Phonetics exercises: KEY

Dr. Bischoff

Name: Date:
Class/Section:
NOTE: [Ä] and [@r] are treated as the same in this exercise, and
represent the sound in her.

1. In Set 1 write the phonetic symbol representing each of the following

consonant sounds (don’t forget to use square brackets “[ ]”). The first
one is given as an example.

2. In Set 2 write the phonetic symbol representing each of the following

vowel sounds (don’t forget to use square brackets). The first one is
given as an example.

3. In Set 3 write the three-part articulatory descriptions for the consonant

sounds represented by the following symbols. The first one is given as
an example.

4. In Set 4 write the four-part articulatory descriptions for the vowel

sounds represented by the following symbols. The first one is given as
an example.

5. In Set 5 identify the phone that does not belong and the natural class
of the others.

6. In Set 6 give the spelling of the phonetically transcribed words. You

should note that some may have more than one spelling, you only need
to provide one spelling. The first one is given as an example.

7. In Set 7 give the phonetic transcription for the American English

words. The first one is given as an example.

1
8. In Set 8 give the spelling of the phonetically transcribed utterance.
Remember, in “normal” speech, some sounds are reduced, not fully
pronounced. Write what the sentence would be in careful speech.

2
Set 1: identify the consonants
a. voiced palatal glide [j] or [y]

b. voiced velar nasal [N]

c. voiceless glottal fricative [h]

d. voiced labiodental fricative [v]

e. voiced interdental fricative [D]

f. voiced palatal fricative [Z]

g. voiced alveolar lateral liquid [l] or [ɹ]

Set 2: identify the vowels

a. high front tense unrounded vowel [i]

b. mid back lax unrounded vowel none

c. mid front lax unrounded vowel [E]

d. low back lax unrounded vowel none / ɑ

e. low front lax unrounded vowel none /æ

f. mid central lax unrounded vowel (unstressed) [@]

3
Set 3: identify the three-part articulatory description
a. [j] voiced palatal glide

b. [f] voiceless labiodental fricative

c. [z] voiced alveolar fricative

d. [n] (voiced) alveolar nasal

e. [Z] [ž] voiced palatal fricative

f. [g] voiced velar plosive/stop

g. [P] voiceless glottal plosive/stop

h. [S] [š] voiceless palatal fricative

>
i. [Ù] [č] voiceless palatal affricate

j. [p] voiceless bilabial plosive/stop

Set 4: identify the four-part articulatory description

a. [@] mid, central, unrounded, and l ax vowel ( unstressed)

b. [I] high f ront l ax unrounded vowel

c. [2] mid central lax unrounded vowel (stressed)

d. [u] high back rounded tense vowel

e. [æ] low front unrounded (lax) vowel

f. [U] high back rounded lax vowel

g. [E] mid front lax unrounded vowel

4
Set 5: identify the phone that does not belong, and the natural class represented
by the other phones

a. [@, E, o, O, i] [i] It’s not a mid vowel

b. [f, s, h, S, p, T] [p] not a fricative

c. [d, k, z, n, l, Õ] [k] not alveolar

d. [o, w, y/j] [o] not a glide

e. [æ, E, I, i] [æ] not -low

f. [m, w, b, v] [v] not bilabial

g. [p, b, d, g] [p] not voiced

Set 6: provide the standard spelling for the phonetically transcribed words

a. [Ot@mætIc] automatic k. [sin] scene/seen

b. [dyuti] duty l. [cEntÕ@l] central

c. [faInd] find m. [gÕes] grace/Grace

d. [gÕis] grease/Greece n. [m2Nki] monkey

>
e. [næÙÕ@l] natural o. [Sek] sheik/shake

g. [mEZ@Õ] measure p. [TÕEt] threat

h. [Õ2b] rub q. [æSIz] ashes

i. [kæsl] castle r. [dÕim] dream

>
j. [ÙÕæfIk] traffic s. [w2z] was

5
Set 6: transcribe the phonetic form into Standard American English spelling
>
a. [slop] slope j. [wIÙ] which/witch

b. [Sak] shock k. [TIk] thick

c. [ÕaIt] right/write l. [kÕawd] crowd

d. [Õod] road/rode m. [layz] lies

e. [TæNks] thanks n. [S2t] shut

f. [pOInt] point o. [mEZ@Õ] measure

g. [bjuRif@l] beautiful p. [sak] sock

h. [aIz] eyes q. [zæp] zap

i. [blu] blue r. [lif] leaf

Set 7: write the Standard American English in phonetic transcription

>
a. touch [t2Ù] j. keep [kip]

b. lose [luz] k. cane [ken]

c. lather [læD@Õ] l. sugar [SUg@Õ]

d. July [Ãulai] m. sewn [son]/[soUn]

e. sing [siN] n. vision [vIS@n]

f. zip [zIp] o. batch [bæÙ]

g. monkey [m2Nki] p. move [muv]

h. circus [sEÕk@s] q. easy [izi]

i. get [gEt] r. all [al] /[Ol]

6
Set 8: transcribe the phonetic form into Standard American English
1. fúlIS fÕEnz aÕ wÄs Dan waIz En@miz.
–bud@
Foolish friends are worse than wise enemies. –Buddha

–wIly@m bʌtləɹ yets

2. tÕu E̌ukéS@n Iz nat D@ fÍlIN @v @ pel b@t D@ láItIN uv @ faIÄ.

True education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. –William Buttler Yeats

3. hi Dæt wUd bi @ lı́dÄ m2st bi @ bÕI̌. –wElS pÕav@Õb

He that would be a leader must be a bridge. –Welsh Proverb