IOE exam practice focusing on consonant sounds, vowel sounds (monophthongs), and diphthongs.

IOE exam practice focusing on consonant sounds, vowel sounds (monophthongs), and diphthongs.

1.      Which word contains the voiced dental fricative /ð/?
A) Think
B) This
C) Mouth (noun)
D) Ether

Answer: B) This

2.      Identify the initial consonant sound in “choir.”
A) /tʃ/
B) /k/
C) /ʃ/
D) /dʒ/

Answer: B) /k/

3.      Which vowel is a monophthong (pure vowel)?
A) /eɪ/ as in “face”
B) /aʊ/ as in “mouth”
C) /ɔː/ as in “thought”
D) /ɪə/ as in “near”

Answer: C) /ɔː/

4.      Which word ends with the voiced alveolar plosive?
A) Cap
B) Cab
C) Cat
D) Back

Answer: B) Cab

5.      The diphthong /aɪ/ appears in which word?
A) How
B) Boy
C) High
D) Go

Answer: C) High

6.      Which word contains the voiceless palato-alveolar fricative /ʃ/?
A) Genre
B) Pleasure
C) Ship
D) Vision

Answer: C) Ship

7.      Choose the word with a long monophthong /iː/.
A) Sit
B) Seat
C) Set
D) Sat

Answer: B) Seat

8.      Which word starts with the voiced bilabial nasal?
A) Man
B) Pan
C) Van
D) Can

Answer: A) Man

9.      The diphthong /əʊ/ (or /oʊ/) is in:
A) Now
B) No
C) Nigh
D) Near

Answer: B) No

10. Which word has the voiced velar plosive /g/ at the end?
A) Pick
B) Pig
C) Pik (as in peak)
D) Pit

Answer: B) Pig

11. Identify the monophthong in “cup.”
A) /ʊ/
B) /ʌ/
C) /uː/
D) /ɔː/

Answer: B) /ʌ/

12. Which word contains the diphthong /eə/?
A) Beer
B) Bare
C) Bore
D) Byre

Answer: B) Bare

13. The initial sound in “judge” is:
A) /j/
B) /dʒ/
C) /ʒ/
D) /tʃ/

Answer: B) /dʒ/

14. Which word contains the voiceless labiodental fricative?
A) Van
B) Fan
C) Thin
D) Then

Answer: B) Fan

15. The vowel sound in “bird” (RP pronunciation) is:
A) /ɜː/
B) /ə/
C) /ʌ/
D) /ɔː/

Answer: A) /ɜː/

16. Which of these is a closing diphthong?
A) /ɪə/
B) /eə/
C) /ɔɪ/
D) /ʊə/

Answer: C) /ɔɪ/

17. Which word ends with the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/?
A) Buzz
B) Bus
C) Buds
D) Bugs

Answer: B) Bus

18. The word “school” begins with which consonant cluster in phonemic transcription?
A) /sk/
B) /ʃk/
C) /sg/
D) /tʃ/

Answer: A) /sk/

19. Which word has the diphthong /ʊə/ in standard British English?
A) Poor
B) Paw
C) Pow
D) Purr

Answer: A) Poor

20. Which vowel is a short monophthong?
A) /iː/
B) /e/
C) /uː/
D) /ɑː/

Answer: B) /e/

50 more multiple-choice questions for IOE exam practice on consonant sounds, monophthongs (pure vowels), and diphthongs.
Each question has 4 options, and the correct answer is provided.

Consonant Sounds (21–40)

21. Which word begins with the voiceless glottal fricative /h/?
A) Honour
B) Hour
C) House
D) Herb (American pronunciation)

Answer: C) House

22. Identify the final consonant sound in “bathe.”
A) /θ/
B) /ð/
C) /d/
D) /t/

Answer: B) /ð/

23. Which word contains the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ in the middle?
A) Teacher
B) Major
C) Machine
D) Chef

Answer: B) Major

24. The initial sound in “psychology” is:
A) /p/
B) /ps/
C) /s/
D) /saɪ/

Answer: C) /s/

25. Which word ends with the voiced alveolar lateral approximant /l/?
A) Bill
B) Rib
C) Rig
D) Rich

Answer: A) Bill

26. Identify the medial consonant sound in “button” (RP fast speech).
A) /t/
B) /d/
C) /ʔ/ (glottal stop)
D) /ð/

Answer: C) /ʔ/

27. Which word contains the voiceless palato-alveolar affricate /tʃ/?
A) Pleasure
B) Jungle
C) Church
D) Garage

Answer: C) Church

28. The consonant cluster in “twelfth” ends with which sound?
A) /f/
B) /θ/
C) /t/
D) /ð/

Answer: B) /θ/

29. Which word begins with the voiced dental fricative?
A) Thunder
B) Though
C) Thin
D) Thai

Answer: B) Though

30. The final sound in “rouge” is:
A) /dʒ/
B) /ʒ/
C) /ʃ/
D) /g/

Answer: B) /ʒ/

31. Which word has the voiceless bilabial plosive initially?
A) Bin
B) Pin
C) Spin
D) Win

Answer: B) Pin

32. Identify the medial consonant in “ladder” (American English flap).
A) /d/
B) /t/
C) /ɾ/ (alveolar flap)
D) /ð/

Answer: C) /ɾ/

33. Which word contains the velar nasal /ŋ/?
A) Sin
B) Sing
C) Sink
D) Singer (first ‘ng’)

Answer: B) Sing

34. The initial sound in “which” (if pronounced with distinction from “witch”) is:
A) /w/
B) /hw/
C) /h/
D) /ʍ/

Answer: D) /ʍ/ (voiceless labial-velar fricative)

