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Question

Difficulty: EasyConsonant Sounds

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined: them

  1. brotherAnswer
  2. B
    theory
  3. C
    thief
  4. D
    growth

Answer

The correct option is 'brother' because its 'th' digraph produces the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/, identical to the sound in 'them'.
The underlined digraph 'th' in 'them' is pronounced as a voiced dental fricative /ð/. Among the options, 'brother' also contains the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letters in the target word.
The underlined letters 'th' in 'them' represent the voiced dental fricative consonant sound /ð/.
Determining the exact IPA sound phonetically is necessary before comparing it to the options.
2
Analyze the consonant sound produced by 'th' in each given option.
'brother' uses /ð/, while 'theory', 'thief', and 'growth' all use the voiceless dental fricative /θ/.
Differentiating between voiced /ð/ and voiceless /θ/ consonant sounds prevents orthographic confusion.
3
Select the matching option with the identical consonant sound.
'brother' is the correct match.
Both 'them' and 'brother' share the voiced consonant sound /ð/.

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Dental Fricatives (/ð/ vs /θ/)
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Topics

Consonant Sounds

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