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Question

Difficulty: MediumMonophthongs (Pure Vowels)

Pair each target word listed on the left with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol on the right that correctly denotes the monophthong (pure vowel) sound produced by its underlined section.

  • clerk/ɑ:/
  • wand/ɒ/
  • jealous/e/
  • curd/ɜ:/

Answer

The correct pairings are: 'clerk' matches /ɑ:/, 'wand' matches /ɒ/, 'jealous' matches /e/, and 'curd' matches /ɜ:/.
In Standard British English (Received Pronunciation), each target word corresponds to a specific monophthong: 'clerk' contains the long /ɑ:/ sound, 'wand' contains the short /ɒ/ sound, 'jealous' contains the short /e/ sound, and 'curd' contains the long /ɜ:/ sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic pronunciation of the underlined letters in 'clerk'.
The letters 'er' produce the long back vowel /ɑ:/ as in 'palm' or 'father'.
In Received Pronunciation (RP), 'clerk' is pronounced /klɑːk/.
2
Identify the phonetic pronunciation of the underlined letter in 'wand'.
The letter 'a' produces the short back rounded vowel /ɒ/ as in 'lot' or 'spot'.
The influence of the preceding /w/ sound rounds the vowel to /ɒ/.
3
Identify the phonetic pronunciation of the underlined letters in 'jealous'.
The digraph 'ea' produces the short front vowel /e/ as in 'head' or 'bed'.
The word 'jealous' is transcribed phonetically as /ˈdʒeləs/.
4
Identify the phonetic pronunciation of the underlined letters in 'curd'.
The letters 'ur' produce the long central vowel /ɜ:/ as in 'nurse' or 'bird'.
The vowel sound in 'curd' is transcribed phonetically as /kɜːd/.

Key Concept

Identification of English Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)
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Topics

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)

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