UNIT 4: PHONEMES AND ALLOPHONES 

A. THEORY 
I. Phonemes 
Please write the definition of a phoneme in the blank below: 
This is the smallest unit of language which distinguishes meaning, it is the
organisational unit of phonology.
II. Minimal pairs 
How do you understand about minima pair? Then take examples to illustrate it. Write 
your answer in the blank below. 
In phonology, minimal pairs are pairs of words or phrases in a particular language,
spoken or signed, that differ in only one phonological element, such as
a phoneme, toneme or chroneme,[1] and have distinct meanings. They are used to
demonstrate that two phones are two separate phonemes in the language.
An example for English consonants is the minimal pair of "pat " + "bat", “seal /siːl/” +
“zeal /ziːl/”

IV. Symbols and Transcriptions 

- Phonemic symbols are symbols for phonemes. A phonemic transcription is a 
transcription in which each phoneme is represented by one phonemic symbol E.g.
department /diˈpa:tmənt/ 
- Phonetic symbols are symbols for allophones. A phonetic transcription is a 
transcription which contains a lot of information about the exact quality of the sounds.  It
shows more phonetic detail such as aspiration, length, nasalization…., by using a wide 
variety of symbols and in many cases 
E.g. department [diˈpha:tomənt]

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B. EXERCISES 
I. Read the following words and find twelve minimal pairs. Then write them in 
the provided blanks. 

1. Thick- Sick 2. Vent-Bent

3. Glow- Grow 4. Rice-Lice

5. Birthday- Bath day 6. Van-Fan

7. Fine-Vine 8. Math-Mass

9. Save- Safe 10. Mouth-Mouse

11. Alive-Arrive 12. Vine-Fine

II. Find another word to finish the minimal pairs 

1. hair - ____________ 2. lock - __rock__________ 3. thing - ____________ 4.

tree - _____three_______ 5. bride - ____________ 
6. bin - ____pin________ 7. fame - ____vame________ 8. rob - ___rop_________
9. paint - ____________ 10. well - ____________ 

III. Fill out the following table with other minimal pairs. The first one is done for 
you: 
Sheep  Ship

Bean
Chick

Hill
Peach

Skim

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Sick
stea
l
Will 

IV. Write the phonetic symbol for the first sound in each of the following words
according to the way you pronounce it. 

1. judge: …………….. 2. Thomas: …………….. 3. through: …………….. 4. easy:

…………….. 5. pneumonia: …………….. 6. thought: …………….. 7. contact:
…………….. 8. phone: …………….. 9. civic: …………….. 10. usury: …………….. 
 1. fierce: …………….. 2. known: …………….. 3. long: …………….. 4. health:
…………….. 5. watch: …………….. 6. cow: …………….. 7. rough: ……………..
8. cheese: …………….. 9. bleached: …………….. 10. rags: …………….. 

V. Transcribe the following words phonemically. If you are a fluent first language 
speaker of English, represent your own pronunciation. Otherwise, use the 
pronunciation of someone else who is a fluent first-language speaker of English. 

1. physics: …………….. 2. merry: …………….. 3. weather: …………….. 4.

coat: …………….. 5. yellow: …………….. 6. marry: …………….. 7. tease:
…………….. 8. heath: …………….. 9. Mary: …………….. 10. ooze:
…………….. 
11. push: …………….. 12. alphabet: …………….. 13. collapse: …………….. 14.
punish: …………….. 15. Jurassic: …………….. 16. salmonella: …………….. 17.
diphthong: …………….. 18. women: …………….. 19. flood: …………….. 20.
fluent: …………….. 

VI. Write the words with the following phonemic transcription to complete the 
puzzle and read the hidden message.
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VII.
Below is the transcription of one of the verses in the poem “The Walrus and  the
Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll. There are one or two errors in each line that is  an
impossible pronunciation for any English speaker. 

VIII.
Write the following sentences in regular English spelling.
: Try and find a seat at the front of the hall.

Your answers: 
1. ………………………………………………………………………………………...
2. ………………………………………………………………………………………...
3. ………………………………………………………………………………………...
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