Phonemes – Objective Questions for IOE Set 1

 1.      Which of the following words contains the /ʃ/ sound?

a) ship
b) zip
c) chip
d) lip

2.      The phoneme /θ/ is found in which of the following words?
a) this
b) thing
c) that
d) then

3.      Which IPA symbol represents the sound in "judge"?
a) /dʒ/
b) /ʒ/
c) /tʃ/
d) /z/

4.      Which of the following is a voiced consonant?
a) /p/
b) /t/
c) /b/
d) /k/

5.      Which is a voiceless fricative?
a) /v/
b) /z/
c) /s/
d) /ʒ/

6.      In which word is the /ŋ/ sound found?
a) song
b) sung
c) sing
d) all of the above

7.      Which phoneme is a bilabial stop?
a) /m/
b) /b/
c) /v/
d) /f/

8.      The /tʃ/ sound is found in which word?
a) chin
b) gin
c) ship
d) jam

9.      Which word contains the diphthong /aɪ/?
a) boat
b) bite
c) bet
d) bought

10. Which phoneme is a nasal sound?
a) /l/
b) /n/
c) /r/
d) /z/

11. What is the manner of articulation for /t/?
a) Fricative
b) Plosive
c) Nasal
d) Approximant

12. Which of these is an alveolar sound?
a) /p/
b) /k/
c) /t/
d) /m/

13. The word "zoo" starts with which phoneme?
a) /s/
b) /z/
c) /ʃ/
d) /ʒ/

14. What is the IPA symbol for the sound in the middle of "measure"?
a) /s/
b) /ʃ/
c) /z/
d) /ʒ/

15. Which of the following is a front vowel?
a) /uː/
b) /iː/
c) /ɑː/
d) /ɔː/

16. Which of these is a high vowel?
a) /æ/
b) /iː/
c) /e/
d) /ʌ/

17. Which phoneme is not voiced?
a) /b/
b) /g/
c) /t/
d) /d/

18. Which of the following is a central vowel?
a) /iː/
b) /ʊ/
c) /ə/
d) /uː/

19. What is the IPA symbol for the vowel in "cat"?
a) /e/
b) /ʌ/
c) /æ/
d) /ɒ/

20. Which of the following is a velar consonant?
a) /f/
b) /s/
c) /g/
d) /l/

21. What is the IPA symbol for the vowel in "bird" (British English)?
a) /ɜː/
b) /ʌ/
c) /ɔː/
d) /ə/

22. The diphthong /eɪ/ is heard in which of the following words?
a) by
b) pay
c) cow
d) go

23. Which of the following is an affricate?
a) /tʃ/
b) /s/
c) /d/
d) /m/

24. Which sound is a lateral approximant?
a) /w/
b) /r/
c) /j/
d) /l/

25. Which word begins with a glottal sound?
a) house
b) game
c) hour
d) eye

26. Which phoneme is a labiodental?
a) /b/
b) /v/
c) /d/
d) /t/

27. Which of the following words contains a schwa /ə/ sound?
a) banana
b) bet
c) bat
d) ban

28. Which of the following is a back vowel?
a) /æ/
b) /iː/
c) /ɑː/
d) /e/

29. Which of these sounds is produced at the dental place of articulation?
a) /d/
b) /f/
c) /θ/
d) /g/

30. The phoneme /ʊ/ appears in which word?
a) book
b) bark
c) bat
d) bit

31. What type of sound is /j/ in the word “yes”?
a) Plosive
b) Affricate
c) Approximant
d) Nasal

32. Which is the correct phoneme for the final sound in "kiss"?
a) /s/
b) /z/
c) /ʃ/
d) /tʃ/

33. Which IPA symbol represents the first sound in "church"?
a) /tʃ/
b) /ʃ/
c) /s/
d) /dʒ/

34. What is the phoneme for the first sound in “thought”?
a) /t/
b) /θ/
c) /ð/
d) /ʃ/

35. Which one is a voiced fricative?
a) /θ/
b) /s/
c) /z/
d) /tʃ/

36. The sound /r/ is classified as
a) Lateral
b) Fricative
c) Approximant
d) Nasal

37. In phonetics, the term “plosive” refers to
a) Continuous airflow
b) Air blocked and then released
c) Nasal resonance
d) Tongue rolling

38. Which one of the following contains a diphthong?
a) cat
b) feet
c) coat
d) cap

39. Which of the following sounds is not an English vowel?
a) /aɪ/
b) /ə/
c) /ʃ/
d) /ɪ/

40. What kind of sound is /m/?
a) Voiceless nasal
b) Voiced nasal
c) Voiceless stop
d) Voiced stop

Answers

1.      Which of the following words contains the /ʃ/ sound?
a) ship
Reason: /ʃ/ is the "sh" sound, found in "ship".

2.      The phoneme /θ/ is found in which of the following words?
b) thing
Reason: /θ/ is the voiceless "th" as in "thing". "This, that, then" have /ð/ (voiced).

3.      Which IPA symbol represents the sound in "judge"?
a) /dʒ/
Reason: "judge" begins and ends with /dʒ/, a voiced affricate.

