Phonetics Review

What is the main characteristic of a tense vowel?

• Less muscular effort and shorter duration

• Greater muscular effort and longer duration

• Only occurs in closed syllables

• Pronounced through the nose

Which of the following is true about lax vowels?

• They occur in both open and closed syllables

• They are typically shorter in duration

• They require more muscular effort

• They are only found in unstressed syllables

Which of the following is an example of a tense vowel?

• /ɪ/ as in bit

• /ɛ/ as in bet

• /iː/ as in beat

• /æ/ as in bat

Which word contains a lax vowel?

• Seat

• Fit

• Boot

• Late

In the word beat, the vowel sound /iː/ is:

• Tense

• Lax

• Neither

• Both

In the word bit, the vowel sound /ɪ/ is:

• Tense

• Lax

• Neither

• Both

Which of the following pairs contrasts tense and lax vowels?

• Beat / Bit

• Boot / But

• Late / Let

• All of the above

Why are tense vowels longer than lax vowels?

• They occur only in stressed syllables

• They require more muscular tension

• They have more breath support

• They are used only in open syllables

Choose the correct transcription for seat:

• /sɪt/

• /siːt/

• /sɪɪt/

• /seɪt/

What is the correct transcription for sit?

• /sɪt/

• /siːt/

• /seɪt/

• /sʌt/