QUESTIONS FOR REVISION

1. What is phonetics?
Phonetics is the study of speech sounds. It deals with the
physical aspects of sounds.
nghiên cứu về âm tố của âm thanh. Nó liên quan đến các khía
cạnh vật lý của âm thanh.
Ex: differences aspiration between the aspirated /p/ of [p hit] Pit
and the unaspirated /p/ of [tip] Tip.

2. What is phonology or phonemics?

Phonology or phonemics is the study or description of the distinctive
sound units (PHONEMES) of a language and their relationship to one
another. It deals with functional or practical aspect of sounds.

Ex The study of sound patterns is influenced by the combination of

words. E.g /giv/ give and /him/ him may combine to /givim/ give him.
3. What is a phoneme? How many phonemes are there in
English language?
A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language which can
distinguish two words.
Ex: BAN and BIN differ only in their vowels: / æ/ and /i/
English is often considered to have 44 phonemes which are
classified into. 24 consonants, 20 vowels
4. What is a vowel? What is the difference between a vowel
and a consonant? Give examples.
A vowel is a speech sound in which the airstreams from the lungs
is not blocked in any way in the mouth or throat- and which is
usually pronounced with vibration of the vocal cords.
Ex : /i:/ in /si:/ see
/u:/ in /tu:/ too
-The difference between a vowel and a consonant is in 2 aspects:
+ A vowel is produced without any stoppage of the airstreams in
the oral cavity meanwhile there is obstruction in the production of
a consonant
+ A vowel is syllabic, i.e., it forms the center or nucleus of a
syllable meanwhile a consonant is not except some syllabic
consonant.

