Examkin

Consonant Sounds

70 questions

All types70Multiple choice33Matching16Fill in the blank21
Question 1Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.

chalet

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Answer: champagne

Answer

The word with the same consonant sound as the underlined letters in 'chalet' is 'champagne'.
The underlined digraph 'ch' in the French loanword 'chalet' is pronounced as /ʃ/. Among the choices, 'champagne' is also a French loanword in which 'ch' is pronounced as the same consonant sound /ʃ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the consonant sound represented by the underlined letters in the target word.
In the word 'chalet', the letters 'ch' represent the voiceless postalveolar fricative sound /ʃ/.
'Chalet' is a loanword from French where 'ch' is articulated as /ʃ/ rather than the typical English /tʃ/.
2
Analyze the phonetic realization of the 'ch' digraph in each of the four option words.
'champion' has /tʃ/, 'chaos' has /k/, 'champagne' has /ʃ/, and 'choir' has /k/.
Determining the correct International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) representation for each option reveals which word matches the target sound.
3
Match the target sound /ʃ/ with the corresponding option.
'champagne' is the only option that also features the /ʃ/ consonant sound.
Like 'chalet', 'champagne' retains its French origin pronunciation where 'ch' yields /ʃ/.

Key Concept

Consonant Sound Identification (Orthographic Variation of /ʃ/)
Question 2Question →

Match each word in the left column with the word in the right column that contains the EXACT SAME consonant sound as the underlined letter(s).

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

'g' in gaol
'z' in azure
'th' in clothe
'ch' in chasm

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairs are: 'g' in 'gaol' matches 'j' in 'juice' (/dʒ/); 'z' in 'azure' matches 'si' in 'vision' (/ʒ/); 'th' in 'clothe' matches 'th' in 'smooth' (/ð/); 'ch' in 'chasm' matches 'ch' in 'character' (/k/).
Each item on the left shares an identical IPA consonant sound with its corresponding pair on the right: the affricate sound /dʒ/ connects 'gaol' and 'juice', the voiced fricative /ʒ/ connects 'azure' and 'vision', the voiced dental fricative /ð/ connects 'clothe' and 'smooth', and the velar plosive /k/ connects 'chasm' and 'character'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound represented by the underlined letters in the left column.
'gaol' has /dʒ/; 'azure' has /ʒ/; 'clothe' has /ð/; 'chasm' has /k/.
Transcribing orthographic representations into International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols isolates the accurate underlying consonant sounds.
2
Identify the phonetic consonant sound represented by the underlined letters in the right column.
'juice' starts with /dʒ/; 'vision' contains /ʒ/; 'smooth' ends with /ð/; 'character' starts with /k/.
Phonetic analysis reveals the matching consonant sounds in the target options.
3
Pair identical phonetic symbols between the two columns.
Match /dʒ/ to /dʒ/, /ʒ/ to /ʒ/, /ð/ to /ð/, and /k/ to /k/.
Matching requires exact identity of the consonant phonemes regardless of spelling variations.

Key Concept

Identifying Consonant Sounds and Deceptive Orthographic Mappings
Question 3Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word: of.

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Answer: Stephen

Answer

The word containing the same consonant sound is 'Stephen'.
The underlined letter 'f' in 'of' represents the voiced labiodental fricative consonant sound /v/. Among the options, the word 'Stephen' also produces the /v/ sound for its digraph 'ph', making it the correct phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letter in the target word.
The letter 'f' in the word 'of' is phonetically transcribed as the voiced labiodental fricative /v/.
English orthography uses the letter 'f' to represent /v/ in the preposition 'of'.
2
Analyze the phonetic realization of the target consonant sounds in each option.
'Stephen' is transcribed as /ˈstiːvn/ with /v/; 'off' is /ɒf/ with /f/; 'orphan' is /ˈɔːfən/ with /f/; 'cough' is /kɒf/ with /f/.
Distinguishing between voiced /v/ and voiceless /f/ is necessary to identify the exact match.
3
Match the sound /v/ from the stem to the corresponding option.
'Stephen' shares the identical /v/ consonant sound.
Both 'of' and 'Stephen' utilize the voiced consonant sound /v/ despite using different orthographic spellings ('f' and 'ph').

