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Difficulty: HardSilent Letters

In English phonology, certain consonant letters remain unarticulated depending on their phonetic environment and etymological origin. In which of the following words is the consonant letter 'b' fully articulated in standard Received Pronunciation?

  1. A
    aplomb
  2. B
    succumb
  3. crumbleAnswer
  4. D
    redoubt

Answer

The consonant letter 'b' is fully articulated in 'crumble' (/ˈkrʌm.bəl/). In 'aplomb', 'succumb', and 'redoubt', the letter 'b' remains silent.
In standard Received Pronunciation, the word 'crumble' is pronounced /ˈkrʌm.bəl/, in which the letter 'b' is voiced and fully articulated. Although the letter 'b' is unpronounced in the root form 'crumb' (/krʌm/), adding the syllabic '-le' suffix creates a voiced plosive onset /b/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic environment of letter 'b' in each option
Identify whether 'b' occurs in a silent context (such as terminal '-mb' or '-bt-') or an articulated syllable onset/cluster.
In standard Received Pronunciation, 'b' is routinely silent after 'm' at syllable boundaries (as in 'tomb', 'plumber', 'aplomb', 'succumb') and before 't' in certain Latinate loanwords (as in 'debt', 'doubt', 'redoubt').
2
Examine the pronunciation of 'aplomb', 'succumb', and 'redoubt'
'aplomb' is transcribed as /əˈplɒm/, 'succumb' as /səˈkʌm/, and 'redoubt' as /rɪˈdaʊt/. All three feature an unarticulated letter 'b'.
Audible articulation of 'b' in these terms represents a spelling-pronunciation misconception.
3
Examine the pronunciation of 'crumble'
'crumble' is transcribed as /ˈkrʌm.bəl/, where /b/ forms the onset of the second syllable.
Although 'b' is silent in the base noun 'crumb' (/krʌm/), the suffixation of '-le' alters the phonetic environment, requiring explicit articulation of the consonant /b/.

Key Concept

Silent Consonants and Phonetic Environment Constraints
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Silent Letters

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