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Oral English

427 questions

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Question 301Question →

In standard English speech, which intonation pattern is typically used when uttering a polar (Yes/No) question, such as 'Did you submit the assignment?'

Show answer & explanation

Answer: Rising tune

Answer

Polar (Yes/No) questions standardly employ a rising intonation tune.
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP) English, polar or Yes/No questions expecting a 'yes' or 'no' response finish with a rising tune, indicating an open query awaiting confirmation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the sentence type of the utterance
The utterance 'Did you submit the assignment?' is a polar question (Yes/No question).
Determining the grammatical type of the sentence is essential for selecting the correct RP intonation rule.
2
Apply standard Received Pronunciation (RP) intonation rules for polar questions
Polar questions take a rising tune pitch movement at the nucleus (tonic syllable).
In English phonology, questions expecting confirmation or a yes/no answer rise in pitch towards the end.

Key Concept

Intonation Contours for Sentence Types
Estimated Time:45s
Question 302Question →

The underlined vowel sound in the word br<u>oo</u>ch is identical to the vowel sound in which of these words?

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Answer: coax

Answer

coax
The word 'brooch' is pronounced /brəʊtʃ/, containing the diphthong /əʊ/. The word 'coax' is pronounced /kəʊks/, which uses the exact same diphthong /əʊ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic transcription of the target word 'brooch'.
The word 'brooch' is pronounced /brəʊtʃ/, which features the diphthong sound /əʊ/ despite its 'oo' spelling.
English spelling can be deceptive; 'oo' in 'brooch' does not yield the standard monophthong /uː/.
2
Analyze the vowel sounds in each option.
'brood' is /bruːd/ (monophthong /uː/), 'coax' is /kəʊks/ (diphthong /əʊ/), 'blood' is /blʌd/ (monophthong /ʌ/), and 'broad' is /brɔːd/ (monophthong /ɔː/).
Matching requires isolating the exact diphthong /əʊ/ sound across candidate words.
3
Select the option with the matching diphthong sound.
'coax' contains the identical diphthong sound /əʊ/.
Both 'brooch' and 'coax' share the diphthong sound /əʊ/.

Key Concept

Diphthong Identification (/əʊ/) and Orthographic Traps
Question 303Question →

Fill in the blank with an appropriate word to complete the contrastive question that elicits the emphatic stress in the given statement.

Fill in the blanks below

Statement: The skilled PILOT safely landed the commercial aircraft during the storm.
Contrastive question: Did the skilled safely land the commercial aircraft during the storm?
Show answer & explanation

Answer

A contrasting profession noun (such as 'driver' or 'captain') that directly challenges the capitalized word 'PILOT'.
In English emphatic stress rules, the correct contrastive question replaces only the capitalized word ('PILOT') with a contrasting word of the same word class (e.g., 'driver' or 'captain'), maintaining the exact same structure for the uncapitalized elements.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the word carrying emphatic stress in the statement.
The word 'PILOT' is written in capital letters, indicating emphatic stress.
Emphatic stress highlights the specific item in the sentence that receives contrastive focus.
2
Determine the required contrastive substitution to form the correct question.
The subject 'PILOT' must be replaced with a contrasting subject/profession, while all other words remain identical.
The correct question to elicit emphatic stress must query only the stressed element and keep the rest of the sentence unchanged.

Key Concept

Emphatic Stress and Contrastive Questioning
Question 304Question →

Read the phonological rule regarding intonation contours in complex speech structures and complete the passage below. Which intonation tunes correctly fill the blanks?

Fill in the blanks below

In Received Pronunciation (RP), an introductory adverbial clause expressing incompleteness, such as 'As soon as the meeting ends,', typically takes a tune, whereas the final choice in an alternative question, such as 'Would you like tea, coffee, or juice?', takes a tune.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The first blank requires 'rising' (or 'rising tune') and the second blank requires 'falling' (or 'falling tune').
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP), introductory subordinate clauses (non-final clauses) carry a rising tune to show that the speaker has not completed their thought. In contrast, alternative questions use a rising tune for preliminary choices and conclude with a falling tune on the final alternative to signal completeness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the pitch contour rule for subordinate/introductory clauses in RP English.
Subordinate or introductory clauses before the main clause indicate that the sentence is incomplete and require a rising tune to signal non-finality.
Pitch rises at non-final grammatical boundaries to maintain listener expectation for the main clause.
2
Analyze the pitch contour rule for alternative questions in RP English.
Alternative questions rise on each non-final item listed ('tea', 'coffee') and fall on the final option ('juice').
The falling tune at the final option signals closure, indicating that all options have been presented.

