Chapter 4

Question 1

Phoneme

Answer 1

The smallest meaning distinguishing sound unit in the abstract representation of the sounds of a language

Question 2

Phonology

Answer 2

The study of the systems and patterns of speech sounds in languages

Question 3

Phone

Answer 3

A physically produced speech sound representing one version of a phoneme

Question 4

Allophone

Answer 4

One of a closely related set of speech sounds or phones (e.g. the [t] sound in tar and the [t] sound in star
Or: different pronunciation of the same phonemes in different phonetic environments

Question 5

Aspiration

Answer 5

A puff of air that sometimes accompanies the pronunciation of a stop (e.g. the puff of air accompanying [t] in tar)

Question 6

Minimal pair (set)

Answer 6

Two (or more) words that are identical in form except for contrast in one phoneme in the same position in each word(e.g. Bad, mad)

Question 7

Closed syllable

Answer 7

A syllable that ends with a consonant or coda

Question 8

Coda

Answer 8

The part of a syllable after the vowel

Question 9

Nucleus

Answer 9

The vowel in a syllable

Question 10

Onset

Answer 10

The part of the syllable before the vowel

Question 11

Open syllable

Answer 11

A syllable that ends with a vowel or nucleus and has no coda

Question 12

Phonotactics

Answer 12

Constraints on the permissible combination of sounds in a language

Question 13

Rhyme

Answer 13

The part of the syllable containing the vowel plus any following consonant(s), also called “rime”

Question 14

Syllable

Answer 14

A unit of sound consisting of a vowel and optional consonants before or after the vowel
Or: a sound unit that must contain a vowel or a vowel-like sound, including diphthongs

Question 15

Coarticulation

Answer 15

The process of making one sound virtually at the same time as the next sound

Question 16

Consonant cluster

Answer 16

Two or more consonants in sequence

Question 17

Assimilation

Answer 17

The process whereby the feature of one sound becomes part of another during speech production (e.g. “have to” pronounced as “haf to”)
OR: making a sound segment more similar to the next one

Question 18

Nasalization

Answer 18

Pronunciation of a sound with air flowing through the nose, typically before a nasal consonant
OR: adding a nasal quality to a sound segment before a nasal sound

Question 19

Elision

Answer 19

The process of leaving out a sound segment in the pronunciation of a word (e.g. prisoner pronounced as prisner or must be pronounced as musbe)

Question 20

Natural class

Answer 20

Group of phonemes that share some features (e.g. /p/: -voice, +bilabial, +stop & /k/: -voice, +velar, +stop)

Question 21

Complementary distribution

Answer 21

When two different allophones of a phoneme are used in different places in words