
contains a coda?
A) at
B) eye
C) I
D) oh
40.
The word strengths has how
many consonants in the coda?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
41.
Which phonological process occurs
when input is pronounced [ɪmpʊt]?
A) Deletion
B) Assimilation
C) Insertion
D) Metathesis
42.
The sound [tʰ] is:
A) Voiced, aspirated
B) Voiceless, aspirated
C) Voiced, unaspirated
D) Voiceless, unaspirated
43.
Which syllable structure is common
in English?
A) CV
B) VCC
C) CCCVC
D) All of the above
44.
Which is an example of a phoneme
contrast?
A) /p/ and [pʰ]
B) /t/ and /d/
C) [k] and [kʰ]
D) [m] and [m̩]
45.
Which process involves adding a
vowel sound to break up a consonant cluster?
A) Deletion
B) Epenthesis
C) Assimilation
D) Metathesis
46. Which of the following is NOT an allophone of /t/ in English?
A) [tʰ] (aspirated)
B) [ɾ] (flap)
C) [d] (voiced)
D) [t] (unaspirated)
47. What happens in regressive assimilation?
A) A sound influences the
following sound
B) A sound influences the preceding sound
C) Two sounds swap places
D) A sound is deleted
48. The term "phonotactics" refers to:
A) Rules about the possible
sound sequences in a language
B) How sounds change in context
C) The meaning of sounds
D) The physical production of speech sounds
49. Which of the following is a valid English syllable?
A) /skrɪpt/
B) /ptsk/
C) /tmɪp/
D) /ngk/
50. The /ŋ/ sound in English is typically found:
A) At the beginning of words
B) At the end of words or before /k/
C) Only in loanwords
D) At the beginning and end of words
51. Which process describes a sound changing to become more like a neighboring sound?
A) Insertion
B) Deletion
C) Assimilation
D) Metathesis
52. Which of the following is a minimal pair differing in vowel length?
A) ship vs. sheep
B) bit vs. biting
C) cat vs. bat
D) pit vs. pet
53. Which of the following is a correct description of the word strength?
A) Onset: /st/, Nucleus:
