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Difficulty: HardConsonant Sounds

In English phonology, letter combinations and individual consonants can produce unexpected sound values depending on their etymological origins and phonetic environments. Complete the passage below by identifying the correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for the underlined consonant sound in each target word.

Answer:In the word 'flac【/ks/】id', the double consonant 'cc' before the front vowel 'i' is pronounced as the sound cluster 【/ks/】, whereas the letter 'x' in the word 'anx【/z/】iety' represents the voiced consonant sound 【/z/】.

Answer

The double 'cc' in 'flaccid' is transcribed phonetically as /ks/, and the 'x' in 'anxiety' is transcribed phonetically as /z/.
In standard English pronunciation, the word 'flaccid' contains the consonant combination /ks/ represented by 'cc', and 'anxiety' contains the voiced alveolar fricative /z/ represented by the letter 'x'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic environment of 'cc' in the word 'flaccid'.
The first 'c' occurs before a hard consonant position producing /k/, and the second 'c' precedes the front vowel 'i', producing the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/. Together, they form the cluster /ks/ (pronounced /ˈflæs.ɪd/ or /ˈflæk.sɪd/ in standard Received Pronunciation).
When 'cc' is followed by 'i' or 'e', it generally produces the /ks/ sound combination as in 'accent' or 'flaccid'.
2
Analyze the phonetic realization of 'x' in the word 'anxiety'.
The letter 'x' in 'anxiety' precedes a stressed vowel syllable, causing voicing assimilation which turns the typical voiceless cluster /ks/ into the voiced fricative /z/ (pronounced /æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti/).
In English phonetics, when 'x' appears before an accented vowel, it is realized as voiced /z/ or /ɡz/ rather than voiceless /ks/.

Key Concept

Orthographic-to-Phonetic Mapping of Consonants
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Consonant Sounds

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