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Difficulty: Very hardSilent Letters

In which of the following words is the consonant letter 'g' articulated in standard English pronunciation?

  1. signatureAnswer
  2. B
    paradigm
  3. C
    phlegm
  4. D
    campaign

Answer

signature
The word 'signature' articulates the letter 'g' as the voiced velar plosive /ɡ/ (pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/). Although the base word 'sign' has a silent 'g', the derivative form shifts pronunciation to articulate the consonant sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each word containing the consonant letter 'g'.
'signature' is pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.nə.tʃər/, 'paradigm' is pronounced /ˈpær.ə.daɪm/, 'phlegm' is pronounced /flem/, and 'campaign' is pronounced /kæmˈpeɪn/.
Identifying the presence or absence of the /ɡ/ sound in the phonetic transcriptions reveals which consonant is articulated versus silent.
2
Compare morphological shifts between base words and their derivatives.
While 'sign' has a silent 'g' (/saɪn/), adding the suffix '-ature' in 'signature' causes the silent 'g' to become articulated as /ɡ/.
JAMB UTME frequently tests morphological alternations where silent letters in base forms become audible in related derivative forms.

Key Concept

Morphological Sound Alternation in Silent Consonants
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Silent Letters

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