Phonetics – Pronunciation Exercises

I. Find the words that match the transcriptions.

Transcriptions Words
1./tið/ 5./ˈjuʒʊəli/ teeth teethe
small extend
2./smɔl/ 6./ɪkˈst_nd/
kerchief churches
7./kəˈmɜ(r)ʃ(ə)l/
3./ˈɪntrəst/ july interest
4.ˈsp_ʃ(ə)l 8./ˈdʒʌstɪs/ commercial intranet
justice smart
speculate special
usually just

II. Complete the transcriptions with one of the following dipthongs:

/eɪ/ /aɪ/ /ɔɪ/ /əʊ/ /aʊ/ /ɪə/ /_ə/ /ʊə/

1. make /m _ _ k/ 6. hear /h _ _/
2. sure /ʃ _ _/ 7. town /t _ _ n/
3. bear /b _ _/ 8. home /h _ _ m/
4. island /- - lənd/ 9. sight /s _ _ t/
5. employ /ɪmpl _ _/ 10. know /n _ _ /

III. Write out the correct spelling of these words.

/pə(r)ˈtɪkjʊlə(r)li/
/ˈr_st(ə)rɒnt/
/ɪnˈt_lɪdʒəb(ə)l/
/ˈwɒndə(r)/
/ˌdɪfəˈr_nʃieɪt/
ˈdeɪndʒərəs/

IV. Tick the words that contain the /ɜ/ sound.

1. Thursday 5. Tuesday 9. birthday 13. mustache
2. does 6. work 10. turn 14. hurt
3. skirt 7. ear 11. bun 15. early
4. short 8. nurse 12. butter 16. ward
V. State the vowels in each pair, then transcribe the sentences in broad transcription and narrow
transcription.
E.g: Have they found/fond the key?
Found /aʊ/, fond /ɒ/ or /â/
hæv 5e1 fa$d 56 ki? hæv̪ ðeɪ faʊd̪ ðə kʰi?

a. Which county/country did you say he lived in?

b. She rubbed/robbed the silver to make it shinier.
c. There are a lot of colourful rags/rugs on the floor.
d. Can I borrow your cup/cap?
e. We were wondering/wandering where she was.
f. She has a heart/hut of gold.
g. Put the batter/butter in the fridge.
h. Did you say he run/ran away?
i. There was a big cart/cut in the wood.
j. He tripped over the stump/stamp on the ground.
 VI. Tick the words that contain the /dʒ/ sound.
1. gin 5. yam 9. jet 13. damage
2. large 6. soldier 10. gear 14. generous
3. goat 7. colleague 11. just 15. collage
4. injury 8. gum 12. get 16. college
VII. Tick the words that contain the /s/ sound.
1. song 5. face 9. issue 13. disciple
2. Islam 6. city 10. months 14. sugar
3. vision 7. message 11. castle 15. mix
4. science 8. houses 12. fascism 16. psychology
VIII. Circle the word that is pronounced differently from the other three words.
a. accident access accommodate accept
b. sheep beer field people
c. angry jungle English spring
d. shout now round mould
e. cheese chip machine attach
f. signature foreign design sign
g. circuit fruit build biscuit
h. plough rough cough tough
i. flour sour pour our
j. author caught laughter daughter

IX. Transcribe the following words.

distinction, ages, graduate, linguistics, conscious, awareness, similarity, essence

X. Transcribe the following sentences (either Am. or Bra. style can be ok, but it must be consistent)
a. We went to the theatre yesterday.
b. He can speak Russian and German.
c. Susan is famous for her Christmas cake.
d. The pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary are difficult.
e. We could ask them if they have reached a decision.
f. A man and a woman were waiting at the station.
g. They‟re going to the mountains on Saturday.
h. The private sector is all economic activity other than government.
i. Where are the spoons and forks?
j. There were seven or eight hundred people present at the conference.
XI. Do the following pairs of consonants have the same or different place of articulation? What is
that/ are they?
[s]: [l]
[p]: [r]
[f]: [h]
[5]: [t]
[m]: [7]
[t~] : [~]

XII. Define the following groups of sounds

/ w, y, k, 9, 7/
/ 1, _, %/
/s, z, ~, 2, t~, d2/
/_, è, á/
XIII. Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.
a. Raising the velum enables the air to flow through the nasal tract.
b. In the articulation of voiced sounds, the vocal cords are brought close together.
c. Different sounds are created by changing the properties of the vocal tract.
d. During normal breathing, the vocal cords are close together and vibrate.
e. Most speech sounds are made by allowing air to flow through the nose.
f. The glottis surrounds the vocal cords.
g. A sound whose articulation involves movement from one vowel position to another
is called a diphthong.
XIV.