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Consonant Sounds and Non-standard Orthographic Realizations (/v/ vs /f/)
Question 4Question →

Match each word in Column A with the word in Column B that contains the identical consonant sound represented by the highlighted letter(s).

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

epistle (sound of 'st')
ghost (sound of 'gh')
thistle (sound of 'th')
chauffeur (sound of 'ch')

Matches

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Answer

'epistle' matches 'psalm' (/s/ sound); 'ghost' matches 'guile' (/ɡ/ sound); 'thistle' matches 'thorough' (/θ/ sound); and 'chauffeur' matches 'chivalry' (/ʃ/ sound).
Matching relies strictly on phonetic transcription rather than spelling. 'epistle' and 'psalm' both realize the consonant sound /s/; 'ghost' and 'guile' both realize the voiced velar plosive /ɡ/; 'thistle' and 'thorough' both realize the voiceless dental fricative /θ/; and 'chauffeur' and 'chivalry' both realize the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target consonant sound in each left-column word
'epistle' has silent 't' giving /s/; 'ghost' has digraph 'gh' giving /ɡ/; 'thistle' has 'th' giving /θ/; 'chauffeur' has French 'ch' giving /ʃ/.
Determining exact IPA consonant phonemes requires ignoring spelling traps such as silent letters or loanword orthography.
2
Analyze the consonant sound of highlighted letters in each right-column word
'chivalry' has /ʃ/; 'guile' has /ɡ/; 'psalm' has silent 'p' giving /s/; 'thorough' has /θ/.
Phonetic matching relies on sound identity, not orthographic similarity.
3
Pair items with identical consonant phonemes
'epistle' pairs with 'psalm' (/s/), 'ghost' pairs with 'guile' (/ɡ/), 'thistle' pairs with 'thorough' (/θ/), and 'chauffeur' pairs with 'chivalry' (/ʃ/).
Each pair shares the precise consonant phoneme across different spelling patterns.

Key Concept

Consonant sound identification across varied orthographic representations and silent letters
Question 5Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word: ghost.

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Answer: guard

Answer

The word 'guard' contains the same consonant sound /g/ as the underlined letters 'gh' in 'ghost'.
The underlined letters 'gh' in 'ghost' produce the voiced velar plosive sound /g/. The word 'guard' begins with the exact same /g/ sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the consonant sound of the underlined letters in the target word
The letters 'gh' in 'ghost' represent the voiced velar plosive consonant sound /g/.
Phonetic transcription of 'ghost' is /ɡəʊst/.
2
Analyze the phonetic realization of each option
'rough' contains /f/, 'guard' contains /g/, 'daughter' has a silent 'gh', and 'cough' contains /f/.
Matching orthographic spellings to their true phonetic realizations.
3
Select the word sharing the target sound
'guard' is the correct match.
Both 'ghost' and 'guard' begin with the consonant sound /g/.

Key Concept

Consonant sound identification across varied spelling patterns
Question 6Question →

Pair each word in Group 1 with the word in Group 2 that shares the exact same underlined consonant sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

chemist
phone
there
sure

Matches

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Answer

'chemist' matches 'cat' (/k/), 'phone' matches 'laugh' (/f/), 'there' matches 'them' (/ð/), and 'sure' matches 'chef' (/ʃ/).
Each word from Group 1 is paired with its counterpart in Group 2 based on identical consonant phonemes: 'chemist' and 'cat' share /k/, 'phone' and 'laugh' share /f/, 'there' and 'them' share /ð/, and 'sure' and 'chef' share /ʃ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the sound produced by the underlined letters in Group 1.
'chemist' produces /k/, 'phone' produces /f/, 'there' produces /ð/, and 'sure' produces /ʃ/.
English orthography uses different letter combinations to represent identical or distinct consonant phonemes.
2
Determine the sound produced by the underlined letters in Group 2.
'cat' produces /k/, 'laugh' produces /f/, 'them' produces /ð/, and 'chef' produces /ʃ/.
Phonetic transcription isolates the exact consonant sound irrespective of spelling differences.
3
Match words from Group 1 to Group 2 that share the exact consonant sound.
'chemist' connects to 'cat', 'phone' connects to 'laugh', 'there' connects to 'them', and 'sure' connects to 'chef'.
Correct matching is established when both words contain identical consonant phonemes.

