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Worksheets

Phonetic Changes

Total questions: 10

Worksheet time: 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In which period of the English language did the simplification of initial consonant clusters, such as kn- in knight, begin?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

2.

In which period of the English language did the Great Vowel Shift occur?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Early Modern English

3.

To which period does the pronunciation of the word mouse as [muːs] belong?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

4.

In which period did the sound [x] (as in niht, "night") disappear?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

5.

To which period does the appearance of silent consonants in words like gnome and knight belong?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

6.

When did the pronunciation of the letter r begin to disappear at the end of words in British English (e.g., in the word car)?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

7.

To which period does the pronunciation of vowels as more "open" and close to their spelling (e.g., nama as [ˈnɑːmɑ]) belong?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

8.

When did changes involving the emergence of [ʒ] (as in measure) begin in the English language?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

9.

In which period of the English language was the word night pronounced as [niːxt]?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English

10.

When did long vowels in the English language begin to turn into diphthongs (e.g., [iː] → [aɪ] in the word time)?

a)

Old English

b)

Middle English

c)

Early Modern English

d)

Modern English