Features

Question 1

[±continuant]

Answer 1

sounds produced with free or nearly free airflow through the centre of the oral cavity are [+continuant]; other sounds including stops and nasals are [-continuant]

Question 2

[±delayed release], [±DR]

Answer 2

in an affricate sound such as [tʃ] the tongue is slower in leaving the roof of the mouth than a stop like [t] on its own. only affricates are are [+delayed release]

Question 3

[±nasal]

Answer 3

sounds produced with a lower velum are [+nasal], sounds that are oral and produced with a raised velum are [-nasal]

Question 4

[±lateral]

Answer 4

all and only varieties of l are [+lateral], with air escaping along the lowered sides of the tongue, all other sounds are [-lateral]

Question 5

[LABIAL]

Answer 5

represents the labial articulator, any sound produced with one or both of the lips

Question 6

[±round]

Answer 6

a sound produced with the labial articulator may be produced by protruding the lips, such sounds are [+round], labial sounds made with no lip protrusion are [-round]

Question 7

[CORONAL]

Answer 7

represents coronal articulator, any sound produced with involvement of the tongue tip or blade raised

Question 8

[±anterior]

Answer 8

all coronal sounds articulated in front of the alveopalatal region (interdentals and alveolars) are [+anterior], coronal sounds articulated at or behind the alceopalatal region (alveopalatals) are [-anterior]

Question 9

[±strident]

Answer 9

all ‘noisy’ coronal fricatives and affricates (s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ) are [+strident]; all other coronal frics and affrics (θ, ð) are [-strident]

Question 10

[DORSAL]

Answer 10

represents the dorsal articulator, all sounds that are produced with the involvement of the body of the tongue, including all vowels, are [DORSAL]

Question 11

[±high]

Answer 11

dorsal consonants (velars and palatals) and vowels produced with the tongue body raised from a central position in the oral cavity are [+high], sounds produced with a neutral or lowered tongue are [-high]

Question 12

[±low]

Answer 12

vowels produced with the tongue body lowered from a central position in the oral cavity are [+low].

the feature [low] is not needed for consonants in English , but it can be used in other languages for uvular or pharyngeal consonants

Question 13

[±tense]

Answer 13

vowels that are tense are [+tense], vowels that are lax are [-tense]

Question 14

[±reduced]

Answer 14

the vowel schwa ([ə]) is a lax and exceptionally brief vowel and is therefore [+reduced]; all other vowels are [-reduced]

Question 15

[±voice]

Answer 15

all voiced sounds are [+voice];all voiceless sounds are [-voice]

Question 16

[±spread glottis] ([±SG])

Answer 16

all aspirated consonants and [h] are [+SG], all others are [-SG]

the use of this feature reflects the fact that aspiration occurs when the vocal folds remain open (spread) after the release of a consonant’s closure

Question 17

[±constricted glottis] ([±CG])

Answer 17

all sounds made with a closed glottis are [+CG], all others are [-CG], in english only the glotta stop [ʔ] is [+CG]

Question 18

[±consonantal]

Answer 18

sounds that are [+consonantal] are produced with a major obstruction in the vocal tract

all consonants are [+consonantal] except for the glottals [h] and [ʔ] which are produced in the glottis rather than the vocal tract, like glides and vowels they are [-consonantal]

Question 19

[±syllabic]

Answer 19

sounds that can act as syllable nuclei are [+syllabic]; this includes vowels, syllabic liquids, and syllabic nasals, all other sounds are [-syllabic]

Question 20

[±sonorant]

Answer 20

all and only those sounds that are ‘singable’ are [+sonorant]; they include vowels, glides, liquids, and nasals (even if the sounds are devoiced)

all non-singable sounds (namely obstruents) are [-sonorant]