General American Accent Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What happens to the /l/ sound in General American when it appears before vowels?

  • It is completely neutralized.
  • It is clear.
  • It is velarized. (correct)
  • It is vocalised.
  • Which phenomenon refers to the realization of [t̠] as [ʔ] in certain words?

  • Glottal reinforcement
  • T-glottalization
  • T-dropping (correct)
  • Medial reduction
  • What is the quality of the GOAT vowel in General American compared to General British?

  • Not distinguishable from the FOOT vowel
  • More back and rounded (correct)
  • More front and rounded
  • Less rounded and centralized
  • Which of the following is true regarding the medial [n̠t̠] sequence in General American?

    <p>It is reduced to [n̠].</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is the GB pronunciation [aɹ] in 'necessary' pronounced in General American?

    <p>[ɛɹ]</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The [d̠] sound in General American is tapped or flapped primarily in the same context as which sound?

    <p>[t̠]</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following BATH words demonstrates the use of the TRAP vowel in General American?

    <p>Dance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When the STRUT vowel occurs before /ɹ/ in General American as in 'hurricane', what sound(s) is (are) used?

    <p>[ɝ]</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one characteristic of the sequence [t̠ⁿn̠̩] , as in 'cotton', in the accent of General American?

    <p>[t̠ⁿ] can be glottalized.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'degree of darkness' refer to in relation to the /l/ sound?

    <p>Quality of sound pronunciation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which word [t̠] is NOT tapped in General American?

    <p>guitar</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    General American Accent

    • Considered a range of accents, not a single one
    • Lacks marked social, ethnic, and regional features (e.g., north, northeast, south)
    • Also known as Broadcast or Network English

    Consonant Sounds

    • Similar consonant system to General British English (GB)
    • Few distributional and realizational differences
    • Rhotic accent: /r/ is pronounced as [ɹ] or a retroflex [r]
    • /t/ is voiced [t] or tapped [ɾ] between vowels or after unstressed vowels
    • /d/ is tapped [ɾ] in the same contexts as /t/
    • Examples of homophones: need and kidding; rider and writer; metal and medal

    Reduced Sounds

    • Medial [nt] is reduced to [n] (e.g., internet)
    • Yod is dropped after voiceless dental [θ] and alveolar consonants [t, d, s, z, n] (e.g., studio)

    /l/ Sound

    • Mostly velarized [ɫ]
    • Dark /l/ before vowels, but very dark elsewhere
    • After aspirated stops, /l/ may be realized as [!]

    Vowel Sounds

    • R-colored vowels (also called "rhotacized" vowels):

      • Articulated while curling the tongue to a post-alveolar or retroflex position.
      • /r/ sound merges with the vowel.
    • Examples of r-colouring: [ɝ], [ɚ], [ɔr], [ɑr], [ʊr], [ɔr]

    • Example words: first, fever, fear, fair, far, for, fire

    • Distinction between vowel sounds may not always be noticed in speech

    • Vowel sounds in words like merry, marry, Mary, vary, they are pronounced as ['mɛri]

    Other Relevant Features

    • Yod coalescence at word boundaries (e.g., don't you, did you)
    • H-dropping in weak forms that are not utterance-initial (e.g., 'him', 'he', 'her')
    • The GOAT vowel is more back and rounded than in GB English (e.g., boat, ago)
    • The TRAP vowel is used in all BATH words instead of PALM in GB English (e.g., bath, laugh, chance,ask)
    • Some speakers merge sounds

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    Related Documents

    General American Accent - PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on the features of the General American accent, including its consonant and vowel sounds. Explore how reduced sounds function within this accent and understand the nuances that differentiate it from other English accents. This quiz is essential for linguistics enthusiasts and students alike.

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