LING-115 Final Exam 20256/2027– 200 Questions
& Answers with Detailed Rationales | Complete
Linguistics Study Guide
Section 1: Phonetics (Questions 1–25)
1. Which of the following is a voiceless bilabial stop?
A. [b]
B. [p]
C. [m]
D. [v]
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [p] is produced with both lips (bilabial) and without vocal fold vibration (voiceless).
[b] is voiced bilabial, [m] is a nasal, and [v] is labiodental fricative .
2. The sound [ʃ] as in "shoe" is classified as:
A. Voiceless alveolar fricative
B. Voiceless postalveolar fricative
C. Voiced palatal approximant
D. Voiceless velar stop
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [ʃ] is articulated with the tongue blade near the postalveolar region and is
voiceless .
3. Which IPA symbol represents a voiced velar nasal?
A. [n]
B. [m]
C. [ŋ]
D. [ɲ]
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: [ŋ] is the voiced velar nasal heard at the end of "sing." [n] is alveolar, [m] bilabial,
and [ɲ] palatal .
4. A sound produced with a complete closure of the vocal tract followed by a release
is called a:
A. Fricative
B. Stop (plosive)
C. Approximant
D. Affricate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Stops involve full occlusion; affricates involve a stop closure released into a
fricative .
5. Which of the following is NOT a parameter for describing consonants?
A. Voicing
B. Place of articulation
,C. Height of the tongue
D. Manner of articulation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Height is a vowel parameter (front/central/back and high/mid/low). Consonants
are described by voicing, place, and manner .
6. The vowel in "bit" is:
A. High front tense
B. High front lax
C. Mid central
D. Low back
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [ɪ] is high, front, and lax, contrasting with tense [i] in "beat" .
7. Which of the following is a diphthong?
A. [u]
B. [aɪ]
C. [ɛ]
D. [ɔ]
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [aɪ] involves a change in vowel quality within one syllable (as in "my") .
8. Aspiration in English stops is marked with:
A. [ʰ]
B. [ː]
C. [ˀ]
D. [̃]
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: [ʰ] indicates aspiration, as in the [pʰ] of "pot" .
9. The sound [l] is a:
A. Nasal
B. Lateral approximant
C. Fricative
D. Stop
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [l] is a voiced lateral approximant; airflow passes around the sides of the tongue .
10. Which of the following pairs contrasts only in voicing?
A. [p] / [b]
B. [t] / [k]
C. [m] / [n]
D. [s] / [ʃ]
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: [p] and [b] share place (bilabial) and manner (stop); they differ only in voicing .
11. The vocal tract filter is shaped primarily by:
A. The lungs
B. The larynx
C. The articulators above the larynx
D. The diaphragm
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Source-filter theory: the larynx provides the source, and the supraglottal
articulators filter it into distinct speech sounds .
& Answers with Detailed Rationales | Complete
Linguistics Study Guide
Section 1: Phonetics (Questions 1–25)
1. Which of the following is a voiceless bilabial stop?
A. [b]
B. [p]
C. [m]
D. [v]
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [p] is produced with both lips (bilabial) and without vocal fold vibration (voiceless).
[b] is voiced bilabial, [m] is a nasal, and [v] is labiodental fricative .
2. The sound [ʃ] as in "shoe" is classified as:
A. Voiceless alveolar fricative
B. Voiceless postalveolar fricative
C. Voiced palatal approximant
D. Voiceless velar stop
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [ʃ] is articulated with the tongue blade near the postalveolar region and is
voiceless .
3. Which IPA symbol represents a voiced velar nasal?
A. [n]
B. [m]
C. [ŋ]
D. [ɲ]
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: [ŋ] is the voiced velar nasal heard at the end of "sing." [n] is alveolar, [m] bilabial,
and [ɲ] palatal .
4. A sound produced with a complete closure of the vocal tract followed by a release
is called a:
A. Fricative
B. Stop (plosive)
C. Approximant
D. Affricate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Stops involve full occlusion; affricates involve a stop closure released into a
fricative .
5. Which of the following is NOT a parameter for describing consonants?
A. Voicing
B. Place of articulation
,C. Height of the tongue
D. Manner of articulation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Height is a vowel parameter (front/central/back and high/mid/low). Consonants
are described by voicing, place, and manner .
6. The vowel in "bit" is:
A. High front tense
B. High front lax
C. Mid central
D. Low back
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [ɪ] is high, front, and lax, contrasting with tense [i] in "beat" .
7. Which of the following is a diphthong?
A. [u]
B. [aɪ]
C. [ɛ]
D. [ɔ]
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [aɪ] involves a change in vowel quality within one syllable (as in "my") .
8. Aspiration in English stops is marked with:
A. [ʰ]
B. [ː]
C. [ˀ]
D. [̃]
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: [ʰ] indicates aspiration, as in the [pʰ] of "pot" .
9. The sound [l] is a:
A. Nasal
B. Lateral approximant
C. Fricative
D. Stop
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: [l] is a voiced lateral approximant; airflow passes around the sides of the tongue .
10. Which of the following pairs contrasts only in voicing?
A. [p] / [b]
B. [t] / [k]
C. [m] / [n]
D. [s] / [ʃ]
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: [p] and [b] share place (bilabial) and manner (stop); they differ only in voicing .
11. The vocal tract filter is shaped primarily by:
A. The lungs
B. The larynx
C. The articulators above the larynx
D. The diaphragm
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Source-filter theory: the larynx provides the source, and the supraglottal
articulators filter it into distinct speech sounds .
