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Difficulty: Very hardMonophthongs (Pure Vowels)

From the options lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same pure vowel (monophthong) sound as the one represented by the underlined letters in the word c<u>ou</u>rtesy. Which of the following words contains this same sound?

  1. journeyAnswer
  2. B
    course
  3. C
    country
  4. D
    cough

Answer

The word 'journey' contains the identical monophthong sound /ɜː/ as found in 'courtesy'.
In English phonetics, the underlined digraph 'ou' in 'courtesy' is articulated as the long central unrounded pure vowel /ɜː/. Among the choices, the word 'journey' also articulates the 'our' sequence as /ɜː/ (/ˈdʒɜːni/), making it the exact phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target monophthong sound in the given word
In the word 'courtesy' (/ˈkɜːtəsi/), the underlined spelling pattern 'ou' represents the long central pure vowel sound /ɜː/.
Accurate phonetic transcription of the target word is necessary to isolate the vowel quality.
2
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each given option
'journey' = /ˈdʒɜːni/ (/ɜː/), 'course' = /kɔːs/ (/ɔː/), 'country' = /ˈkʌntri/ (/ʌ/), 'cough' = /kɒf/ (/ɒ/).
Comparing orthographic 'ou'/'our' variations reveals their distinct underlying monophthongs.
3
Match the target sound /ɜː/ to the correct option
'journey' is the only option that shares the monophthong sound /ɜː/.
Both 'courtesy' and 'journey' feature the unrounded long central vowel /ɜː/.

Key Concept

Identification of the long central monophthong /ɜː/ across variable orthographic representations ('ou' / 'our').
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)

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