Key Concept

Phonetic identification of consonant sounds across varied orthographic representations
Question 7Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word below:

parachute

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Answer: chef

Answer

The word with the same consonant sound as the underlined letters in 'parachute' is 'chef', both sharing the voiceless postalveolar fricative sound /ʃ/.
In the target word 'parachute', the digraph 'ch' is pronounced as the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/. Among the choices, the word 'chef' also features 'ch' pronounced as /ʃ/, making it the exact phonetic match.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic environment and exact consonant sound of the underlined letters in the stem word.
In the word 'parachute', the underlined digraph 'ch' is pronounced as the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/ (as in French loanwords).
Determining the correct IPA phonetic symbol for the target sound is essential before comparing candidate words.
2
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of the underlined digraph 'ch' in each candidate option.
'charity' uses /tʃ/, 'monarch' uses /k/, 'chef' uses /ʃ/, and 'chorus' uses /k/.
Orthographic representations like 'ch' can map to multiple distinct consonant phonemes (/ʃ/, /tʃ/, or /k/) depending on etymology.
3
Match the target sound /ʃ/ to the correct option.
The word 'chef' matches the target sound /ʃ/.
Both 'parachute' and 'chef' retain their French-derived pronunciation where 'ch' yields /ʃ/.

Key Concept

Orthographic variations of the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/
Question 8Question →

Match each word containing an underlined consonant spelling with the specific consonant sound feature it produces in standard English pronunciation.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

subtle
pharaoh
gem
ghost

Matches

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Answer

'subtle' matches with the Silent consonant sound; 'pharaoh' matches with the Voiceless labiodental fricative sound /f/; 'gem' matches with the Voiced postalveolar affricate sound /dʒ/; and 'ghost' matches with the Voiced velar plosive sound /ɡ/.
Each word is accurately paired with its underlying phonetic consonant articulation: 'subtle' contains a silent 'b'; 'pharaoh' uses 'ph' for the /f/ sound; 'gem' uses a soft 'g' for the /dʒ/ sound; and 'ghost' uses initial 'gh' for the hard /ɡ/ sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the silent letter sound in 'subtle'
The letter 'b' following 'u' and preceding 't' in 'subtle' is silent, yielding no sound.
English orthography contains etymological silent letters where specific spellings carry no phonetic realization.
2
Identify the digraph sound in 'pharaoh'
The initial digraph 'ph' is articulated as /f/.
Words of Greek derivation with 'ph' consistently map to the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/.
3
Determine the soft consonant sound of 'g' in 'gem'
The letter 'g' before 'e' produces the affricate sound /dʒ/.
When 'g' precedes front vowels like 'e', 'i', or 'y', it frequently represents a soft consonant affricate sound /dʒ/ rather than a hard plosive /ɡ/.
4
Analyze the initial 'gh' sound in 'ghost'
The initial digraph 'gh' produces the hard velar plosive /ɡ/.
Word-initial 'gh' spellings in English consistently realize as the voiced velar plosive /ɡ/.

Key Concept

Consonant Sounds and Orthographic Realizations
Question 9Question →

Identify the phonetic consonant sound produced by the underlined letter combinations in the statement below. Complete the sentence by supplying the appropriate International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbol or descriptive name for each sound.