5. What are characteristics to classify vowels? Give

examples.
Vowels are classified according to these 5 standards:
1 Tongue height
-Tongue height is the vertical distance between the upper surface
of the tongue and the palate
-The tongue may be raised high, mid or low.
-Correspondingly, the position of the jaw may be close, mid or
close.
2 Tongue position: this mean the front, central or back of the
tongue is raised or lowered.
/i:/ Tongue position is front /a:/ central
/u:/ back
3 Lip rounding: different shapes and position of the lips. The may
be rounded, unrounded or neutral.
Ex Such vowels /u/ and / ɒ /are called rounded vowels. Some
vowels, such as /i/ and / ɜ :/, are called unrounded vowels.
4 Muscle tension: tenseness in the muscle of the jaw and throat.
The muscle may be lax or tense. Short vowels are often lax
vowels meanwhile tense vowels are often long vowels.
Ex such as the vowels /i/ and /e/, are called tense vowels.
/ ɪ / and / ɜ :/, are called lax vowels.
5 Vowel length: there are 5 long vowels : i: u: ɜ: ɔ: a: and 7
short vowels : ə I e æ ʌ ʊ ɒ
6. Can you briefly describe these vowels: /i:/ & /i/; /e/ & /æ/;
/ɒ/ & /ɔ:/ and give examples.
- / i:/ may be defined as front high-narrow unrounded long and
tense.
/ i / may be defined as front –retracted high-broad unrounded
short and lax
Ex seen - sin seat - sit
- /e/ may be defined as front mid-narrow unrounded short and lax
/ æ/ may be defined as front low-broad unrounded short and lax
Ex men-man bed – bad
- / ɒ/ may be defined as back low-broad slightly rounded short
and lax
/ ɔ:/ may be defined as fully back mid-broad slightly rounded long
and tense
Ex pot- port
7. Can you briefly describe these vowels: /a:/ & /ʌ/; /ʊ/ & /u:/;
/ə/ & /3:/ and give examples.
- /a:/ may be defined as back- advanced low-broad unrounded long
and tense
/ ʌ / may be defined as central low-narrow unrounded short and lax
Ex cart – cut part – putt
- / ʊ / may be defined as back –advanced high-broad slightly
rounded short and lax
/ u:/ may be defined as back high-narrow diphthongized rounded
long and tense.
Ex look – Luke full-fool
-/ ə/ may be defined as central mid-broad unrounded short and lax
/ ɜ: / may be defined as central mid-narrow unrounded long and
tense
Ex again- bird around- burn
8. What is the definition of a diphthong? How are diphthongs
classified?
A diphthong is a speech sound which is usually considered as
one distinctive vowel of a particular language but really involves
two vowels, with one vowel gliding to the other. in terms of length,
diphthongs are like ong vowels.
Ex diphthong /ai/ in word My
Classification
1. Centering diphthongs ending in /ə/: the centering diphthongs
glide towards the ə
i -> ə /iə/ e->ə /eə/ u->ə /uə/
2. Closing diphthongs : the closing diphthongs have the
characteristic that hey all end with a glide towards a closer vowel.
Ending in /i/
e-> i /ei/ a->i /ai/ ɔ->i /ɔi/
Ending in /u/
ə->u /əu/ a->u /au/
9. Can you briefly describe these diphthongs: /ei/, /ai/, /ɔɪ/,
/əʊ/, /au/, /ɪə/
1. /ei/ May be defined as front mid-narrow unrounded diphthong.
The tongue moves from/e/ to the front vowel /i/
Ex late pain
2. /ai/ May be defined as front-retracted low-broad unrounded
diphthong. The tongue moves from/a/ to the front vowel /i/
Ex like ride rice
3./ ɔi/ May be defined as back low-narrow slightly rounded
diphthong. The tongue moves from/o/ to the front vowel /i/
Ex noise oil joy
4./əʊ/ May be defined as central mid-narrow unrounded
diphthong. The tongue moves from/ə/ to the front vowel /ʊ/
Ex code bone tone
5./au/ May be defined as front-retracted low-broad unrounded
diphthong. The tongue moves from/a/ to the back vowel /u/
Ex how bow found
6./iə/ May be defined as front-retracted high-broad unrounded
diphthong. The tongue moves from/i/ to the central vowel /ə/
Ex here fear
7./eə/ May be defined as front mid-broad unrounded diphthong.
The tongue moves from/a/ to the central vowel /i/
Ex hair air dairy /ˈdeə.ri/
8./ʊə/ May be defined as back-advanced high-broad slightly
rounded diphthong. The tongue moves from/ʊ/ to the back
vowel /ə/
Ex sure tour
10. What is a consonant? What is the difference between a
vowel and a consonant? Give examples.
A consonant is a speech sound where the air stream from the
lungs is either completely blocked (STOP), partially blocked
(LATERAL), or where the opening is so narrow the air escapes
with audible friction (FRICATIVE). With some consonants
(NASAL) the air stream is blocked in the mouth but allowed to
escape through the nose.
-The difference between a vowel and a consonant is in 2 aspects:
+ A vowel is produced without any stoppage of the airstreams in
the oral cavity meanwhile there is obstruction in the production of
a consonant
+ A vowel is syllabic, i.e., it forms the center or nucleus of a
syllable meanwhile a consonant is not except some syllabic
consonant.
11. How are consonants classified according to places of
articulation? Give examples.
Bi-labials: are the sounds made with the 2 lips pressed together
Ex: /b/, /p/, /m/, /w/.
Labio-dental: the upper teeth and the lower lip come close
together.
Ex: /f/, /v
Dental or interdental: the tip of the tongue is between the upper
and lower teeth
Ex: /θ/ , /ð//
Alveolar: the tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge
Ex: /t/, /d/ ,/n/ ,/s/ ,/z/ ,/r/ ,/l/
Alveolar – palatal: the front of the tongue touches the part
between the alveolar ridge and hard palate
Ex: /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/
Velar: are the sounds which are produced with the back of the
tongue touches the soft palate or velum.
Ex: / ŋ/, /k/, /g/
Palatal: the front of the tongue touches the hard palate
Ex:/j/
Glottal: the sound is produced with a friction noise in the glottis
between the vocal cords. The glottis opens wide and the sound is
voiceless
Ex:/h/
12. How are consonants classified according to manner of
articulation? Give examples.
Plosive stop: the air is stopped and then released with an
explosive sound
Ex: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/.
Fricatives: the air is constricted, causing friction when passing
through the organs of speech
Ex: / f/, /v/, /Ɵ/, /ð/, /h/, /z/, /s/, /ʒ/, /ʃ/
Affricate: it is the combination of the plosive and fricative. The air
stream is stopped and then released slowly with friction
Ex: /tʃ/ ,/dʒ/
Nasal: the air passes through the nose when the uvula is lowered
Ex:/m/, /n/, / ŋ/
Lateral: a speech sound which is produced by partially blocking
the air stream from the lungs, usually by the tongue, but letting it
escape at one or both sides of the tongue
Ex:/l/
Gliding or Semi -vowels consonants or approximants: there is a
gliding from one to another with little or no obstruction of the air
stream. The tip of the tongue approaches the alveolar ridge.
Ex: /w/, /r/, /j/.
13. How are consonants classified according to voicing and
aspiration? Give examples.
Vocing
Voiced: speech sounds which are produced with the vocal cords
vibrating are called ‘voiced’. Such vibration can be felt by touching
the neck in the region of the larynx.
Ex the /d/ in /den/ den is a voiced stop
Voiceless: speech sounds which are produced without vibration of
the vocal cords are called ‘Voiceless’.
Ex: the /t/ in /tin/ tin is a Voiceless stop.
Aspiration
Aspirated: A sound is aspirated when it is at the beginning of a
word or in a stressed syllable.
/p/ is aspirated at the beginning of the word /pæn/. Ex: paper,
pen, people
Unaspirated: A sound is unaspirated when it is before an
unstressed syllable, before another stop sound or after /s-/.
Ex: paper, happy, spy
14. Can you briefly describe these consonants?
Plosive stop: /b/, /p/, /d/, /t/, /g/, /k/
Fricative: /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /h/, /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ sách

