VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY Student’s full name: .............................................................

UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES Student ID: ...........................................................................

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS & LITERATURE
Class: ...................................................................................

FINAL EXAMINATION
ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY
Time Allotted: 60 minutes

Proctors Total Score

Approved by Examiners
(CBCT) (100%)

1. 1.

2. 2.

Notes: Materials or dictionaries are NOT allowed.

Students write their answers on the answer sheet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 1. TERMINOLOGY

1.1. Fill in the blank with an appropriate word or phrase to complete the description.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 10
• Point for ONE correct answer: 2
• Maximum points: 20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A phoneme is the smallest, ____________ unit in the sound

1 CONTRASTIVE
system of a language.

A ____________ is a pair of words identical in every way

2 MINIMAL PAIR
except for one single sound segment.

The allophones of a phoneme are said to be in COMPLEMENTARY

3
____________ . DISTRIBUTION

The basic characteristic of a ____________ consonant is

4 NASAL
that the air escapes through the nose.
In the production of an ____________ the articulators
5 approach each other but do not get sufficiently close to APPROXIMANT
each other to produce a complete consonant.

1
 A ____________ consonant is one that forms a syllable on
6 SYLLABIC
its own, like /n/ in the English word eaten.

/r/ is called the ____________ due to the fact that in its

7 RETROFLEX
production the tongue is curled back with the tip raised.

There are four phases in the production of a plosive: [1]

8 closing phase, [2] ____________ phase, [3] release phase, COMPRESSION
and [4] post-release phase.
An affricate must be formed by a plosive and a fricative the
place of articulation of both must be the same, i.e. the
9 HOMORGANIC
plosive and the fricative are made with the same
articulators. In other words, they must be __________.
__________ refer to such features as stress, pitch, rhythm,
10 intonation, and other features that always accompany the SUPRASEGMENTALS
production of segmentals.

1.2. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE. Write T for true statements and
F for false statements in the space provided.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 5
• Point for ONE correct answer: 1
• Maximum points: 5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 An oral sound is produced with the velum raised. TRUE

2 A voiceless plosive shortens the nasal preceding it. TRUE

3 In a tone unit, the head may contain no stressed syllables. FALSE

The lateral and approximants form the class of post-initial consonants

4 TRUE
in RP.

5 The distinctive feature in the pair “pan”/ “ban” is [± voice]. FALSE

2
SECTION 2. PHONETICS. CONSONANTS

• Identify the sound of the highlighted part in each of the following words.
• Provide a consonantal description for the sound of the highlighted part.

• Example:
0. six / ks / [voiceless; velar, plosive] & [voiceless, alveolar, fricative]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 10
• Point for ONE correct answer: 2 [1pt for transcription, 1pt for consonantal description]
• Maximum points: 20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phonemic
Consonantal description
Transcription
1. reference /r/ Voiced – post alveolar – retroflex

2. twilight /w/ Voiced – bilabial – approximant

3. spacing /p/ Voiceless – bilabial – plosive

4. debuted /d/ Voiced – alveolar - plosive

5. consolidate /l/ Voiced – alveolar - lateral

6. control /k/ Voiceless – velar –plosive

7. cash /ʃ/ Voiceless – post alveolar – fricative

8. smudge /dʒ/ Voiced – post alveolar – affricate

9. finger /ŋ/ Voiced – velar – nasal

10. comfort /f/ Voiceless – labiodental - fricative

3
SECTION 3. PHONETICS. VOWELS
• Observe the vowel quadrilateral carefully.
• Each black dot represents the location of a pure English vowel. There are totally 11 dots
marked from A to L.
• Decide on the vowel quadrilateral the location of the sound of the highlighted part in each of
the following words.
• Write your answers, A-L, on the answer sheet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 15
• Point for ONE correct answer: 1
• Maximum points: 15
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. bodyguard
A C 2. piece
3. sorry
B D
4. again
5. butcher
H 6. tooth
7. study
E 8. landlord
G 9. stalk
10. bookmark
J 11. English
L 12. region
13. cork
I K 14. sleeveless
15. mood

1. K 6. C 11. B
2. A 7. J 12. A
3. L 8. I 13. H
4. E 9. H 14. A
5. D 10. D 15. C

4
SECTION 4. SYLLABLE STRUCTURE
• Provide the phonemic transcription for each of the following words.
• Classify the phonemes by completing the table.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 5
• Point for ONE correct answer: 2
• Maximum points: 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYLLABLE
ONSET RHYME

coda
pre- post-
initial peak
initial initial pre- post- post- post-
final
final final 1 final 2 final 3

0 bed bed b e d

1 sixths sɪksθs s ɪ k s θ s

2 splash splæʃ s p l æ ʃ

3 sprained spreɪnd s p r eɪ n d

4 straight streɪt s t r eɪ t

5 smoked sməʊkt s m əʊ k t

5
SECTION 5. PHONOLOGY

5.1. Transcribe the following words PHONETICALLY.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 5
• Point for ONE correct answer: 2
• Maximum points: 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phonemic Transcription

0 come [kʰʌ̃m]

1 preach [pʰr̥iˑtʃ]

2 bump [b̥ʌ̃m̆p]

3 skill [skɪɫ]

4 burden [ˈb̥ɜːdn̩]

5 gain [ɡ̥eɪñ ]

5.2.
• Transcribe the following phrases to show the phonological processes involved.
• Then name the processes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 5
• Point for ONE correct answer: 2
• Maximum points: 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcription Phonological processes

0 Have to leave [ hᴂftə li:v] VOICING ASSIMILATION

ASSIMILATION TO POST-
1 This young man ðɪʃ(j)ʌŋ mæn
ALVEOLAR PLACE

2 Before April bɪˈfɔːr ˈ‿eɪprəl LINKING /r/

3 left luggage lefˈlʌɡɪdʒ ELISION (of /t/)

4 that sad ðæsæd MANNER ASSIMILATION ( tà s)

5 with care wɪθkeə VOICING ASSIMILATION

6
SECTION 6. INTONATION
• In English, there are 5 basic tones:
A. Fall
B. Rise
C. Fall-Rise
D. Rise-Fall
E. Level
• Study the following situations carefully and decide the appropriate tone for the highlighted
word. Wherever deemed necessarily, the emotion/attitude to be expressed is indicated between
two asterisks *...*
• Choose the most appropriate tone (A-E) for each of the following situation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Number of questions: 10
• Point for ONE correct answer: 1
• Maximum points: 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A: Did you know John?

1. B: □No
* B is busy doing his work and does not want to talk this moment.
* B is answering a series of questions for an insurance contract.
A: Your name?
B: Mary
2. A: Health issue?
B: □no
A: Married?
B: Yes
A: What do you think of this dress?
3. B: Ex□pensive!
* B is very shocked by the price.
A: Do you have minute?
4. B: □Maybe!
* B is quite hesitant in his response.
A: Where is mom?
5. B: She is in the □living room.
* B is certain.
6. Excuse me! What did you □say? I was a little bit distracted.
A: Mary
B: Yes
7. A: John
C: □Yes
*A is checking attendance.
8. A: Was it □hurt?

9. A: The ingredients are eggs, butter, lemon, and some □cheese.

A: What do you think of this new dish?
10. B: De□licious!
*B is very impressed by the food.