Fill in the blanks below

In standard English, the underlined letters 'ch' in the word 'schism' represent the consonant sound , while the 'ch' in 'chef' represent the consonant sound .
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Answer

The 'ch' in 'schism' is pronounced as the voiceless velar plosive /k/, while the 'ch' in 'chef' is pronounced as the voiceless post-alveolar fricative /ʃ/.
The digraph 'ch' varies in sound depending on word origin. In 'schism', it is pronounced /k/ (voiceless velar plosive). In 'chef', a loanword from French, it is pronounced /ʃ/ (voiceless post-alveolar fricative).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the pronunciation of the word 'schism'.
The word is pronounced as /ˈsɪz.əm/. The letter combination 'sch' produces the consonant sequence /s/ followed by /k/ (or the 'ch' specifically represents /k/).
Although spelled with 'ch', words of Greek origin like 'schism' frequently realize 'ch' as the hard consonant sound /k/.
2
Analyze the pronunciation of the word 'chef'.
The word is pronounced as /ʃef/, where 'ch' represents the fricative sound /ʃ/.
Words borrowed relatively recently from French, such as 'chef' and 'chiffon', retain the French pronunciation of 'ch' as /ʃ/.

Key Concept

Orthographic variation of consonant digraphs across different etymological origins
Question 10Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.

laugh

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Answer: photo

Answer

The correct option is 'photo'.
The underlined letters 'gh' in 'laugh' represent the voiceless labiodental fricative sound /f/. The word 'photo' uses the spelling 'ph' to produce the exact same consonant sound /f/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the consonant sound represented by the underlined letters in the stem word.
In the word 'laugh', the underlined digraph 'gh' is pronounced as the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/.
Determining the target phonetic sound is required before comparing candidate options.
2
Examine the consonant sounds in each option to find a matching pronunciation.
'photo' contains /f/ (spelled 'ph'), 'ghost' contains /ɡ/ (spelled 'gh'), 'dough' has a silent 'gh', and 'vague' contains /ɡ/.
Phonetic identity matters regardless of spelling differences.
3
Select the word sharing the target sound /f/.
'photo' is chosen because 'ph' represents /f/, matching the 'gh' in 'laugh'.
Both words share the consonant sound /f/ despite using different letter combinations.

Key Concept

Consonant Sounds and Orthographic Variation
Estimated Time:45s
Question 11Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word: teethe. Which of the following words contains this sound?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: wreathe

Answer

The word 'wreathe' is the correct answer because it contains the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/.
The underlined letters 'th' in the verb 'teethe' represent the voiced dental fricative /ð/. Among the options, the verb 'wreathe' also features the voiced dental fricative /ð/ (pronounced /riːð/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target consonant sound in the underlined word
In the verb 'teethe' (/tiːð/), the underlined letters 'th' produce the voiced dental fricative /ð/.
English verbs ending in '-the' typically feature the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/ rather than the voiceless /θ/.
2
Analyze the phonetic pronunciation of each candidate option
'wreathe' is pronounced /riːð/ (voiced /ð/); 'wreath' is pronounced /riːθ/ (voiceless /θ/); 'breath' is pronounced /breθ/ (voiceless /θ/); 'ether' is pronounced /ˈiːθə/ (voiceless /θ/).
Differentiating between verb and noun forms (e.g., 'wreathe' vs 'wreath') isolates the voiced/voiceless distinction.
3
Match the target sound to the correct option
'wreathe' shares the exact voiced dental fricative sound /ð/ found in 'teethe'.
Matching /ð/ to /ð/ fulfills the phonetic identity required by the question stem.

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Dental Fricatives (/ð/ vs /θ/)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 12Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined: them

Show answer & explanation

Answer: brother

Answer

The correct option is 'brother' because its 'th' digraph produces the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/, identical to the sound in 'them'.
The underlined digraph 'th' in 'them' is pronounced as a voiced dental fricative /ð/. Among the options, 'brother' also contains the voiced dental fricative sound /ð/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letters in the target word.
The underlined letters 'th' in 'them' represent the voiced dental fricative consonant sound /ð/.
Determining the exact IPA sound phonetically is necessary before comparing it to the options.
2
Analyze the consonant sound produced by 'th' in each given option.
'brother' uses /ð/, while 'theory', 'thief', and 'growth' all use the voiceless dental fricative /θ/.
Differentiating between voiced /ð/ and voiceless /θ/ consonant sounds prevents orthographic confusion.
3
Select the matching option with the identical consonant sound.
'brother' is the correct match.
Both 'them' and 'brother' share the voiced consonant sound /ð/.

