MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

I. Choose the correct answer (5m)

1. English vowels and consonants are different from each other in:
a. manner of articulation b. distribution c. voicing d. a&b
2. Vowels followed by nasal consonants are:
a. devoiced b. nasalized c. shortened d. lengthened
3. The following word contains a short vowel:
a. bear b. smooth c. mere d. touch
4. The following word begins with a voiceless, post-alveolar, fricative sound:
a. phenomena b. soldier c. enough d. shoes
5. In a weak syllable, the vowel is usually pronounced as:
a. semi-vowel b. approximant c. syllabic consonant d. schwa
6. The English ………… end in / I /
a. triphthongs b. centring diphthongs c. closing diphthongs d. a&b
7. Diphthongs
a. are the combinations of two single vowels.
b. consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another, the former of which is much
longer and stronger than the other.
c. are two single vowels appearing within a syllable.
8. Which of the following is not included in the criteria to classify English vowel?
a. tongue height b. place of articulation c. lip shape d. muscle tension
9. Which of the following statements is not true
a. Plosives are produced with the total or partial obstruction of the air stream.
b. Nasals are continuant sounds.
c. Hissing sound is one of the characteristics of fricatives
d. The fortis fricatives and plosives in final position often shorten the vowel preceding them.
10. / i: / & / a: / are different in:
a. tongue position b. length c. muscle tension d. a&c
11. …….. are pronounced with the contact made between lower and upper lip.
a. alveolars b. bilabials c. labio-dentals d. dentals
12. Vocal folds are two elastic bands of tissue located in the:
a. pharynx b. larynx c.trachea d. mouth
13. The following diphthong is pronounced differently from the others:
a. really b. hear c. fear d. bear
14. The following vowel is pronounced differently from the others.
a. touch b. pour c. double d. country
15. The consonant /n/ & /z/ are different from each other in their:
a. voicing b. place of articulation c. manner of articulation d. b&c
16. The fricatives articulated with a strong hissing sound are called ……………………
a. slit fricatives b. groove fricatives c. sibilants d. a&b
17. Phonetically, the fricative / h / is similar to ……………..
a. consonant b. vowel c. diphthong d. triphthong
18. A vowel is ………………. when preceding a final fortis.
a. shortened b. nasalized c. devoiced d. none of the above
19. An allophone of a phoneme is another pronunciation of that phoneme which does not cause a
difference in ………………
a. position b. meaning c. pronunciation d. a&b
20. The main difference (distinctive feature) between / d / & / n / is:
a. place of articulation b. voicing c. manner of articulation d. a&b
21. The sound / l / when following a fortis plosives is called:
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 A, clear b, dark c, devoiced d, syllabic
22. The …… is the most movable articulator in the vocal track.
a/ lips b/ teeth c/ larynx d/ tongue
23. For the voiceless sounds to be produced, the glottis is :
a/ wide apart b/ partly open c/ tightly closed d/ a&b
24. / i: / in ….. is the shortest
a/ meal b/ meat c/ bead d/ sea
25. The sound beginning with a mid central vowel, then gliding towards a high back vowel is:
a/ Iə b/ eə c/ əʊ d/ ɑʊ
26. The vowel in …… is pronounced differently from the others.
a/ food b/ foot c/ pool d/ fool
27. To prevent the air from escaping through the nose, the soft palate must be:
a/ raised b/ lowered c/ closed d/ a&c
28. Sounds produced with a momentarily total obstruction to the airflow are:
a/ approximants b/ nasals c/ plosives d/ fricatives
29. The sounds that never occur in final position are:
a. /m, n, l, g/ b. /w, j, h, / c. /r, w, h, k/ d. /h, w, j, p/
30. [ th ] & [ t ] are called the …….. of the phoneme / t /
a. transcriptions b. allophones c. homophones d. minimal pair
31. The consonants / m / & / p / are different from each other in:
a. point of articulation b. manner c. voicing d. b&c
32. The initial sound of ‘chef’ is a(n):
a. approximant b. affricate c. fricative d. plosive
33. ………….. consonants have the effect of shortening a preceding vowel or diphthong
a. fortis b. lenis c. voiceless d. a&c
34. / ŋ / never occurs after a :
a. long vowel b. diphthong c. schwa d. all of the above
35. The shortest English syllable consists of:
a. one sound b. one consonant c. one vowel and a consonant d. a&b
36. The maximum number of ONSET consonants in an English syllable is:
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4
37. Which of the following is the final sound in ‘debt’
a. / t / b. / b / c. / bt / d. none of the above
38. The prominence of a stressed syllable is made up by length, pitch, quality and:
a. strength b. tension c. loudness d. pronunciation
39. When not emphasized, most …….. words are pronounced with a weak form
a. lexical b. functional c. auxiliary d. preposition
40. Auxiliaries are in strong form in :
a. final position b. medium position c. initial position d. a&b
