Learning Sound Patterns - What Are the Sounds?

18 important questions on Learning Sound Patterns - What Are the Sounds?

What is a phoneme representing as an abstract sound category?

Smallest unit of sound that changes the meaning of a word, often identified by forward slashes (/t/ is an English phoneme, because when you replace it in the word tan with the similar sound dan it make another word

What do we say when sound differences don't fundamentally change the identity of a speech unit?

We say that they create allophones of the same phoneme.  So, two or more similar sounds that are variants of the same phoneme: often identified by brackets (e.g. [t] and [t^h] represent two allophones of /t/ in the words Stan and tan

What do we call a pair of words that have different meanings but all of the same sounds, with the exception of one phoneme?

A minimal pair (e.g. Tan and man)
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

What is the noise called that is added to the vowel and comes from the vocal fold vibration?

It is called phonation: production of sound by the vibrating vocal folds. (whispering aaah and then say it normally)

What is the name for sounds that are produced by obstructing airflow at the lips?

Bilabial (e.g. P)

What is the name for a sound whose place of articulation is in the velum (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth)?

Velar (e.g. K)

What is the sound called that is produced when airflow is stopped completely somewhere in the vocal tract?

A stop consonant

What are the two variations of stop consonants?

The oral stop (e.g. P, t and k)
If you lower the velum (soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth) in a way that lets the air pass through your nose you will produce a nasal stop (e.g. M, n and ŋ --> sing or fang)

Of what else is a tongue capable of besides simple blocking airflow entirely?


It can also narrow the airflow in a way that produces a turbulent sound—such as “s” or “f” or “z.” These turbulent sounds are called fricatives

What do you get when you squish an oral stop and a fricative together, like the first consonants in church or judge?

An affricative

What is a liquid sound?

A sound that is produced when you let air escape over both sides of your tongue (e.g. L or R)
It differs from each other only in whether the blade (the front third) of your tongue is firmly planted against the roof of your mouth or us bunched back

What is a sound called that is produced when you obstruct the airflow only mildly, allowing most of it to pass through the mouth?

A glide (e.g. W or y)

What happens with a voiced sound?

Sound that involves vibration of the vocal folds, in an oral stop the vibration happens just about simultaneously with the release of the articulator (say, within 20 ms) as it does for "b" in the word ban

What happens with an unvoiced sound?

The sound does not involve simultaneous vibration of the vocal folds: in a voiceless stop followed by a vowel, vibration happens only after a lag (more than 20 ms)

What is the length of time between the point when a stop consonant is released and the point when voicing begins?

Voice onset time (VOT)

What is the illusion that a beatboxer seems to give?

Phonemic restoration, it is an auditory illusion in which "hear" a sound that is missing from a word and has been replaced by a non-speech sound. People report hearing both the non-speech sound and the "restored" speech sound at the same time.

What does the high-amplitude sucking method allows researchers to peer?

To peer into the mind of babies who, due their tender age, have a limited repertoire of behavoirs.

On what premise is the high-amplitude sucking based on?

Baby will naturally suck on objects in their mouths when they are excited by hearing a new sound

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo