10 Examples of Allophones: Phonemes Quiz and Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

Which sounds in English are allophones of the same phoneme?

[k], [kh], and [g]
[kh] and [g]
[k] and [kh] (correct)
[k] and [g]

Which sounds are aspirated when they appear in initial position in English?

[k]
[g]
[kh]
Both [k] and [kh] (correct)

Do English speakers consider aspirated and unaspirated stops as the same?

It depends on the context
There is no information about this in the text
Yes, they do (correct)
No, they don't

Do speakers of Hindi treat [p] and [ph] as the same?

No, they don't (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the phonemic distribution of [k], [kh], [g] in English allow us to do?

Make predictions about when we will get [k] and when we will get [kh] (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between allophones and phonemes?

Allophones are specific sounds within a language, while phonemes are the basic units of sound in a language (C) Signup and view all the answers

What do the examples from Hindi in the text demonstrate?

The phonemic distribution of [p] and [ph] in Hindi (B) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Allophones

Sounds that are perceived as the same by speakers of a language but have slightly different pronunciations. For example, the aspirated [kh] and unaspirated [k] in English are allophones of the same phoneme, /k/.

Phonemes

The basic units of sound in a language. They are contrastive, meaning that changing one phoneme can change the meaning of a word. They are represented with slashes (/ /).

Phonemic Distribution

The distribution of the sounds in a language. For example, in English, the aspirated [kh] sound appears at the beginning of words, but not at the end.

Aspirated vs Unaspirated

The sound [kh] is aspirated, meaning that a puff of air is released after the sound. The sound [k] is unaspirated, meaning that no puff of air is released.

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Phoneme vs Allophone

A phoneme is a sound that can change the meaning of a word, while allophones are variations of a sound that do not change the meaning.

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Aspirated Sounds in English

The aspirated sounds [p], [t], and [k] in English are only aspirated when they appear at the start of a word. This shows how the phonemic environment impacts how sounds are realized.

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Aspirated Sounds in Hindi

In some languages, like Hindi, aspirated and unaspirated sounds are considered distinct phonemes. This means they can change the meaning of words. The aspirated sounds are indicated with a superscript ‘h’ ([ph], [th], [kh]), while the unaspirated sounds are just [p], [t], and [k] in Hindi.

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Study Notes

Phonemes and Allophones in English and Hindi

In English, [p], [ph], [b], and [bh] are allophones of the same phoneme /p/.
In English, [k], [kh], [t], and [th] are aspirated when they appear in initial position.
English speakers consider aspirated and unaspirated stops as the same phoneme.
In Hindi, speakers treat [p] and [ph] as different phonemes.
The phonemic distribution of [k], [kh], and [g] in English allows us to ignore the difference in aspiration.
Allophones are variations of a phoneme that do not change the meaning of a word, while phonemes are distinct sounds that change the meaning of a word.
The examples from Hindi demonstrate that languages can treat aspirated and unaspirated stops differently, and that what may be allophones in one language can be phonemes in another.