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Free Practice Quiz Question List

03 Phonology Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 03 Phonology, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions
01
Choose one
1 point

A consonant changes its place of articulation to become more like a neighboring consonant. Which phonological process does this describe?

  1. A

    Assimilation

  2. B

    Deletion

  3. C

    Insertion

  4. D

    Aspiration

02
True or false
1 point

True or false: English pat /pæt/ and bat /bæt/ form a minimal pair, providing evidence that /p/ and /b/ are separate phonemes.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

03
Written response
1 point

What is the phonological process called when a sound is omitted in a particular context?

04
Choose one
1 point

What conclusion is supported by the English words pat /pæt/ and bat /bæt/?

  1. A

    They have the same meaning, so their initial sounds are allophones.

  2. B

    They differ in meaning and in only one sound in the same position, showing a phonemic contrast.

  3. C

    They differ in several sounds, so they cannot provide evidence about phonemes.

  4. D

    They occur in complementary distribution, so /p/ and /b/ are allophones.

05
True or false
1 point

True or false: If two sounds occur in complementary distribution, that fact alone proves they are allophones of one phoneme.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

06
Fill in the blank
1 point

For the English syllable plant [plænt], identify its onset, nucleus, and coda: onset , nucleus , coda .

07
Choose all
1 point

Select all statements that can describe free variation between two pronunciations.

  1. A

    The variants can occur in the same environment.

  2. B

    Choosing one variant rather than the other does not change word meaning.

  3. C

    Pronunciation, speaking style, or social context may influence which variant is used.

  4. D

    The variants must occur in separate environments, with each restricted to its own context.

08
Written response
1 point

In the feature notation [±voice], what sound property distinguishes /p/ from /b/ in English?

09
Fill in the blank
1 point

The phonetic realizations of a phoneme are its .

10
Choose one
1 point

In a variety of English, [pʰ] occurs at the beginning of a stressed syllable, as in pin, while [p] occurs after /s/, as in spin. What is the best-supported analysis of [pʰ] and [p]?

  1. A

    They must be separate phonemes because their pronunciations differ.

  2. B

    They are in free variation because both occur in the same environment.

  3. C

    They are reasonably analyzed as allophones of /p/, given their similarity and predictable distribution.

  4. D

    They cannot be related because aspiration is a syllable part.

11
Choose all
1 point

Select all statements supported by the description of /p, t, k/ as a sound class.

  1. A

    The sounds /p, t, k/ are voiceless stops in English.

  2. B

    The sounds /p, t, k/ form an example of a natural class.

  3. C

    The sounds /p, t, k/ are all bilabial.

  4. D

    A rule applying to this group can be stated in terms of the features they share instead of listing each sound separately.

12
Open ended
1 point

Describe a systematic way to decide whether two sounds in unfamiliar language data are separate phonemes or allophones. Include what minimal-pair evidence establishes, what to examine if no contrast is found, and why complementary distribution alone is insufficient.

13
Choose one
1 point

A learner knows that [pl] is a possible English onset in plant. Which conclusion about English phonotactics is justified?

  1. A

    Every sequence of consonants is a possible English onset.

  2. B

    English permits [pl] as an onset, while other imagined consonant sequences may be disallowed.

  3. C

    The cluster [pl] must be the nucleus because it begins the syllable.

  4. D

    Phonotactic constraints describe only the meanings of words.

14
Choose one
1 point

In the English syllable plant [plænt], which segment is the nucleus?

  1. A

    [pl]

  2. B

    [æ]

  3. C

    [nt]

  4. D

    [plæ]

15
Choose one
1 point

English pat /pæt/ and bat /bæt/ differ in meaning and only in their first sound. What does this minimal pair show?

  1. A

    They are predictable allophones of one phoneme.

  2. B

    They are separate phonemes in English.

  3. C

    They are in free variation.

  4. D

    They are different syllable positions.

16
Choose one
1 point

The English sounds /p/ and /b/ are both bilabial stops. Which distinctive feature distinguishes them?

  1. A

    [±voice]

  2. B

    [±place]

  3. C

    [±manner]

  4. D

    [±nasal]

17
Written response
1 point

A sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound in a feature such as place of articulation. What is this phonological process called?

18
Choose one
1 point

An English learner finds that some consonant sequences can begin a syllable, while other imaginable sequences cannot. What concept describes these language-specific restrictions?

  1. A

    Rules that determine which sounds can distinguish words

  2. B

    Properties that identify a sound's place and manner

  3. C

    Language-specific restrictions on sound sequences in syllable positions

  4. D

    Changes that make a sound more like its neighbor

19
Written response
1 point

What is the phonological term for two words that differ in meaning and in exactly one sound in the same position?

20
True or false
1 point

A speaker adds a sound in a particular context to make pronunciation easier. This pattern is an example of insertion.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False