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Dental Fricatives (/ð/ vs /θ/)
Question 13Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter underlined in the word: resign?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: xylophone

Answer

The word with the same consonant sound is 'xylophone'.
The underlined letter 's' in 'resign' produces the voiced alveolar fricative sound /z/. Among the choices, 'xylophone' opens with the identical consonant sound /z/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letter in the target word
The letter 's' in 'resign' is pronounced as the voiced alveolar fricative sound /z/.
In 'resign', the letter 's' occurs between two vowels and undergoes voicing to produce /z/.
2
Analyze the option pronunciations to locate the matching /z/ sound
'xylophone' begins with the sound /z/, while 'basin', 'cease', and 'loose' feature the voiceless counterpart /s/.
Initial 'x' in words of Greek origin like 'xylophone' is articulated as the voiced sound /z/.

Key Concept

Identifying voiced vs. voiceless consonant sounds across varied orthographic representations
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 14Question →

Match each International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) consonant sound symbol on the left with the word on the right that contains that sound.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

/θ/ (voiceless dental fricative)
/ð/ (voiced dental fricative)
/ŋ/ (velar nasal)
/ʒ/ (voiced postalveolar fricative)

Matches

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Answer

The symbol /θ/ matches 'panther', /ð/ matches 'clothe', /ŋ/ matches 'distinction', and /ʒ/ matches 'measure'.
Each phonetic symbol correctly matches the consonant sound present in the corresponding word: /θ/ occurs in 'panther', /ð/ occurs in 'clothe', /ŋ/ occurs in 'distinction', and /ʒ/ occurs in 'measure'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the consonant sound represented by /θ/ and locate its corresponding word.
/θ/ is the voiceless dental fricative heard in 'panther'.
The 'th' digraph in 'panther' is produced without vocal cord vibration.
2
Identify the consonant sound represented by /ð/ and locate its corresponding word.
/ð/ is the voiced dental fricative heard in 'clothe'.
The 'th' spelling in 'clothe' involves active vocal cord vibration.
3
Identify the consonant sound represented by /ŋ/ and locate its corresponding word.
/ŋ/ is the velar nasal sound heard before 'k' in 'distinction'.
The letter 'n' preceding the velar sound /k/ in 'distinction' assimilates to the velar nasal /ŋ/.
4
Identify the consonant sound represented by /ʒ/ and locate its corresponding word.
/ʒ/ is the voiced postalveolar fricative sound heard in 'measure'.
The letter 's' before 'ure' in 'measure' is pronounced /ʒ/.

Key Concept

Identification and phonetic classification of consonant sounds in English orthography
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 15Question →

Match each word on the left with the word on the right that contains the exact same consonant sound as the underlined letter(s).

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

pharaoh (ph)
choir (ch)
gem (g)
whistle (wh)

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings are: 'pharaoh' matches 'laugh' (/f/), 'choir' matches 'ache' (/k/), 'gem' matches 'soldier' (/dʒ/), and 'whistle' matches 'one' (/w/).
Each pair matches words that share the identical consonant sound regardless of spelling: 'ph' in 'pharaoh' and 'gh' in 'laugh' both make /f/; 'ch' in 'choir' and 'ch' in 'ache' both make /k/; 'g' in 'gem' and 'di' in 'soldier' both make /dʒ/; and 'wh' in 'whistle' and 'o' in 'one' both make /w/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined letters 'ph' in 'pharaoh'
The sound produced is the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/.
Matching it to 'laugh' where 'gh' also represents the /f/ sound.
2
Analyze the underlined letters 'ch' in 'choir'
The sound produced is the voiceless velar plosive /k/.
Matching it to 'ache' where 'ch' represents the /k/ sound.
3
Analyze the underlined letter 'g' in 'gem'
The sound produced is the voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/.
Matching it to 'soldier' where 'di' represents the /dʒ/ sound.
4
Analyze the underlined letters 'wh' in 'whistle'
The sound produced is the voiced labial-velar approximant /w/.
Matching it to 'one' where the initial letter 'o' represents the /w/ sound.

