JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED
2026-2027!! | Verified Questions
JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS AND |
Comprehensive Examination
JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED 2026-2027!! actual
exam preparation document with verified questions, complete
INTRODUCTION
This document is an important and very helpful preparation
resource for JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED 2026-2027!!.
Every item uses a focused exam stem, four response options, a
keyed response, and a clear rationale, making it easier to
understand the subject, spot distractors, and build real exam
confidence.
Page 1
, Question 1
In a spectrogram of a voiced stop /b/ in the word 'about,' the burst is followed
by a period of low-frequency energy before vowel onset. Which acoustic
feature best explains this observation?
A. Voice onset time (VOT) is negative, indicating prevoicing.
B. The release burst is followed by frication noise from turbulent airflow.
C. The low-frequency energy reflects the first formant transition of the
following vowel.
D. The period is a voice bar caused by continued vocal fold vibration
during closure.
Correct Answer: D - The period is a voice bar caused by
continued vocal fold vibration during closure.
RATIONALE
A voice bar is low-frequency energy during stop closure due to
ongoing vocal fold vibration, characteristic of voiced stops. VOT
negativity (A) refers to prevoicing before release, not after. Frication
(B) would appear as high-frequency noise. F1 transition (C) occurs
after voicing onset, not during closure.
Question 2
A child produces /s/ as [] in all contexts. Which phonological process does this
exemplify, and what is the most appropriate phonetic transcription?
A. Stopping; [t] for /s/
B. Fronting; [] for /s/
C. Depalatalization; [] for /s/
D. Gliding; [j] for /s/
Correct Answer: B - Fronting; [] for /s/
Page 2
, RATIONALE
Substituting [] for /s/ is fronting (or dentalization), where the place of
articulation moves forward. Stopping (A) would replace a fricative
with a stop. Depalatalization (C) involves loss of palatal features.
Gliding (D) replaces liquids with glides.
Question 3
Which IPA diacritic is used to transcribe a vowel that is produced with nasal
airflow due to velopharyngeal inadequacy?
A. Dental diacritic [ ]
B. Nasal diacritic [ ~ ]
C. Voiceless diacritic [ ]
D. Syllabic diacritic [ ]
Correct Answer: B - Nasal diacritic [ ~ ]
RATIONALE
The tilde [ ~ ] over a vowel indicates nasalization, as in [ã]. The dental
diacritic (A) marks place of articulation. The voiceless diacritic (C)
indicates lack of voicing. The syllabic diacritic (D) marks a consonant
as syllable nucleus.
Question 4
During connected speech, the /d/ in 'good boy' is often produced as a bilabial
stop [b]. This is an example of which phenomenon?
A. Progressive assimilation
B. Regressive assimilation
C. Elision
D. Epenthesis
Correct Answer: B - Regressive assimilation
Page 3
, RATIONALE
Regressive assimilation occurs when a sound changes to match a
following sound; here /d/ becomes [b] due to the following bilabial
/b/. Progressive assimilation (A) would involve influence from a
preceding sound. Elision (C) is omission. Epenthesis (D) is insertion.
Question 5
In a cross-linguistic study, a speaker of Spanish produces English /z/ as [s].
Which phonetic dimension is most directly affected?
A. Place of articulation
B. Manner of articulation
C. Voicing
D. Nasality
Correct Answer: C - Voicing
RATIONALE
The substitution of [s] for /z/ changes voicing from voiced to voiceless
while place and manner remain alveolar fricative. Place (A) and
manner (B) are unchanged. Nasality (D) is not involved.
Question 6
A client with flaccid dysarthria shows hypernasality and nasal emission on
pressure consonants. Which phonetic feature is most likely impaired?
A. Velopharyngeal closure
B. Glottal adduction
C. Tongue tip elevation
D. Lip rounding
Correct Answer: A - Velopharyngeal closure
Page 4
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED
2026-2027!! | Verified Questions
JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS AND |
Comprehensive Examination
JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED 2026-2027!! actual
exam preparation document with verified questions, complete
INTRODUCTION
This document is an important and very helpful preparation
resource for JMU CSD 207 PHONETICS EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED 2026-2027!!.
Every item uses a focused exam stem, four response options, a
keyed response, and a clear rationale, making it easier to
understand the subject, spot distractors, and build real exam
confidence.
Page 1
, Question 1
In a spectrogram of a voiced stop /b/ in the word 'about,' the burst is followed
by a period of low-frequency energy before vowel onset. Which acoustic
feature best explains this observation?
A. Voice onset time (VOT) is negative, indicating prevoicing.
B. The release burst is followed by frication noise from turbulent airflow.
C. The low-frequency energy reflects the first formant transition of the
following vowel.
D. The period is a voice bar caused by continued vocal fold vibration
during closure.
Correct Answer: D - The period is a voice bar caused by
continued vocal fold vibration during closure.
RATIONALE
A voice bar is low-frequency energy during stop closure due to
ongoing vocal fold vibration, characteristic of voiced stops. VOT
negativity (A) refers to prevoicing before release, not after. Frication
(B) would appear as high-frequency noise. F1 transition (C) occurs
after voicing onset, not during closure.
Question 2
A child produces /s/ as [] in all contexts. Which phonological process does this
exemplify, and what is the most appropriate phonetic transcription?
A. Stopping; [t] for /s/
B. Fronting; [] for /s/
C. Depalatalization; [] for /s/
D. Gliding; [j] for /s/
Correct Answer: B - Fronting; [] for /s/
Page 2
, RATIONALE
Substituting [] for /s/ is fronting (or dentalization), where the place of
articulation moves forward. Stopping (A) would replace a fricative
with a stop. Depalatalization (C) involves loss of palatal features.
Gliding (D) replaces liquids with glides.
Question 3
Which IPA diacritic is used to transcribe a vowel that is produced with nasal
airflow due to velopharyngeal inadequacy?
A. Dental diacritic [ ]
B. Nasal diacritic [ ~ ]
C. Voiceless diacritic [ ]
D. Syllabic diacritic [ ]
Correct Answer: B - Nasal diacritic [ ~ ]
RATIONALE
The tilde [ ~ ] over a vowel indicates nasalization, as in [ã]. The dental
diacritic (A) marks place of articulation. The voiceless diacritic (C)
indicates lack of voicing. The syllabic diacritic (D) marks a consonant
as syllable nucleus.
Question 4
During connected speech, the /d/ in 'good boy' is often produced as a bilabial
stop [b]. This is an example of which phenomenon?
A. Progressive assimilation
B. Regressive assimilation
C. Elision
D. Epenthesis
Correct Answer: B - Regressive assimilation
Page 3
, RATIONALE
Regressive assimilation occurs when a sound changes to match a
following sound; here /d/ becomes [b] due to the following bilabial
/b/. Progressive assimilation (A) would involve influence from a
preceding sound. Elision (C) is omission. Epenthesis (D) is insertion.
Question 5
In a cross-linguistic study, a speaker of Spanish produces English /z/ as [s].
Which phonetic dimension is most directly affected?
A. Place of articulation
B. Manner of articulation
C. Voicing
D. Nasality
Correct Answer: C - Voicing
RATIONALE
The substitution of [s] for /z/ changes voicing from voiced to voiceless
while place and manner remain alveolar fricative. Place (A) and
manner (B) are unchanged. Nasality (D) is not involved.
Question 6
A client with flaccid dysarthria shows hypernasality and nasal emission on
pressure consonants. Which phonetic feature is most likely impaired?
A. Velopharyngeal closure
B. Glottal adduction
C. Tongue tip elevation
D. Lip rounding
Correct Answer: A - Velopharyngeal closure
Page 4