41. In rapid and casual speech, ‘and you’ can be pronounced as /ənʤʊ / as a result of assimilation of:
a. manner b. voice c. place d. a&c
42. In natural connected speech, ‘today’ can be pronounced as / t´deI/ as a result of:
a. assimilation b. elision c. linking d. dissimilation
43. Stress is on the first syllable of the following word:
a. engineer b. convenient c. photograph d. uncomfortable
44. A syllable in English is identified by:
a. vowel b. consonant c. meaning d. vowel or diphthong
45. How many phonemes are there in the word ‘would’
a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5
46. Both ……… are back vowels
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 a. /i:/ & /e/ b. /i:/ & /u:/ c. /a:/ & /3:/ d. /a:/ & /u:/
47. Which of the following is not true?
a. vowels are produced without closure in the vocal tract.
b. Consonants are produced with obstruction of the air stream.
c. All consonants can be syllabic. d. All vowels are syllabic.
48. Which of the following words does not contain a central vowel?
a. ago b. worm c. but d. hat
49. The stress is placed on the last syllable in words ending in:
a. –iar b. –ity c. –ic d. –eer
50. The stress is placed on the penultimate syllable in words ending in.
a. -iar b. -een c. -oon d. -ette
51. Which of the statement is true?
a. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in their distribution.
b. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in the way the air flow is obstructed when producing
the sound.
c. Vowels and consonants differ from each other in relation to how much they obstruct the air flow and
what position they can occupy.
52. Vowels followed by fortis consonants are:
a. devoiced b. voiced c. shortened d. lengthened
53. The following word begins with a voiceless, labio-dental, fricative sound:
a. phenomena b. soldier c. enough d. shoes
54. The peak (nucleus) of an English syllable should always be a vowel, a diphthong, or a(n):
a. semi-vowel b. approximant c. syllabic consonant d. consonant
55. The English ………… end in / ə /
a. triphthongs b. centring diphthongs c. closing diphthongs d. a&b
56. Which of the following is not included in the criteria to classify English vowel?
a. tongue height b. tongue part c. lip shape d. voicing
57. Which of the following statements is not true
a. Plosives are produced with the total obstruction of the air stream.
b. Nasals are not continuant sounds.
c. Hissing sound is one of the characteristics of fricatives
d. The fortis fricatives and plosives in final position often shorten the vowel preceding them.
58. / i: / & / a: / are different in:
a. tongue height b. length c. tongue part d. a&c
59. …….. are pronounced with the contact made between lower lip and upper teeth
a. fricatives b. stops c. labio-dentals d. dentals
60. The consonant /d/ & /z/ are different from each other in their:
a. voicing b. place of articulation c. manner of articulation d. b&c
61. Phonemically, the fricative / h / is similar to ……………..
a. consonant b. vowel c. diphthong d. triphthong
62. A vowel is ………………. when preceding a final nasal.
a. shortened b. nasalized c. devoiced d. none of the above
63. The main difference (distinctive feature) between / b / & / m / is:
a. place of articulation b. voicing c. manner of articulation d. a&b
64. The sound / l / when occurring after a vowel is called:
a/ clear b/ dark c/ devoiced d/ syllabic
65. The …… can be moved to different places and different shapes.
a/ lips b/ teeth c/ larynx d/ tongue
66. For the voiced sounds to be produced, the vocal folds are:
a/ wide apart b/ partly open c/ tightly closed d/ a&b
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67. / ɔ:/ in ….. is the longest
a/ store b/ thought c/ fork d/ walk
68. To let the air escape through the nose, the ….. must be lowered
a/ lips b/ tongue c/ soft palate d/ larynx
69. The initial sound of ‘jam’ is a(n):
a. approximant b. affricate c. fricative d. plosive
70. ………….. consonants have the effect of shortening a preceding vowel or diphthong
a. fortis b. lenis c. voiced d. a&c
71. The shortest syllable structure in English is:
a. CVC b. CV c. VC d. V
72. The possible longest syllable structure in English is:
a. CCCVCCC b. CCCVCCCC c. CCVCCCCC d. CCCVVCCC
73. Which of the following is the final sound in ‘climb’
a. / m / b. / b / c. / mb / d. none of the above
74. The prominence of a stressed syllable is made up by loudness, length, pitch, and:
a. strength b. tension c. quality d. pronunciation
75. Auxiliaries are in strong form in :
a. final position b. negative form c. initial position d. a&b
76. In rapid and casual speech, ‘good night’ can be pronounced as / gƱnna:it/ as a result of:
a. assimilation of manner b. assimilation of voice c. assimilation of place of articulation
77. In natural connected speech, ‘text books’ can be pronounced as /teksbƱks/ as a result of:
a. assimilation b. elision c. linking d. dissimilation
78. How many phonemes are there in the word KITCHEN
a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6