Key Concept

Intonation Contours for Incomplete Clauses and Alternative Questions
Question 305Question →

Which of the following correct pairings links each given word (with underlined consonant spellings) to its corresponding phonetic consonant sound?

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

schism (underlined: sch)
rough (underlined: gh)
vision (underlined: s)
soldier (underlined: d)

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'schism' matches /s/, 'rough' matches /f/, 'vision' matches /ʒ/, and 'soldier' matches /dʒ/.
Each word correctly aligns with its exact consonant phoneme: 'schism' has /s/, 'rough' has /f/, 'vision' has /ʒ/, and 'soldier' has /dʒ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sound of the underlined trigraph 'sch' in 'schism'.
The spelling 'sch' in 'schism' yields the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/.
In English words of Greek origin like 'schism', 'sch' produces the simple /s/ consonant sound.
2
Identify the sound of the underlined digraph 'gh' in 'rough'.
The terminal digraph 'gh' produces the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/.
In words such as 'rough', 'tough', and 'cough', the grapheme 'gh' is phonetically realized as /f/.
3
Determine the sound of the underlined letter 's' in 'vision'.
The intervocalic 's' produces the voiced post-alveolar fricative /ʒ/.
The spelling 's' preceding suffix '-ion' undergoes palatalization to yield /ʒ/.
4
Examine the sound of the underlined letter 'd' in 'soldier'.
The letter 'd' produces the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/.
Palatalization transforms the alveolar plosive /d/ into the affricate /dʒ/ in 'soldier'.

Key Concept

Orthographic variations and non-standard grapheme-to-phoneme mappings in English consonant sounds.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 306Question →

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

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Answer: subtract

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
Question 307Question →

Match each spoken English utterance type on the left with its standard Received Pronunciation (RP) intonation contour and primary function on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

Wh-questions (e.g., 'Who broke the vase?')
Polar / Yes-No questions (e.g., 'Did you call him?')
Imperative commands (e.g., 'Stop talking immediately.')
Non-final items in a series (e.g., 'one, two, three...')

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

Wh-questions match with falling tune for specific information inquiry; Polar questions match with rising tune for affirmative/negative confirmation; Imperative commands match with falling tune for finality/compliance; Non-final series items match with rising tune for non-completeness/continuation.
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP), intonation contours follow established grammatical and pragmatic rules: Wh-questions conclude with a falling pitch because they request specific information; polar (Yes/No) questions end with a rising pitch to request confirmation; imperative commands use a falling pitch to assert authority and completeness; and non-final items in a list rise in pitch to signal that speech will continue.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the communicative function of each utterance type according to standard RP intonation rules.
Wh-questions and direct commands require falling pitch movement, whereas polar questions and non-final list items require rising pitch movement.
Intonation contour choice depends on whether an utterance conveys finality/information-seeking or continuation/polar-confirmation.
2
Pair each utterance category on the left with its corresponding intonation contour and function on the right.
Wh-questions pair with specific info falling tune; Polar questions pair with confirmation rising tune; Commands pair with authority falling tune; Non-final items pair with continuation rising tune.
This correctly maps grammatical utterance types to their standard pitch direction rules in English phonology.

Key Concept

Standard Functions of Falling and Rising Intonation Tunes in RP English
Question 308Question →

Which of the following words forms an exact phonetic rhyme with the word slough (when used in the context of shedding skin)?