/ɛ/, Coda: /ŋθ/
B) Onset: /str/, Nucleus: /ɛ/, Coda: /ŋkθ/
C) Onset: /str/, Nucleus: /ɛ/, Coda: /ŋθ/
D) Onset: /st/, Nucleus: /ɹ/, Coda: /ŋθ/
54. What is the function of the nucleus in a syllable?
A) To provide the consonant
sounds
B) To be the core vowel or syllabic sound
C) To end the syllable
D) To create the onset cluster
55. What phonological process is occurring when friend is pronounced as [frɛn]?
A) Deletion
B) Assimilation
C) Insertion
D) Flapping
56. Which sound is a voiced bilabial stop?
A) /p/
B) /b/
C) /m/
D) /f/
57. The word banana has how many syllables?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 1
58. The process of switching the order of two sounds is called:
A) Assimilation
B) Deletion
C) Metathesis
D) Insertion
59. Which word contains an onset cluster?
A) cat
B) play
C) at
D) I
60. Which of these words contains a coda?
A) he
B) no
C) run
D) a
61. The English phoneme /t/ is pronounced as a flap [ɾ] in which environment?
A) At the start of a word
B) Between two vowels in unstressed syllables
C) At the end of a word
D) Before a consonant
62. What does the term "rhyme" in phonology refer to?
A) The entire syllable
B) The nucleus plus the coda
C) The onset plus nucleus
D) The initial consonants
63. Which is an example of a word with no coda?
A) cat
B) go
C) jump
D) sit
64. The minimal pair ship and sip differ in which phoneme?
A) /p/ vs. /b/
B) /s/ vs. /ʃ/
C) /i/ vs. /ɪ/
D) /s/ vs. /z/
65. What is a feature of phonemes?
A) Physical sound properties
only
B) Mental categories of sound
C) Always vowels
D) Always consonants
66. Which process involves the omission of sounds during fast speech?
A) Epenthesis
B) Deletion
C) Flapping
D) Metathesis
67. What type of phoneme is /ʃ/?
A) Voiced alveolar fricative
B) Voiceless postalveolar fricative
C) Voiced bilabial stop
D) Voiceless velar stop
68. The difference in meaning between bat and pat is an example of:
A) Minimal pair
B) Assimilation
C) Deletion
D) Epenthesis
69. Which term describes the rules governing how sounds can be combined in a language?
A) Morphology
B) Syntax
C) Phonotactics
D) Semantics
70. In phonology, what is a 'free variation'?
A) When two sounds can occur
in the same environment without changing meaning
B) When a sound is deleted
C) When sounds are swapped
D) When a sound is inserted
71. Which sound is a voiceless bilabial stop?
A) /b/
B) /p/
C) /m/
D) /v/
72. What is the syllable count in computer?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 1
73. The term 'onset' refers to:
A) The vowel sound in a
syllable
B) The consonant(s) before the vowel
C) The consonant(s) after the vowel
D) The entire syllable
74. Which process is shown in the pronunciation of athlete as [ˈæθəˌliːt]?
A) Assimilation
B) Epenthesis
C) Deletion
D) Metathesis
75. What does the term 'coda' mean in phonology?
A) The vowel in a syllable
B) The initial consonant(s) of a syllable
C) The consonant(s) after the vowel in a syllable
D) The entire syllable
76. Which of the following is an example of flapping?
A) butter pronounced as [ˈbʌɾər]
B) friend pronounced as [frɛnd]
C) cat pronounced as [kæt]
D) dog pronounced as [dɔg]