79. Both ……… are front vowels

a. /i:/ & /e/ b. /i:/ & /u:/ c. /a:/ & /3:/ d. /a:/ & /u:/
80. Which of the following is true?
a. vowels are produced with a complete closure in the vocal tract.
b. Consonants are produced without obstruction of the air stream.
c. All consonants are voiced. d. All vowels are syllabic.
81. Which of the following words does not contain a front vowel?
a. see b. want c. met d. hat
82. The stress is placed on the last syllable in words ending with
a. –ese b. –ness c. –ic d. –er
83. ………… always occurs in English syllable.
a. consonant b. vowel c. onset d. coda
84. Which of the following figures describes the position for / h / sound

A B C D

85. Which of the above figures describes the position for voiceless sounds: A

86. Bean and dean are a minimal pair because

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 a. they contain the same vowel sound.
b. they are both singular nouns
c. they differ in only one sound segment that occurs in the same place in the string.
87. / i: / & / a: / are different in:
a. tongue height b. length c. lip shape d. a&c
88. The Rising intonation is expressed in the following utterance:
a. Where are you from? c. I bought books, pens and rules.
b. You are student? d. John is an English student.
89. …….. are pronounced with the contact made between lower lip and upper teeth
a. fricatives b. stops c. labio-dentals d. dentals
90. Vocal folds are located in the:
a. pharynx b. larynx c. trachea d. mouth
91. The following diphthong is pronounced differently from the others:
a. really b. hear c. fear d. bear
92. The following vowel is pronounced differently from the others.
a. touch b. pour c. double d. country
93. A syllabic consonant stands as the center of a strong syllable instead of a vowel
a. True b. False
94. The word ‘potato’ can be pronounced in rapid, casual speed as / p’teitǝƱ / as a result of:
a. assimilation b. deletion of unstressed vowel
c. vowel neutralization d. contraction
95. The assimilation in bank / bæŋk / is:
a. Progressive assimilation of manner of articulation
b. Regressive assimilation of place of articulation
c. Regressive assimilation of voice
d. Progressive assimilation of place of articulation
96. The assimilation in Did you / dIʤu/ is:
a. Progressive assimilation of manner of articulation
b. Regressive assimilation of place of articulation
c. Regressive assimilation of voice
d. Progressive assimilation of place and manner of articulation
97. The consonant /d/ & /z/ are different from each other in their:
a. voicing b. place of articulation c. manner of articulation d. b&c
98. …… vowels are those for which the tongue is raised high.
a. central b. mid c. close d. open
99. The different realizations or pronunciations of the same phoneme are called:
a. homophones b. allophones c. homograph d. a&c
100. In isolation, a phoneme is :
a. meaningful b. meaningless c. able to change the meaning d. none of them
Choose the correct answer
1. When not emphasized, most ……… words are pronounced with a weak form.
a. functional b. lexical c. grammatical d. a&c
2. Which of the statement is false?
a. Allophones are different realizations of the same phoneme.
b. Allophones of a single phoneme are usually phonetically different.
c. Allophones of a phoneme are in complementary distribution.
3. Which of the statements below is not true about phoneme?
a. They are distinctive sound segments, acting to contrast words.
b. They are the smallest meaningful segments of language.
c. They are able to cause a change in meaning by substitution.
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4. Which of the following is an active articulator?
a. upper lip b. jaw c. alveolar ridge d. tongue
5. Which of the following is not a criterion of vowel classification?
a. shape of lips b. height of tongue c. vibration of vocal folds d. length of sound
6. Which is a case of progressive assimilation of manner?
a. That penb. that side c. books d. and you?
7. Which is a case of progressive assimilation of voicing?
a. That penb. that side c. books d. and you?
8. Which is a case of regressive assimilation of place?
a. That penb. that side c. books d. and you?

9. Which of the following figures describes the position of glottis for / k /

A B C D

10. Which pair forms the same minimal pair as bad – bed?
a. sad – said b. Mary – merry c. chase – chess

11. Which of the figures below illustrates the place of articulation for the final sound in the word
‘BATHE’……C……..

A B C D

A B C

12. Which of the figures above illustrates the place of articulation for the initial sound in the word
‘COUGH’ …C……….
13. Which of the following is a phoneme?

