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Question

Difficulty: MediumSilent Letters

In English phonology, certain letters remain unarticulated in standard pronunciation. In which of the following words is the consonant letter 'b' pronounced?

  1. A
    subtle
  2. B
    plumber
  3. subtractAnswer
  4. D
    succumb

Answer

In the word 'subtract', the letter 'b' is fully pronounced.
In standard English Received Pronunciation, the word 'subtract' articulates the letter 'b' as the voiced bilabial plosive sound /b/ (/səbˈtrækt/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each option in standard Received Pronunciation.
'subtle' is pronounced /ˈsʌtl/, 'plumber' is pronounced /ˈplʌmə/, 'succumb' is pronounced /səˈkʌm/, and 'subtract' is pronounced /səbˈtrækt/.
Identifying silent consonants requires isolating unarticulated letters in each target word.
2
Determine which word retains the articulated sound of the consonant letter 'b'.
The sound /b/ is present only in 'subtract'.
In 'subtle', 'plumber', and 'succumb', the letter 'b' is silent.

Key Concept

Identification of silent consonant 'b' in English pronunciation
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Topics

Silent Letters

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