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Question

Difficulty: HardConsonant Sounds

Identify the correct phonetic consonant sound sequence produced by the underlined letters. What phonetic sound sequence is represented by the underlined letters 'cc' in the word 'flaccid'?

Answer:In the word 'flaccid', the underlined letters 'cc' are phonetically realized as the consonant sound sequence 【/ks/】.

Answer

The underlined letters 'cc' in 'flaccid' represent the voiceless consonant sound sequence /ks/.
In Received Pronunciation and standard English phonetics, the letter pair 'cc' followed by the front vowel 'i' generates two distinct consonant sounds: the voiceless velar plosive /k/ followed by the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/, giving the complete sequence /ks/ as in /ˈflæk.sɪd/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the orthographic context of the double consonant 'cc' in 'flaccid'.
The letters 'cc' are immediately followed by the front vowel 'i'.
In English phonology, the pronunciation of 'c' or 'cc' depends heavily on the vowel that follows it.
2
Apply English phonetic rules for 'cc' preceding front vowels ('i', 'e', 'y').
The first 'c' is realized as the voiceless velar plosive /k/, while the second 'c' softens before 'i' to become the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/.
When 'cc' occurs before front vowels, it does not coalesce into a single /k/ sound (as in 'accommodate'), but forms the cluster /ks/ (as in 'flaccid' /ˈflæk.sɪd/ or 'accent' /ˈæk.sənt/).

Key Concept

Phonetic realization of orthographic double consonants ('cc') before front vowels
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Consonant Sounds

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