35. Which word ends with a voiceless fricative?
A) Buzz
B) Days
C) Face
D) Dogs

Answer: C) Face

36. The consonant sound in the middle of “measure” is:
A) /ʃ/
B) /tʃ/
C) /ʒ/
D) /dʒ/

Answer: C) /ʒ/

37. Which word contains a syllabic consonant?
A) Bottle
B) Potato
C) Banana
D) Computer

Answer: A) Bottle (/ˈbɒt.l̩/)

38. The initial sound in “gherkin” is:
A) /g/
B) /dʒ/
C) /k/
D) /h/

Answer: A) /g/

39. Which word begins with the voiceless alveolar plosive?
A) Top
B) Stop
C) Drop
D) Cop

Answer: A) Top

40. The final cluster in “texts” is transcribed as:
A) /ksts/
B) /kst/
C) /kts/
D) /gzdz/

Answer: A) /ksts/

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels) (41–55)

41. Which word contains the short vowel /ʊ/?
A) Food
B) Good
C) Mood
D) Rude

Answer: B) Good

42. The vowel sound in “father” (RP) is:
A) /æ/
B) /ɑː/
C) /ʌ/
D) /ɒ/

Answer: B) /ɑː/

43. Which word has the short vowel /e/?
A) Beat
B) Bit
C) Bet
D) Bait

Answer: C) Bet

44. Identify the monophthong in “put.”
A) /ʌ/
B) /ʊ/
C) /uː/
D) /ə/

Answer: B) /ʊ/

45. Which word contains /ɔː/?
A) Cot
B) Caught
C) Cut
D) Cat

Answer: B) Caught

46. The vowel sound in “about” (first syllable) is:
A) /æ/
B) /ʌ/
C) /ə/ (schwa)
D) /aʊ/

Answer: C) /ə/

47. Which word has the long vowel /ɜː/?
A) Turn
B) Ton
C) Tan
D) Ten

Answer: A) Turn

48. The vowel in “happy” (RP, end) is often transcribed as:
A) /ɪ/
B) /iː/
C) /i/ (happy-tensing)
D) /eɪ/

Answer: C) /i/ (or /ɪ/ – traditional RP; modern /i/)

49. Which word contains /ɒ/ (RP)?
A) Palm
B) Pot
C) Port
D) Put

Answer: B) Pot

50. The vowel in “scene” is:
A) /ɪ/
B) /e/
C) /iː/
D) /aɪ/

Answer: C) /iː/

51. Which word has the short vowel /æ/?
A) Arm
B) Ask
C) Cat
D) Car

Answer: C) Cat

52. Identify the monophthong in “bird” (American English).
A) /ɝ/
B) /ɜː/
C) /ə/
D) /ʌ/

Answer: A) /ɝ/ (rhotic)

53. Which vowel is a back, rounded, short vowel in RP?
A) /uː/
B) /ɒ/
C) /ɔː/
D) /ɑː/

Answer: B) /ɒ/

54. The vowel sound in “women” (first syllable) is:
A) /ʊ/
B) /uː/
C) /ɪ/
D) /e/

Answer: C) /ɪ/

55. Which word has the /ʌ/ vowel?
A) Book
B) Blood
C) Boot
D) Bought

Answer: B) Blood

Diphthongs (56–70)

56. Which word contains the diphthong /eɪ/?
A) Eight
B) Eat
C) It
D) At

Answer: A) Eight

57. Identify the diphthong in “loud.”
A) /əʊ/
B) /aʊ/
C) /ɔɪ/
D) /aɪ/

Answer: B) /aʊ/

58. The diphthong /ɪə/ appears in:
A) Fear
B) Fair
C) Fur
D) Fire

Answer: A) Fear

59. Which word ends with the diphthong /ɔɪ/?
A) Boy
B) Bow (as in bow tie)
C) Buy
D) Beau

Answer: A) Boy

60. The vowel sound in “goat” (RP) is:
A) /ɔː/
B) /əʊ/
C) /aʊ/
D) /uː/

Answer: B) /əʊ/

61. Which word has the diphthong /eə/?
A) Steer
B) Stair
C) Stir
D) Star

Answer: B) Stair

62. Identify the diphthong in “my.”
A) /eɪ/
B) /aɪ/
C) /iː/
D) /ɔɪ/

Answer: B) /aɪ/

63. Which word contains a diphthong?
A) Bed
B) Bad
C) Bade
D) Bid

Answer: C) Bade (/beɪd/)

64. The diphthong /ʊə/ (traditional RP) is found in:
A) Tour
B) Tore
C) Tow
D) Too

Answer: A) Tour

65. Which of these is a centring diphthong?
A) /eɪ/
B) /aɪ/
C) /ɪə/
D) /ɔɪ/

Answer: C) /ɪə/

66. The word “sure” (RP) often contains which diphthong?
A) /ʃʊə/ (with /ʊə/)
B) /ʃɔː/
C) /ʃəʊ/
D) /ʃuː/

Answer: A) /ʃʊə/

67. Which word contains /aɪ/ after /j/?
A) Yes
B) Yacht
C) Yipe
D) Yule

Answer: C) Yipe

68. The vowel in “bear” is:
A) /ɪə/
B) /eə/
C) /ɜː/
D) /eɪ/

Answer: B) /eə/

69. Which word has two diphthongs?
A) Player
B) Fire
C) Coyote
D) Towel

Answer: C) Coyote (/kɔɪˈəʊ.ti/ – /ɔɪ/ and /əʊ/)

70. The final sound in “cow” is:
A) /aʊ/ (diphthong)
B) /əʊ/
C) /ɔː/
D) /uː/

Answer: A) /aʊ/