Phonetics Quiz + Explanations + Notes + PYQ Practice (25 Questions)

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Here’s a Phonetics Quiz + Clear Explanations (perfect for PSTET practice and teaching):

Phonetics Quiz (10 Questions)

1. The study of speech sounds is called:

A) Grammar
B) Phonetics
C) Morphology
D) Syntax

👉 Answer: B) Phonetics
Explanation: Phonetics deals with how sounds are produced, heard, and described.

2. Total phonemes in English are approximately:

A) 20
B) 26
C) 44
D) 30

👉 Answer: C) 44
Explanation: English has 44 basic sounds (not letters).

3. /p/, /t/, /k/ are:

A) Fricatives
B) Nasals
C) Plosives
D) Vowels

👉 Answer: C) Plosives
Explanation: Air is stopped and released suddenly.

4. /m/, /n/ are:

A) Plosives
B) Nasals
C) Vowels
D) Fricatives

👉 Answer: B) Nasals
Explanation: Air passes through the nose.

5. /f/, /s/, /v/ are:

A) Plosives
B) Nasals
C) Fricatives
D) Affricates

👉 Answer: C) Fricatives
Explanation: Air passes with friction.

6. A sound produced with free airflow is:

A) Consonant
B) Vowel
C) Nasal
D) Stop

👉 Answer: B) Vowel
Explanation: Vowels are produced without blocking air.

7. Which is a diphthong?

A) /i:/
B) /u:/
C) /eɪ/
D) /æ/

👉 Answer: C) /eɪ/
Explanation: Diphthong = two vowel sounds combined.

8. /tʃ/ (as in “chair”) is:

A) Nasal
B) Plosive
C) Affricate
D) Vowel

👉 Answer: C) Affricate
Explanation: Starts as stop → ends with friction.

9. Voiced sound means:

A) No vibration
B) Air blocked
C) Vocal cords vibrate
D) Silent sound

👉 Answer: C) Vocal cords vibrate
Explanation: Example: /b/, /d/, /g/

10. Silent letters are found in:

A) Cat
B) Know
C) Pen
D) Sit

👉 Answer: B) Know
Explanation: “k” is silent.

Quick Phonetics Explanation (Easy Notes)

1. What is Phonetics?

Phonetics = study of speech sounds

2. Types of Sounds

✔ Vowels

• Open mouth, free airflow

• Example: /a/, /e/, /i/

✔ Consonants

• Air is blocked or restricted

• Example: /b/, /t/, /s/

3. Types of Consonants

• Plosives: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/ (air burst)

• Fricatives: /f/, /s/, /v/ (friction)

• Nasals: /m/, /n/ (air through nose)

• Affricates: /tʃ/, /dʒ/ (stop + friction)

4. Voiced vs Voiceless

• Voiced: /b/, /d/, /g/ (vibration)

• Voiceless: /p/, /t/, /k/ (no vibration)

📌 Trick: Touch throat → vibration = voiced

5. Diphthongs

• Combination of 2 vowel sounds

• Example: /aɪ/ (time), /eɪ/ (day)

Super Exam Tricks

• 44 sounds → fixed question

• Plosive = burst

• Fricative = friction

• Nasal = nose

• Chomsky = language (often asked with phonetics section)

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Here are PSTET/CTET-style Previous Year–type (PYQ) questions on Phonetics with answers and quick explanations. These are based on real exam patterns and commonly repeated concepts.

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🧠 Phonetics PYQ Practice (25 Questions)

1. The number of phonemes in English is:

A) 20 B) 24 C) 44 D) 26
👉 Answer: C) 44
✔ Standard accepted number in exams.

2. Which of the following is a diphthong?

A) /i:/ B) /eɪ/ C) /æ/ D) /ʊ/
👉 Answer: B) /eɪ/
✔ Two vowel sounds combined.

3. /p/, /t/, /k/ are classified as:

A) Fricatives B) Plosives C) Nasals D) Vowels
👉 Answer: B) Plosives
✔ Air blocked and released.

4. Which is a voiced sound?

A) /p/ B) /t/ C) /k/ D) /b/
👉 Answer: D) /b/
✔ Vocal cords vibrate.

5. /m/, /n/ are:

A) Plosives B) Fricatives C) Nasals D) Affricates
👉 Answer: C) Nasals

6. The word “ship” contains:

A) Long vowel B) Short vowel C) Diphthong D) Silent letter
👉 Answer: B) Short vowel

7. Which sound is labiodental?

A) /p/ B) /t/ C) /f/ D) /k/
👉 Answer: C) /f/
✔ Lip + teeth.

8. /tʃ/ is:

A) Nasal B) Fricative C) Affricate D) Vowel
👉 Answer: C) Affricate

9. Which pair is a minimal pair?

A) bat–cat
B) pen–pencil
C) boy–girl
D) big–bigger
👉 Answer: A) bat–cat
✔ One sound difference.

10. “Alliteration” means:

A) Same vowel sound
B) Same starting consonant sound
C) Same ending sound
D) Stress pattern
👉 Answer: B

11. /s/ is:

A) Voiced B) Voiceless C) Nasal D) Vowel
👉 Answer: B) Voiceless

12. The sound /ŋ/ occurs in:

A) sing B) cat C) pen D) boy
👉 Answer: A) sing

13. Which is a central vowel?

A) /i:/ B) /u:/ C) /ə/ D) /e/
👉 Answer: C) /ə/

14. Stress refers to:

A) Sound B) Emphasis C) Meaning D) Grammar
👉 Answer: B) Emphasis

15. Intonation refers to:

A) Word meaning
B) Sentence structure
C) Rise and fall of voice
D) Stress
👉 Answer: C

16. Which word has a silent letter?

A) Cat B) Know C) Pen D) Sit
👉 Answer: B) Know

17. /dʒ/ is:

A) Plosive B) Nasal C) Affricate D) Vowel
👉 Answer: C)

18. “Education” has how many syllables?

A) 2 B) 3 C) 4 D) 5
👉 Answer: C) 4
(ed-u-ca-tion)

19. Which is a long vowel?

A) /ɪ/ B) /æ/ C) /i:/ D) /ʌ/
👉 Answer: C) /i:/

20. /z/ is:

A) Voiceless B) Voiced C) Nasal D) Vowel
👉 Answer: B) Voiced

21. Place of articulation of /t/:

A) Bilabial B) Alveolar C) Velar D) Dental
👉 Answer: B) Alveolar

22. /k/ is produced at:

A) Lips B) Teeth C) Velum D) Nose
👉 Answer: C) Velum

23. “Rhyme” refers to:

A) Same beginning
B) Same ending sound
C) Stress
D) Meaning
👉 Answer: B

24. Which is a semi-vowel?

A) /b/ B) /m/ C) /w/ D) /t/
👉 Answer: C) /w/

25. “Book” contains:

A) Long vowel B) Short vowel C) Diphthong D) Silent letter
👉 Answer: B) Short vowel

Most Repeated PYQ Topics

• 44 phonemes ✔

• Plosive / Fricative ✔

• Diphthongs ✔

• Voiced vs Voiceless ✔

• Minimal pairs ✔

• Stress & Intonation ✔

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