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Answer: rough

Answer

The word 'rough' rhymes exactly with 'slough'.
The word 'slough' in the context of shedding or casting off skin is pronounced /slʌf/. The word 'rough' is pronounced /rʌf/. Because both words end with the exact same phonetic sequence /ʌf/, they form an exact end rhyme.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the phonetic transcription of the target word
The verb 'slough' (to cast off or shed) is phonetically transcribed as /slʌf/.
Rhyming depends entirely on modern English pronunciation, not orthographic spelling.
2
Analyze the phonetic transcriptions of each option
'rough' is transcribed as /rʌf/, 'plough' as /plaʊ/, 'through' as /θruː/, and 'cough' as /kɒf/.
To form an exact end rhyme, the nucleus vowel sound and final consonant sounds must be identical.
3
Identify the matching phonetic end rhyme
/rʌf/ matches /slʌf/ perfectly in both the vowel /ʌ/ and final consonant /f/.
Both words terminate in the phonetic sequence /ʌf/.

Key Concept

Phonetic End Rhyme and Variable '-ough' Pronunciation
Question 309Question →

Complete the sentence by supplying the syllabified form of the word academic, using UPPERCASE letters to indicate the primary stressed syllable.

Fill in the blanks below

The university published an journal focused on modern linguistic theories.
Show answer & explanation

Answer

ac-a-DEM-ic
In English phonology, words ending with the adjectival suffix '-ic' (such as 'academic', 'economic', 'demographic') systematically place primary accentual stress on the penultimate (second-from-last) syllable. Therefore, the stress falls on 'dem', giving 'ac-a-DEM-ic'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the word 'academic' into its component syllables.
The word consists of four syllables: ac - a - dem - ic.
Identifying syllable boundaries is necessary before locating stress placement.
2
Apply the stress rule for words ending in the suffix '-ic'.
Primary stress falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: 'dem'.
English phonology dictates that adjectival words ending in '-ic' place primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix.
3
Capitalize the stressed syllable to complete the required format.
ac-a-DEM-ic
UPPERCASE letters highlight the primary stress on the third syllable.

Key Concept

Penultimate Syllable Stress for '-ic' Suffixes
Question 310Question →

Consider the following complex sentence spoken in standard Received Pronunciation (RP): 'As soon as the guest speaker arrives, the ceremony will commence.' Which pattern of pitch inflection correctly describes the intonation contour across the non-final subordinate clause and the final main clause?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: A rising pitch contour on the non-final clause ('arrives'), followed by a falling pitch contour on the main clause ('commence').

Answer

The utterance requires a rising pitch contour on the non-final subordinate clause ('arrives') and a falling pitch contour on the final main clause ('commence').
In standard Received Pronunciation (RP), utterances containing a subordinate clause before a main clause follow a continuation-then-finality intonation pattern. The non-final clause ('As soon as the guest speaker arrives') ends with a rising pitch to show that the thought is incomplete, while the final main clause ('the ceremony will commence') ends with a falling pitch to mark completeness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the utterance.
The sentence consists of an introductory adverbial subordinate clause ('As soon as the guest speaker arrives') followed by a main declarative clause ('the ceremony will commence').
Intonation contour rules in Received Pronunciation depend on clause function and utterance completeness.
2
Determine the intonation rule for non-final subordinate clauses.
Non-final subordinate clauses express non-finality and continuation, requiring a rising intonation tune at the clause boundary.
A rising pitch indicates to the listener that the speaker's thought is not yet complete.
3
Determine the intonation rule for final main declarative clauses.
The main declarative clause completes the statement and takes a falling intonation tune on the last stressed syllable.
A falling pitch signals finality and completeness of the statement.

Key Concept

Intonation Contours in Complex Sentences
Question 311Question →

Which unpronounced consonant letters complete the phonetic analysis of the specified English words?

Fill in the blanks below

In the word *mortgage*, the unpronounced consonant letter is ; in the word *doubt*, the silent consonant letter is ; and in the word *playwright*, the silent consonant letter is .
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Answer

The silent consonant letters are 't' for mortgage, 'b' for doubt, and 'w' for playwright.
In standard Received Pronunciation: the letter 't' in *mortgage* (/ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/) is unarticulated, the letter 'b' in *doubt* (/daʊt/) is unpronounced, and the initial letter 'w' in '-wright' within *playwright* (/ˈpleɪraɪt/) is silent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the spoken transcription of the word *mortgage*.
The word *mortgage* is pronounced /ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/, where the letter 't' is silent.
In standard English pronunciation, the consonant 't' in *mortgage* is not articulated.
2
Examine the spoken transcription of the word *doubt*.
The word *doubt* is pronounced /daʊt/, where the letter 'b' is silent.
The consonant letter 'b' occurring before 't' in *doubt* remains completely unarticulated.
3
Examine the spoken transcription of the word *playwright*.
The word *playwright* is pronounced /ˈpleɪraɪt/, where the letter 'w' in the suffix element '-wright' is silent.
The letter 'w' preceding 'r' in the morpheme 'wright' is unarticulated in Standard Received Pronunciation.