15. Can you briefly describe these consonants: Affricate: / tʃ/,

/dʒ /; Nasal: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/; Lateral: /l/; Gliding or semi-vowel
consonants: /w/, /r/, /j/ and give examples.

16. What are fortis consonants? What are lenis consonants?

Give examples.
A fortis consonant is a “strong” consonant produced by
increased tension in the vocal apparatus
A lenis consonant is a “weak” consonant produced by the
lack of tension in the vocal apparatus.
The voiceless /p t k/ are produced with more force than the voiced
/b d g/. Therefore, /p t k/ are sometimes called FORTIS meaning
STRONG and /b d g/ are called LENIS meaning WEAK.
Ex: /b d g/ are lenis consonants.
/p t k/are fortis consonants.
The following English consonants are voiceless and fortis: /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /S/, /tS/, /0/,
/h/

The following English consonants are voiced and lenis: /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /3/,/d3/, /ð/,
/L/, /m/, /n/, /n/, /r/, /w/, /j/
17. What is the definition of assimilation? How many types of
assimilation are there? What are they? Give an example for
each type.
Assimilation is the influence of one phoneme upon another
neighboring phonemes so that they become more like.
There are two types of assimilation: Regressive and progressive.
Progressive assimilation: when the latter is affected to become
the former in some ways
Regressive assimilation: when the former is affected to become
the latter in some ways
18. What is the definition of linking? How many cases of
linking are there? What are they? Give an example for each.
Linking happens when we link words together, usually for ease of
pronunciation
1 Vowel- to- vowel
2 Stop- to- stop consonants
3 Consonant- to- vowel
4 Linking /r/. Final r + initial vowel. it occurs in the word's spelling
5 Intrusive /r/. final r + vowel. it doesn't occur in the word's
spelling
6 Intrusive /j/
7 Intrusive /w/
19. What is intonation? What are 5 different tones?
When speaking, people generally raise and lower the pitch of their
voice, forming pitch patterns. They also give some syllables in
their utterances a greater degree of loudness and change their
speech rhythm. These phenomena are called intonation.
5 different tones
1 Fall in pitch
2 Rise in pitch
3 A slight rise in pitch
3 Fall in pitch followed by rise
4 rise in pitch followed by Fall
20. What are uses of falling intonation (tone 1). Give an
example for each.
Uses of falling intonation
Statements I was very glad
Imperatives Shut the door
Wh-question Why have you done it?
21. What are uses of rising intonation (tone 2). Give an
example for each.
It is used in
Yes-no question Are you ready
Imperatives as requests or statements as remarks of any emotion
That’s funny