Key Concept

Consonant Sound Correspondence Across Orthographic Variations
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 16Question →

Match each word on the left with the correct phonetic consonant sound (or realization) represented by the underlined letter 't' on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

nation
question
castle
total

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings are: 'nation' matches /ʃ/, 'question' matches /tʃ/, 'castle' matches Silent (no sound), and 'total' matches /t/.
Each item demonstrates a unique contextual realization of the letter 't': 'nation' produces the fricative /ʃ/, 'question' produces the affricate /tʃ/ due to the preceding 's', 'castle' contains a silent 't', and 'total' retains the primary alveolar plosive sound /t/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic environment of 'nation'.
The letter 't' combines with suffix '-ion' to yield the fricative sound /ʃ/ as in 'ship'.
Standard English phonetic rule for '-tion' words preceded by vowels.
2
Analyze the phonetic environment of 'question'.
The letter 't' following 's' in '-stion' forms the affricate sound /tʃ/ as in 'church'.
When 's' precedes 't' in suffixes like '-stion', assimilation produces /tʃ/ instead of /ʃ/.
3
Analyze the word 'castle'.
The letter 't' is unpronounced in the cluster '-stle'.
Words ending in '-stle' (e.g., castle, whistle, nestle) feature a silent consonant 't'.
4
Analyze the initial letter in 'total'.
The letter 't' is pronounced as the standard plosive /t/.
Direct orthographic-to-phonetic alignment for initial 't'.

Key Concept

Orthographic Realizations of Consonants
Question 17Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word below.

feather

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Answer: worthy

Answer

The word with the same consonant sound as the underlined digraph in 'feather' is 'worthy'.
In the word 'feather', the underlined letters 'th' are pronounced as the voiced dental fricative /ð/. Similarly, in 'worthy', the digraph 'th' is pronounced as /ð/, making them exact phonetic matches.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the consonant sound represented by the underlined letters in the target word
The underlined digraph 'th' in 'feather' produces the voiced dental fricative sound, phonetically represented as /ð/.
Determining the precise phonetic symbol of the target sound is necessary for comparison.
2
Analyze the pronunciation of the digraph 'th' in each given option
'breath' produces /θ/, 'worthy' produces /ð/, 'hearth' produces /θ/, and 'depth' produces /θ/.
Phonetic transcription helps isolate the target consonant sound from visually identical spellings.
3
Select the option that matches the target consonant sound /ð/
'worthy' contains the identical voiced dental fricative /ð/ sound.
Matching /ð/ in 'feather' with /ð/ in 'worthy' yields the correct response.

Key Concept

Voiced vs. Voiceless Dental Fricatives (/ð/ vs /θ/)
Question 18Question →

Match each word on the left with the word on the right that shares the identical consonant sound for the indicated letters.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

tomb (underlined sound: 'mb')
archangel (underlined sound: 'ch')
laugh (underlined sound: 'gh')
wreath (underlined sound: 'th')

