Which of the following is a vocal sound?

• /b/

• /e/

• /t/

• /f/

Which vowel is a back vowel?

• /i/

• /u/

• /e/

• /a/

Answer explanation

The back vowels are produced with the back part of the tongue raised towards the soft palate. Among the options, /u/ is a back vowel, while /i/, /e/, and /a/ are not classified as back vowels.

What type of vowel is /æ/?

• Frontal

• Posterior

• Central

• High

Answer explanation

/æ/ is classified as a frontal vowel because it is produced with the tongue positioned towards the front of the mouth. This distinguishes it from posterior and central vowels, making 'frontal' the correct choice.

The sound /ɒ/ in "cot" is what type of vowel?

• Short

• Long

• Diphthong

• Medium

Answer explanation

The sound /ɒ/ in "cot" is classified as a short vowel. It is pronounced quickly and does not have the length characteristic of long vowels or the glide of diphthongs.

Which word contains a short vowel sound?

• Beat

• Sit

• Bike

• Seat

Answer explanation

The word 'Sit' contains a short vowel sound, represented by the 'i' which is pronounced quickly. In contrast, 'Beat', 'Bike', and 'Seat' contain long vowel sounds.

Which of the following words contains a long vowel sound?

• Cat

• Beat

• Pot

• Pen

Answer explanation

The word 'Beat' contains a long vowel sound, represented by the 'ea' which sounds like 'ee'. In contrast, 'Cat', 'Pot', and 'Pen' contain short vowel sounds.

Which vowel is central?

• /i/

• /ə/

• /u/

• /a/

Answer explanation

/ə/ is the central vowel in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It represents a mid-central position in the mouth, making it the most neutral and central vowel compared to /i/, /u/, and /a/.

The vocal sound /iː/ in 'see' is considered:

• Long

• Short

• Diphthong

• Voiced

Answer explanation

The vocal sound /iː/ in 'see' is considered long because it is held for a longer duration compared to short vowels. It is not a diphthong, which involves a glide from one vowel sound to another, nor is it classified as short.

Which of these vowels is produced with rounded lips?

• /uː/

• /iː/

• /æ/

• /ɛ/

Answer explanation

/uː/ is produced with rounded lips, as in the word 'food'. In contrast, /iː/, /æ/, and /ɛ/ are produced with unrounded lips, making /uː/ the correct choice for this question.

What vowel sound appears in the word 'but'?

• /æ/

• /ɒ/

• /ʌ/

• /i/

Answer explanation

The vowel sound in 'but' is /ʌ/, which is a short, open-mid back unrounded vowel. The other options, /æ/, /ɒ/, and /i/, do not accurately represent the vowel sound in 'but'.