Key Concept

Identification of unarticulated (silent) consonant letters in English vocabulary
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 312Question →

Identify the word among the options that has the same monophthong sound as the letter underlined in the word b<u>u</u>ry.

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Answer: heifer

Answer

The word with the same monophthong sound is 'heifer'.
The letter 'u' in the target word 'bury' represents the short front monophthong /e/ (/ˈberi/). The word 'heifer' also features the /e/ monophthong in its first syllable (/ˈhefər/), making it the exact phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the phonetic realization of the underlined letter in the target word.
The letter 'u' in 'bury' is pronounced as the short monophthong /e/ (IPA: /ˈberi/).
'Bury' is an exception to typical spelling rules where 'u' represents the short open-mid front unrounded vowel /e/.
2
Transcribe the vowel sounds in each option to find the matching monophthong.
'heifer' = /ˈhefər/ (/e/), 'curry' = /ˈkʌri/ (/ʌ/), 'fury' = /ˈfjʊəri/ (/ʊə/), 'busy' = /ˈbɪzi/ (/ɪ/).
Matching the target IPA symbol /e/ to the corresponding sound in the options.
3
Select the option that shares the identical monophthong sound /e/.
'heifer' contains the identical pure vowel /e/.
The digraph 'ei' in 'heifer' produces the pure vowel /e/.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)
Estimated Time:45s
Question 313Question →

Read the statement below with emphatic stress on the capitalized word, and complete the contrastive question that elicits this stress pattern.

Fill in the blanks below

Statement: 'The chief surgeon HESITANTLY authorized the emergency procedure.'

Contrastive Question: Did the chief surgeon authorize the emergency procedure?
Show answer & explanation

Answer

The blank must be filled with a contrasting adverb of manner (such as 'promptly', 'decisively', or 'eagerly') that directly challenges the capitalized word 'HESITANTLY'.
In Oral English assessments like JAMB UTME, emphatic stress places contrastive emphasis on the capitalized word in a statement. To elicit emphatic stress on 'HESITANTLY', the contrastive question must challenge the manner of the action by replacing 'HESITANTLY' with a contrasting adverb (such as 'promptly' or 'decisively') while leaving all other grammatical elements of the sentence intact.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the word receiving emphatic stress in the statement.
The word 'HESITANTLY' is printed in full capital letters, indicating contrastive focus on the manner of action.
Emphatic stress singles out specific information to be emphasized or contrasted.
2
Formulate a contrastive question that challenges ONLY the stressed element.
Keep the subject ('the chief surgeon'), main verb ('authorize'), and object ('the emergency procedure') unchanged.
A valid contrastive question maintains all context except the specific element being challenged.
3
Supply an appropriate contrasting word for the blank position.
Inserting an adverb such as 'promptly', 'decisively', or 'eagerly' challenges 'HESITANTLY', prompting the response: 'No, he HESITANTLY authorized it.'
Using an opposing or alternative adverb directly elicits the intended emphatic stress.

Key Concept

Emphatic Stress and Contrastive Focus
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 314Question →

In English phonology, four-syllable verbs ending with the suffix '-ate' follow specific accentuation rules. Which of the following options correctly indicates the primary syllable stress placement for the word 'investigate'?

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Answer: in-VES-ti-gate

Answer

The correct stress placement is in-VES-ti-gate.
The word 'investigate' contains four syllables (in-ves-ti-gate). English stress rules dictate that four-syllable verbs ending in '-ate' take primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (third from the end). Therefore, the second syllable 'VES' carries the primary stress.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the syllabification and suffix of the word 'investigate'.
The word consists of four syllables: in-ves-ti-gate.
Identifying the syllable breakdown and suffix is essential for applying stress assignment rules.
2
Apply the primary stress rule for four-syllable verbs ending in '-ate'.
Primary stress is assigned to the antepenultimate syllable, resulting in in-VES-ti-gate.
Multisyllabic verbs ending in '-ate' receive primary stress on the third syllable from the end.