Matches

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Answer

'tomb' pairs with 'hymn' (/m/), 'archangel' pairs with 'echo' (/k/), 'laugh' pairs with 'trophy' (/f/), and 'wreath' pairs with 'path' (/θ/).
Each left-side word correctly aligns with its right-side partner based on identical phonetic consonant sounds: 'tomb' and 'hymn' both produce the bilabial nasal /m/; 'archangel' and 'echo' both produce the voiceless velar plosive /k/; 'laugh' and 'trophy' both produce the voiceless labiodental fricative /f/; 'wreath' and 'path' both produce the voiceless dental fricative /θ/.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound produced by the indicated letters in each word on the left column.
'tomb' yields /m/, 'archangel' yields /k/, 'laugh' yields /f/, and 'wreath' yields /θ/.
English spelling contains silent letters and digraphs that map to specific International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) consonant sounds.
2
Determine the phonetic consonant sound produced by the indicated letters in each word on the right column.
'trophy' yields /f/, 'hymn' yields /m/, 'path' yields /θ/, and 'echo' yields /k/.
Different spelling combinations can produce the exact same consonant sound.
3
Match the words from left to right based on matching IPA consonant sound representations.
tomb (/m/) = hymn (/m/); archangel (/k/) = echo (/k/); laugh (/f/) = trophy (/f/); wreath (/θ/) = path (/θ/).
Accurate phonetic pairing requires mapping words to their underlying consonant sound rather than relying on spelling similarity.

Key Concept

English Consonant Sounds and Orthographic Variations
Question 19Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined in the word below: question?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: catch

Answer

The word 'catch' has the same consonant sound (/tʃ/) as the underlined letters 'ti' in 'question'.
In the target word 'question', the letter cluster 'ti' is preceded by 's', giving it the voiceless postalveolar affricate sound /tʃ/. The word 'catch' uses the spelling 'tch' to represent the exact same /tʃ/ sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic sound of the underlined letters in the target word
In 'question', the underlined suffix spelling 'ti' following 's' is articulated as the voiceless postalveolar affricate sound /tʃ/.
When 'tion' is preceded by 's', as in 'question' or 'suggestion', the 'ti' produces the /tʃ/ sound rather than the standard /ʃ/ sound.
2
Analyze the consonant sounds represented in each option
'catch' (/kætʃ/) contains /tʃ/; 'nation' (/ˈneɪʃn/), 'mention' (/ˈmenʃn/), and 'motion' (/ˈmoʊʃn/) all contain /ʃ/.
Comparing phonetic transcriptions identifies which word shares the target consonant sound /tʃ/.
3
Select the matching option
The word containing the /tʃ/ sound is 'catch'.
'catch' matches the /tʃ/ sound found in 'question'.

Key Concept

Identification of the /tʃ/ consonant sound across different orthographic spellings ('ti' after 's', 'tch', 'ch').
Estimated Time:45s
Question 20Question →

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the SAME CONSONANT SOUND as the one represented by the underlined letter in the word: question.

Show answer & explanation

Answer: batch

Answer

The word 'batch' has the same consonant sound /tʃ/ as the underlined letter 't' in 'question'.
In the given word 'question', the underlined letter 't' is pronounced as the voiceless postalveolar affricate consonant /tʃ/. Among the choices, the word 'batch' contains the exact same consonant sound /tʃ/ (represented by the spelling 'tch').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the phonetic consonant sound of the underlined letter 't' in 'question'.
In the word 'question' (/ˈkwestʃən/), the letter 't' following 's' is pronounced as the voiceless postalveolar affricate sound /tʃ/.
English orthography often represents affricate sounds like /tʃ/ using combinations such as '-tion' after 's'.
2
Analyze the phonetic consonant sounds produced by the target letters in each option.
'batch' is pronounced /bætʃ/ (/tʃ/); 'chasm' is pronounced /ˈkæzəm/ (/k/); 'champagne' is pronounced /ʃæmˈpeɪn/ (/ʃ/); 'monarch' is pronounced /ˈmɒnək/ (/k/).
The digraph 'ch' can represent different consonant sounds (/tʃ/, /k/, or /ʃ/) depending on etymological roots.
3
Match the target sound /tʃ/ with the corresponding option.
'batch' is the only word containing the sound /tʃ/.
The letter pattern 'tch' in 'batch' consistently produces the voiceless affricate /tʃ/.

Key Concept

Consonant Sounds: Identification of Affricates (/tʃ/)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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