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Question

Difficulty: HardMonophthongs (Pure Vowels)

Identify the correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols for the pure vowel sounds in the words below.

Answer:In the word h<u>ea</u>rth, the underlined letters 'ea' represent the monophthong sound 【/ɑː/】, whereas in h<u>ea</u>rd, the underlined letters 'ea' represent the monophthong sound 【/ɜː/】.

Answer

The underlined letters 'ea' in 'hearth' represent the monophthong /ɑː/, while in 'heard' they represent the monophthong /ɜː/.
In Received Pronunciation (RP), 'hearth' is pronounced /hɑːθ/, utilizing the long open unrounded pure vowel /ɑː/. Conversely, 'heard' is pronounced /hɜːd/, which employs the long central pure vowel /ɜː/. Identifying these distinct monophthongs requires overcoming orthographic traps where identical spelling sequences ('ea') yield different phonetic realisations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription of the word 'hearth'.
The word 'hearth' is transcribed as /hɑːθ/.
Despite the common spelling pattern 'ea', 'hearth' is an orthographic exception that uses the long open back unrounded pure vowel sound /ɑː/.
2
Determine the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription of the word 'heard'.
The word 'heard' is transcribed as /hɜːd/.
The letter sequence 'ear' followed by a consonant in 'heard' produces the long central unrounded pure vowel sound /ɜː/.

Key Concept

Monophthong Contrast and Orthographic Exceptions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)

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