Linguistics Test 2 (120 Questions) | Phonetics, Phonology, Syllables & Stress

This document is a clear and exam-oriented Test 2 study guide containing approximately 120 exam questions with verified correct answers, developed for introductory and intermediate Linguistics courses. It focuses on the sound systems of language, combining articulatory detail with phonological theory in a structured question–answer format that closely mirrors university test requirements. The material provides thorough coverage of phonetics, explaining how speech sounds are produced, transmitted, and perceived. It examines consonant and vowel classification, voicing, place and manner of articulation, obstruents and sonorants, plosives, fricatives, nasals, laterals, approximants, glottal stops, and vowel features such as tongue height, backness, length, rounding, nasality, and diphthongs. These sections give students a solid foundation in analyzing and describing speech sounds using linguistic terminology. A major portion of the document is dedicated to phonology, including phonemes, allophones, minimal pairs, complementary distribution, free variation, distinctive versus redundant features, and natural classes. It also explains phonotactics, syllable structure (onset, nucleus, coda, rhyme), sonority and the sonority sequencing principle, syllabification rules, maximal onset principle, accidental gaps, and stress assignment in both fixed-stress and free-stress languages. The guide further explores suprasegmental and connected speech phenomena, covering stress, heavy versus light syllables, aspiration, intonation patterns and functions, alliteration, poetic rhyme, segmental versus suprasegmental phonology, and processes such as assimilation, lenition, fortition, elision, epenthesis, intrusive /r/, and morphophonological rules. These topics help students understand how sounds interact in natural speech beyond isolated segments. This document is particularly relevant for: Students enrolled in Linguistics, Phonetics, or Phonology courses Undergraduate students preparing for Test 2, quizzes, or midterm exams Linguistics, anthropology, speech pathology, and language studies majors Students seeking an exam-aligned review of sound systems and phonological rules Learners needing clear definitions and examples of phonetic and phonological concepts Keywords: linguistics, phonetics, phonology, speech sounds, consonants, vowels, phonemes, allophones, syllable structure, stress, intonation, phonotactics, minimal pairs, connected speech, assimilation