10 Questions
What is the study of the sounds of human language called?
Phonetics
How many sounds are in the word 'through'?
Three
What is the main concern of phonology?
Properties of sounds and their combination into words
Why is it hard to talk about sounds in terms of the written alphabet?
Letters do not correspond to the actual sounds in a straightforward way
What is the difference between sounds and letters?
A word can have more letters than sounds
Phonetics is concerned with the properties of sounds and the ways they are combined into words.
True
The letters of the writing system correspond directly to the actual sounds made in pronouncing the words.
False
It's easy to be tricked into thinking the same sounds are involved in different words that partially contain the same letters.
True
The study of phonology focuses on the study of letters and their combinations.
False
The word 'through' has three sounds and seven letters.
True
Study Notes
Sounds of English
- The study of the sounds of human language is called phonetics.
- Phonology is concerned with the properties of sounds and how they are combined into words.
- Sounds are distinct from letters, and a single word can have multiple letters but only a few sounds.
- The example of the word "through" illustrates this, with 7 letters (t-h-r-o-ug-h) but only 3 sounds (th-r-ough).
- It's essential to distinguish between letters and sounds, as they do not correspond directly in the written alphabet.
- This distinction is important because letters can be pronounced in multiple ways, making it difficult to refer to a particular sound.
- The written alphabet can be misleading, as words with similar letters may have different sounds, and vice versa.
Test your knowledge of English phonetics and phonology with this quiz. Learn about the properties of sounds and how they form words. Differentiate between letters and sounds in words like "through."
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