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Difficulty: HardMonophthongs (Pure Vowels)

The underlined vowel spelling pattern in the word sc<u>ou</u>rge produces a specific pure vowel sound (monophthong). Which word contains the identical monophthong sound?

  1. pearlAnswer
  2. B
    source
  3. C
    courage
  4. D
    scour

Answer

The word that features the identical monophthong sound is 'pearl'.
The underlined letters 'ou' in 'scourge' represent the long central pure vowel sound /ɜː/ (/skɜːdʒ/). The word 'pearl' shares this identical monophthong sound (/pɜːl/), despite using the orthographic spelling 'ea'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the exact International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for the underlined vowel sound in the target word
The letters 'ou' in 'scourge' represent the long central monophthong /ɜː/, giving the pronunciation /skɜːdʒ/.
Correctly identifying the monophthong nucleus of the target word is necessary before evaluating the choices.
2
Analyze the primary vowel sound produced in each option
'pearl' is pronounced /pɜːl/ (/ɜː/); 'source' is pronounced /sɔːs/ (/ɔː/); 'courage' is pronounced /ˈkʌr.ɪdʒ/ (/ʌ/); 'scour' is pronounced /skaʊər/ (/aʊə/).
Phonetic breakdown reveals the specific monophthong or diphthong present in each word.
3
Match the target monophthong /ɜː/ to the option containing the exact sound
'pearl' contains the identical pure vowel sound /ɜː/.
'pearl' and 'scourge' share the pure long central vowel /ɜː/, despite their differing orthographic representations ('ea' vs 'ou').

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels) - Long Central Vowel /ɜː/
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Topics

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)

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