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 a. / t / b. [t] c. {t} d. t
14. Which of the following is an allophone?
a. p b. /p/ c. [p] d. {p}
15. Which of the following sentences has the intonation contour of 2 3 1?
a. Say hello to your mother b. She is eighty? c. Good morning, Bill.
16. Which of the following sentences has the intonation contour of 2 3 3 or 2 2 3  ?
a. Say hello to your mother b. She is eighty? c. Good morning, Bill.
17. How many syllables are there in the word “philosophy”?
a. 3 b. 6 c. 5 d. 4
18. Which of the following is not the type of vowel classified according to the height of the tongue.
a. close b. mid c. front d. open
19. Which of the following is not true?
a. Some syllables have an onset and a coda.
b. Some syllables may have no onset but have a coda.
c. Some syllables have an onset.
d. A minimum syllable would be a single vowel and a coda.
20. How many phonemes are there in the word “ HEATING”?
a. 4 b. 6 c. 7 d. 5
21. Which of the following words contains a closing diphthong?
a. hear b. hair c. day d. tour
Which tone is used to convey ______?
22. Uninterested: a. Fall b. Rise c. Fall-rise d. Rise-fall
23. With reservation: a. Fall b. Rise c. Fall-rise d. Rise-fall
24. Interest : a. Fall b. Rise c. Fall-rise d. Rise-fall
25. Strong feeling: a. Fall b. Rise c. Fall-rise d. Rise-fall
26. The assimilation in dogs is:
a. Progressive assimilation of manner of articulation
b. Regressive assimilation of place of articulation
c. Regressive assimilation of voice
d. Progressive assimilation of voice
29. The assimilation in Green pine is:
a. Progressive assimilation of manner of articulation
b. Regressive assimilation of place of articulation
c. Regressive assimilation of voice
d. Progressive assimilation of voice
28. English diphthongs glide from one vowel towards another while pure vowels remain
constant
a. True b. False
29. The velum is the front part of the roof of the mouth which is formed by a bony structure
a. True b. False
30. Voiceless stops are aspirated at the beginning of a word.
a. True b. False
31. Homorganic sounds have the same ……
a. place of articulation b. manner c. voicing d. sound
32. …… occurs to a vowel when it precedes a final voiceless consonant.
a. lengthening b. aspiration c. shortening d. devoicing
33. In speech …….. is raised so that air cannot escape through the nose.
a. velum b. soft palate c. palate d. a&b
34. Vibration happens when …
a. vocal folds are under tension b. the glottis is partially open
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 c. the vocal bands are wide apart d. a&b
35. Soft palate which can be touched by the tongue, at the back of the mouth is called:
a. velum b. alveolar c. uvula d. palate
36. Lips can be pressed together, brought into contact with the teeth or rounded to produce the lip-
shape for…
a. vowels b. consonants c. bilabial plosives d. vowels and some consonants
37. The final sound of ‘PLOUGH’ is a(n)…
a. dental b. labio-dental c. fricative d. none of them
38. Which of the following is not included in the criteria to classify vowels?