Key Concept

Stress placement on antepenultimate syllable in multisyllabic words ending in '-ate'
Question 315Question →

Match each spoken English utterance on the left with its standard Received Pronunciation (RP) intonation contour and primary communicative function on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

"When will the panel publish the official examination results?"
"Have you already submitted your registration form to the officer?"
"You completed the assignment on time, didn't you?" (spoken with full certainty, expecting confirmation)
"Would you prefer to travel by road, rail, or air?"

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

In standard Received Pronunciation (RP), intonation contours are systematically mapped to clause types and pragmatic functions: Wh-questions employ a Falling Tune; Polar (Yes/No) questions employ a Rising Tune; Tag questions expressing certainty/seeking agreement employ a Falling Tune; and Alternative questions listing options employ a Rising-Falling Tune.
Each utterance strictly follows standard Received Pronunciation intonation principles: Wh-questions terminate with a falling pitch contour; polar questions terminate with a rising pitch contour; confident tag questions expecting agreement take a falling contour on the tag; and alternative options use a rising contour across initial elements followed by a falling contour on the final choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze utterance syntax and pragmatic intent
Identify 'When will...' as an information-seeking Wh-question, 'Have you...' as a Yes/No polar question, '...didn't you?' as a tag question expecting confirmation, and '...road, rail, or air?' as an alternative question.
Intonation tunes in English are primarily governed by sentence type and speaker attitude.
2
Apply phonological rules for main sentence types
Wh-questions take a falling tune, whereas polar Yes/No questions take a rising tune.
Under Received Pronunciation (RP) standards, non-polar interrogatives fall, while polar interrogatives rise.
3
Evaluate complex pragmatics for tags and lists
Tag questions expecting agreement take a falling tone. Lists and alternative options rise on non-final items and fall on the closing item.
Pitch indicates finality on the last item of a closed set and agreement on confident statements.

Key Concept

Received Pronunciation (RP) Intonation Rules and Pragmatic Functions
Question 316Question →

Which of the following words contains a silent consonant letter?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: debris

Answer

debris
In standard English pronunciation, the word 'debris' contains a silent final consonant 's', rendered phonetically as /ˈdeɪbriː/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phonetic transcription of each word in Received Pronunciation.
The word 'debris' is transcribed as /ˈdeɪbriː/ or /ˈdebriː/.
Comparing standard pronunciations isolates unarticulated letters.
2
Identify any silent consonant letters present across all listed choices.
The final letter 's' in 'debris' is completely silent.
English loanwords of French origin frequently retain silent final consonants.

Key Concept

Identification of silent consonant letters in standard English words
Question 317Question →

Match each of the following polysyllabic English words to its correct syllabified form showing primary stress placement in UPPERCASE letters.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

economic
curiosity
speculate
clarification

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

'economic' matches 'ec-o-NOM-ic', 'curiosity' matches 'cu-ri-OS-i-ty', 'speculate' matches 'SPEC-u-late', and 'clarification' matches 'clar-i-fi-CA-tion'.
Each word follows a established phonological suffix stress rule in English: '-ic' places primary stress on the penultimate syllable ('ec-o-NOM-ic'), '-ity' places primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable ('cu-ri-OS-i-ty'), three-syllable '-ate' verbs place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable ('SPEC-u-late'), and '-tion' places primary stress on the penultimate syllable ('clar-i-fi-CA-tion').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the stress pattern for 'economic'
The adjective suffix '-ic' places primary stress on the penultimate syllable, giving ec-o-NOM-ic.
In English phonology, words taking the suffix '-ic' predictably attract stress to the syllable immediately before the suffix.
2
Determine the stress pattern for 'curiosity'
The nominalizing suffix '-ity' places primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable, giving cu-ri-OS-i-ty.
Words ending in '-ity' cause a stress shift to the third syllable from the end of the word.
3
Determine the stress pattern for 'speculate'
Three-syllable verbs ending in '-ate' carry primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable, giving SPEC-u-late.
Verbs of three syllables ending in '-ate' follow the general rule of antepenultimate primary accentuation.
4
Determine the stress pattern for 'clarification'
The suffix '-tion' places primary stress on the syllable preceding it, giving clar-i-fi-CA-tion.
Nouns formed with '-ation' / '-tion' consistently take primary stress on the penultimate syllable.