4.      Which of the following is a voiced consonant?
c) /b/
Reason: /b/ is a voiced bilabial plosive; the others are voiceless.

5.      Which is a voiceless fricative?
c) /s/
Reason: /s/ is a voiceless fricative; /v/, /z/, /ʒ/ are voiced.

6.      In which word is the /ŋ/ sound found?
d) all of the above
Reason: All words have the final nasal velar /ŋ/ as in "sing".

7.      Which phoneme is a bilabial stop?
b) /b/
Reason: /b/ is a voiced bilabial plosive (both lips used to stop and release air).

8.      The /tʃ/ sound is found in which word?
a) chin
Reason: /tʃ/ is the "ch" sound, as in "chin".

9.      Which word contains the diphthong /aɪ/?
b) bite
Reason: /aɪ/ is the vowel sound in "bite", starting with /a/ and gliding to /ɪ/.

10. Which phoneme is a nasal sound?
b) /n/
Reason: /n/ is an alveolar nasal; others are not nasals.

11. What is the manner of articulation for /t/?
b) Plosive
Reason: /t/ is a voiceless alveolar plosive (air blocked and released).

12. Which of these is an alveolar sound?
c) /t/
Reason: /t/ is articulated at the alveolar ridge behind the upper teeth.

13. The word "zoo" starts with which phoneme?
b) /z/
Reason: "zoo" starts with the voiced fricative /z/.

14. What is the IPA symbol for the sound in the middle of "measure"?
d) /ʒ/
Reason: The "s" in "measure" sounds like /ʒ/ (as in "vision").

15. Which of the following is a front vowel?
b) /iː/
Reason: /iː/ (as in "see") is a high front vowel.

16. Which of these is a high vowel?
b) /iː/
Reason: /iː/ is produced with the tongue high in the mouth.

17. Which phoneme is not voiced?
c) /t/
Reason: /t/ is a voiceless plosive; others are voiced.

18. Which of the following is a central vowel?
c) /ə/
Reason: /ə/ (schwa) is a central, mid, and unstressed vowel.

19. What is the IPA symbol for the vowel in "cat"?
c) /æ/
Reason: "cat" is pronounced with the short front vowel /æ/.

20. Which of the following is a velar consonant?
c) /g/
Reason: /g/ is produced at the velum (soft palate).

21. What is the IPA symbol for the vowel in "bird" (British English)?
a) /ɜː/
Reason: In British English, "bird" contains the long mid-central vowel /ɜː/.

22. The diphthong /eɪ/ is heard in which of the following words?
b) pay
Reason: "pay" is pronounced with the diphthong /eɪ/.

23. Which of the following is an affricate?
a) /tʃ/
Reason: /tʃ/ is a voiceless affricate (stop + fricative).

24. Which sound is a lateral approximant?
d) /l/
Reason: /l/ is lateral (air flows along sides of tongue) and approximant.

25. Which word begins with a glottal sound?
c) hour
Reason: "hour" starts with a vowel, and in IPA, it's considered to begin with a glottal onset or glide.

26. Which phoneme is a labiodental?
b) /v/
Reason: /v/ is made with the bottom lip and top teeth (labiodental).

27. Which of the following words contains a schwa /ə/ sound?
a) banana
Reason: The first and last syllables in "banana" are pronounced with /ə/.

28. Which of the following is a back vowel?
c) /ɑː/
Reason: /ɑː/ is a low back vowel (as in "father").

29. Which of these sounds is produced at the dental place of articulation?
c) /θ/
Reason: /θ/ is a voiceless dental fricative (as in "think").

30. The phoneme /ʊ/ appears in which word?
a) book
Reason: "book" contains the short high back rounded vowel /ʊ/.

31. What type of sound is /j/ in the word “yes”?
c) Approximant
Reason: /j/ is a palatal approximant (as in "yes").

32. Which is the correct phoneme for the final sound in "kiss"?
a) /s/
Reason: "kiss" ends in the voiceless fricative /s/.

33. Which IPA symbol represents the first sound in "church"?
a) /tʃ/
Reason: "church" begins with the affricate /tʃ/.

34. What is the phoneme for the first sound in “thought”?
b) /θ/
Reason: "thought" begins with the voiceless dental fricative /θ/.

35. Which one is a voiced fricative?
c) /z/
Reason: /z/ is voiced; /θ/, /s/, /tʃ/ are voiceless or affricates.

36. The sound /r/ is classified as
c) Approximant
Reason: /r/ is a post-alveolar approximant in English.

37. In phonetics, the term “plosive” refers to
b) Air blocked and then released
Reason: Plosives are stop sounds like /p/, /b/, /t/ created by stopping airflow.

38. Which one of the following contains a diphthong?
c) coat
Reason: "coat" has the diphthong /əʊ/ in British English.

39. Which of the following sounds is not an English vowel?
c) /ʃ/
Reason: /ʃ/ is a consonant (fricative), not a vowel.

40. What kind of sound is /m/?
b) Voiced nasal
Reason: /m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal (mouth closed, air through nose).