a. tongue height b. tongue part c. lip shape d. lenis / fortis
39. The centring diphthongs glide towards the …
a. close vowel b. front vowel c. schwa d. back vowel
40. ….. is (are) considered the most important speech instrument inside the larynx.
a. vocal cords b. glottis c. trachea
41. In manner of articulation, the important factor to help distinguish consonants & vowels is …
a. voicing b. obstruction to airflow c. lip shape d. tongue height
42. When the glottis is wide apart, we can …
a. breathe normally b. produce some consonants
c. produce all consonants d. a&b
43. The most important difference between initial voiceless plosives and voiced plosives is the …
a. aspiration b. voicing c. plosion d. length
44. The initial sound of ‘COLD’ is a(n) …
a. dental b. palatal c. velar d. alveolar
71. The most important speech instrument inside the larynx is:
a. vocal folds b. cartilages c. trachea d. glottis
72. ………… are the different phones or phonetic segments that represent or are derived from one phoneme.
a. distinctive feature b. sounds in free variations c. segments d. allophones
73. ……… are phonetically like vowels but phonologically like consonants.
a. semi-vowels b. approximants c. semi-consonants d. a&c
74. A weak form is ….. when it is being contrasted with another word.
a. strong b. weak c. normal d. the same
75. The word containing a close back long rounded vowel is …
a. good b. food c. foot d. book
76. The final sound in ACHE is a(n)…
a. voiceless palato-alveolar plosive b. voiced palato-alveolar plosive
c. voiced velar plosived. voiceless velar plosive
77. ………. is not the type of consonant classified according to the place of articulation
a. lateral b. palatal c. velar d. dental
78. The tone used to convey strong feeling is:
a. fall b. rise c. fall-rise d. rise-fall
79. The tone used to convey finality is :
a. fall b. rise c. fall-rise d. rise-fall
80. The function of intonation in distinguishing the two different meanings of the utterance ‘Those who sold
quickly made a profit’ is:
a. attitudinal b. accentual c. grammatical d. all of them
82. The assimilation in cats is:
a. progressive assimilation of voicing b. progressive assimilation of place of articulation
c. regressive assimilation of voicing d. regressive assimilation of voicing
83. The transcription containing full details for an exact pronunciation of a sound is:
a. phonemic transcription b. phonetic transcription c. narrow transcription d. b&c
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84. ……. are pronounced with the air flow escaping through a narrow passage
a. approximants b. fricatives c. affricates d. plosives
85. The linking in two or three is:
a. r b. w c. j d. none of them
86. Clear [l] only occurs before :
a. vowels b. consonants c. diphthongs d. a&c
87. The stress is on the ……. syllable in the word uncomfortable
a. first b. second c. third d. last
88. The phonetic transcription is written between:
a. [ ] b. / / c. { } d. ( )
89. The sound / t / in stop is :
a. aspirated b. unaspirated. c. released d. unreleased
90. The word with a voiced bilabial plosive final sound is:
a. dumb b. comb c climb d. rib