Key Concept

Suffix-driven Primary Syllable Stress Rules
Question 318Question →

Complete the statement below by identifying the correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol for the monophthong sound in the specified word.

Fill in the blanks below

In the word l<u>eo</u>pard, the underlined letters 'eo' represent the monophthong sound .
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Answer

The monophthong sound represented by the underlined letters 'eo' in 'leopard' is /e/.
The underlined digraph 'eo' in 'leopard' represents the short monophthong sound /e/, as pronounced in /ˈlep.əd/. It matches the pure vowel sound found in 'bed' and 'red'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the pronunciation of the target word 'leopard'.
The word 'leopard' is phonetically transcribed as /ˈlep.əd/.
The digraph 'eo' in 'leopard' represents an irregular spelling pattern for a short pure vowel.
2
Determine the precise IPA symbol for the vowel sound.
The vowel sound is the short front unrounded monophthong /e/.
This is the same pure vowel sound heard in words such as 'bed', 'head', and 'many'.

Key Concept

Monophthongs (Pure Vowels)
Question 319Question →

In spoken English, polysyllabic words ending in the suffix '-graphy' adhere to a consistent phonological rule governing primary accentuation. Which option accurately highlights the primary stressed syllable in the word lexicography?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: lex-i-COG-ra-phy

Answer

lex-i-COG-ra-phy
The word 'lexicography' contains five syllables (lex-i-cog-ra-phy). According to the rules of English phonology, words ending with the suffix '-graphy' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable, which is the third syllable from the end ('COG'). Therefore, 'lex-i-COG-ra-phy' is the correct representation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the target word 'lexicography' into its component syllables.
The word consists of five syllables: lex - i - cog - ra - phy.
Accurate syllabification is necessary to locate the antepenultimate and penultimate positions.
2
Identify the suffix and apply the corresponding English stress assignment rule.
The suffix '-graphy' assigns primary stress to the antepenultimate (third from the end) syllable.
Suffixes such as '-graphy', '-logy', and '-ity' systematically shift primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding the penultimate syllable.
3
Count three syllables back from the final syllable to determine the primary stress.
1st from end = 'phy', 2nd from end = 'ra', 3rd from end (antepenultimate) = 'cog'. Thus, the correct pattern is lex-i-COG-ra-phy.
Capitalizing 'COG' correctly represents the primary stress on the third syllable.

Key Concept

Antepenultimate stress placement on polysyllabic words ending in '-graphy'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 320Question →

Match each English word on the left with the specific silent consonant letter it contains in standard Received Pronunciation on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

debt
receipt
column
listen

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

The correct pairings align 'debt' with silent letter 'b', 'receipt' with silent letter 'p', 'column' with silent letter 'n', and 'listen' with silent letter 't'.
Each word contains a specific unarticulated consonant letter in standard Received Pronunciation: 'debt' contains a silent 'b' (/det/), 'receipt' contains a silent 'p' (/rɪˈsiːt/), 'column' contains a silent 'n' (/ˈkɒl.əm/), and 'listen' contains a silent 't' (/ˈlɪs.ən/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the standard Received Pronunciation transcription for each word.
The transcriptions are /det/ for 'debt', /rɪˈsiːt/ for 'receipt', /ˈkɒl.əm/ for 'column', and /ˈlɪs.ən/ for 'listen'.
Phonetic transcriptions isolate unarticulated graphic consonants present in English spelling.
2
Identify which orthographic consonant letter is omitted in speech for each word.
'debt' omits 'b', 'receipt' omits 'p', 'column' omits 'n', and 'listen' omits 't'.
Historical spelling variations leave certain letters silent in modern spoken English.
3
Align each target word with its corresponding silent consonant category.
The correct matching pairs are established.
Ensures accurate identification of unpronounced consonants.

Key Concept

Silent Consonant Identification in Spoken English
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