1.3 Pronunciation Tasks
Task 1. Strong and weak forms
In the following sentences, indicate which words would normally have weak forms.
Why is this?
The underlined words below are normally weak, which means that they are
unstressed and reduced; typically the vowel sound in them would be a schwa /ə/
and /h/ in the pronouns is often omitted. Pronouns, prepositions, auxiliary verbs,
conjunctions and articles are normally weak and unstressed unless special
emphasis is placed on them.
Could someone give her a glass of water?
Does he know where to go and has he got money for the fare?
Do you have some books to lend him?
Task 2. Example Exam
1. Which of the following sounds is normally voiced?
a) /f/
b) /k/
c) /θ/
d) /s/
e) /ʒ/
2. Which of the following sounds is a monophthong?
a) /ɜː/
b) /θ/
c) /aɪ/
d) /m/
e) /t/
3. Which of the following sounds is a fricative ?
a) /t/
b) /b/
c) /ɡ/
d) /ɪ/
e) /s/
4. How do you spell the word that is transcribed /sɔː(r)d/?
a) sward
b) sword
c) seed
d) said
e) sold
5. In which of the following words is the bolded letter pronounced /p/?
a) corps
d) receipt
b) corpse
e) psychology
c) cupboard
6. How do you spell the word that is transcribed /bɜː(r)d/?
a) bird
d) beard
b) bored
e) bud
c) barred
7. How do you spell the word that is transcribed /kəʊm || koʊm/?
a) come
d) comb
b) came
e) camp
c) calm
8. In which of the following words is the bolded letter pronounced /ɡ/? (NB: the
question only concerns the bolded letter, not any other instances of “g”.)
a) geography
b) sign
c) rigid
d) giddy
e) giant
9. In which of the following words are the bolded letters pronounced /eə || e(ə)r/?
a) ear
d) dear
b) fear
e) bear
c) beer
10. In which of the following words is the bolded letter pronounced /aɪ/?
a) finish
d) vivid
b) limb
e) lilac
c) hint
11. In which of the following words is the bolded letter pronounced /b/?
a) subtle
d) doubt
b) thumb
e) lamb
c) submit
12. In which of the following words is/are the bolded letter(s) pronounced /ð/?
a) thank
d) author
b) castle
e) Mathilda
c) breathe
13. Which one of the following words is transcribed /θruː/?
a) throw
d) drew
b) threw
e) crew
c) true
14. Which of the following word classes does not have words with “strong” and
“weak” pronunciation?
a) adjective
b) preposition
c) pronoun
d) auxiliary verb
e) conjunction
15. In RP, how many times is the sound /r/ pronounced in the following sentence (all
instances of the letter are underlined)?
Fortunately, her mother and her uncle brought her shoes.
a) two
b) three
c) four
d) five
e) six
16. In RP, how many instances of clear /l/ are there in the following sentence (all
instances of the letter are underlined)?
Gladys put a full glass of milk on the table in the parlour.
a) one
b) two
c) three
d) four
e) five
17. In which of the following words/phrases do we find an example of elision?
a) gunpoint /ˈɡʌmpɔɪnt/
b) washed /wɒʃt/
c) light blue /laɪp bluː/
d) fifth /fɪθ/
e) drawing (RP) /ˈdrɔːrɪŋ/
18. Which of the following words can not be stressed in two different ways, changing
the meaning and the word class of the word?
a) balance
b) conduct
c) insult
d) perfect
e) record
19. Which of the following words is transcribed according to GA pronunciation?
a) leisure /ˈleʒə/
b) vitamin /ˈvɪtəmɪn/
d) clerk /klɜːrk/
e) lieutenant /lefˈtenənt/
c) shone /ʃɒn/
20. In which of the following words is the primary stress placed according to GA
pronunciation?
a) gaˈrage
b) doˈnate
d) reˈsearch
e) ˈplateau
c) ˈballet