77. Which sound is a voiced alveolar nasal?
A) /m/
B) /n/
C) /ŋ/
D) /l/
78. What is the difference between phonetics and phonology?
A) Phonetics studies sound
function, phonology studies sound production
B) Phonetics studies physical sounds, phonology studies sound function in a
language
C) Phonetics studies meaning, phonology studies sounds
D) They are the same
79. The minimal pair bat and bad differ in:
A) Place of articulation
B) Voicing of final consonant
C) Vowel length
D) Syllable count
80. In English, the /t/ sound in top is:
A) Aspirated
B) Flapped
C) Deleted
D) Voiced
81. Which of the following is an example of metathesis?
A) ask → aks
B) friend → frend
C) input → imput
D) stop → stob
82. What is the term for a sound that can change meaning if altered?
A) Allophone
B) Phoneme
C) Morpheme
D) Syllable
83. Which of the following is NOT a valid English syllable?
A) /spl/
B) /tʃɪp/
C) /knæp/
D) /psɪ/
84. The sound [ɾ] in American English is called:
A) Glottal stop
B) Flap
C) Fricative
D) Nasal
85. In the word strong, the cluster /str/ is the:
A) Coda
B) Onset
C) Nucleus
D) Rhyme
86. What is the phonological process where a sound is inserted?
A) Deletion
B) Epenthesis
C) Assimilation
D) Metathesis
87. The phoneme /k/ and its allophones are distinguished by:
A) Voicing only
B) Aspiration depending on position
C) Vowel length
D) Nasality
88. Which of these is a voiced velar stop?
A) /k/
B) /g/
C) /ŋ/
D) /ʔ/
89. Which phonological process involves dropping a sound?
A) Assimilation
B) Deletion
C) Epenthesis
D) Metathesis
90. The difference between /θ/ and /ð/ is:
A) Place of articulation
B) Voicing
C) Manner of articulation
D) Nasality
91. The word extra has how many syllables?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
92. The difference between /f/ and /v/ is:
A) Place of articulation
B) Voicing
C) Manner of articulation
D) Nasality
93. Which of these is an example of a vowel phoneme?
A) /b/
B) /p/
C) /æ/
D) /s/
94. Which of the following words contains no coda?
A) go
B) cat
C) sit
D) dog
95. The phoneme /t/ in stop is:
A) Aspirated
B) Unaspirated
C) Flapped
D) Voiced
96. The cluster /bl/ in black is an example of:
A) Coda cluster
B) Onset cluster
C) Nucleus cluster
D) Rhyme cluster
97. The smallest unit of sound that does not change meaning is:
A) Phoneme
B) Allophone
C) Morpheme
D) Syllable
98. The sound /m/ is classified as a:
A) Voiced bilabial stop
B) Voiced bilabial nasal
C) Voiceless bilabial stop
D) Voiced alveolar nasal
99. Which of these is a phonological process?
A) Syntax
B) Assimilation
C) Semantics
D) Morphology
100. Which of the following is NOT a phonological rule?
A) Assimilation
B) Deletion
C) Prefixation
D) Insertion
Answer: B) The smallest sound unit that can change meaning
Answer: B) [pʰ] in pin
Answer: C) Variant pronunciations of the same phoneme
Answer: C) Allophones
Answer: B) cat and bat
Answer: B) Voicing
Answer: D) Phoneme realization
Answer: B) [tʰ] and [t]
Answer: B) They change meaning when substituted
Answer: B) Unaspirated
Answer: C) cat vs. cats
Answer: C) Two sounds are distinct phonemes
Answer: C) Vowel quality
Answer: A) One
Answer: B) Phonemes
Answer: A) Onset, nucleus, coda
Answer: A) The vowel or syllabic sound
Answer: B) /pl/
Answer: B) The consonant(s) following the vowel
Answer: B) Nucleus + coda
Answer: A) /str/
Answer: C) 3
Answer: A) /splint/
Answer: B) 2
Answer: A) Onset /k/, nucleus /æ/, coda /t/
Answer: C) A sound becoming like a neighboring sound
Answer: A) input pronounced as [ɪmpʊt]
Answer: B) Removing a sound
Answer: A) friendship
Answer: A) Adding a sound to break a cluster
Answer: A) Pronouncing athlete as [ˈæθəˌliːt]
Answer: B) Swapping two sounds
Answer: A) ask → aks
Answer: B) Pronouncing /t/ and /d/ as a tap between vowels
Answer: A) butter
Answer: B) Voicing
Answer: C) dog and dogs
Answer: B) Phoneme
Answer: A) at
Answer: D) 4
Answer: B) Voiceless, aspirated
Answer: D) All of the above
Answer: B) /t/ and /d/
Answer: B) Epenthesis
Answer: C) [d] (voiced)
Answer: B) A sound influences the preceding sound
Answer: A) Rules about the possible sound sequences in a language
Answer: A) /skrɪpt/
Answer: B) At the end of words or before /k/
Answer: C) Assimilation
Answer: A) ship vs. sheep
Answer: C) Onset: /str/, Nucleus: /ɛ/, Coda: /ŋθ/
Answer: B) To be the core vowel or syllabic sound
Answer: A) Deletion
Answer: B) /b/
Answer: B) 3
Answer: C) Metathesis
Answer: B) play
Answer: C) run
Answer: B) Between two vowels in unstressed syllables
Answer: B) The nucleus plus the coda
Answer: B) go
Answer: B) /s/ vs. /ʃ/
Answer: B) Mental categories of sound
Answer: B) Deletion
Answer: B) Voiceless postalveolar fricative
Answer: A) Minimal pair
Answer: C) Phonotactics
Answer: A) When two sounds can occur in the same environment without changing meaning
Answer: B) /p/
Answer: B) 3
Answer: B) The consonant(s) before the vowel
Answer: B) Epenthesis
Answer: C) The consonant(s) after the vowel in a syllable
Answer: A) butter pronounced as [ˈbʌɾər]
Answer: B) /n/
Answer: B) Phonetics studies physical sounds, phonology studies sound function in a language
Answer: B) Voicing of final consonant
Answer: A) Aspirated
Answer: A) ask
Answer: B) Phoneme
Answer: D) /psɪ/
Answer: B) Flap
Answer: B) Onset
Answer: B) Epenthesis
Answer: B) Aspiration depending on position
Answer: B) /g/
Answer: B) Deletion
Answer: B) Voicing
Answer: B) 2
Answer: B) Voicing
Answer: C) /æ/
Answer: A) go
Answer: B) Unaspirated
Answer: B) Onset cluster
Answer: A) Phoneme
Answer: B) Voiced bilabial nasal
Answer: B) Assimilation
Answer: C) Prefixation
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