Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Mid Semester Examination: 19th September

HS 315 Sound Structure of Language and Speech Analysis (2 hours) 30 marks

Attempt all questions

1) Identify the natural classes described by the following feature combinations and list
the English phonemes that belong to each category. (8)
a) [+voice –coronal]
Voiced labials and dorsals
[b m g]
b) [–consonantal –high –back]
Nonhigh front vowels
[e æ]
c) [–voice +anterior]
Voiced coronal consonants which are also anterior
[t, s, p,θ]
d) [+sonorant –consonantal]
All vowels

2) Transcribe the following words of English in phonemic transcription using IPA

symbols: (5)
a) Blame [bleim]
b) Shame [ʃeɪm]
c) Sleep [sli:p]
d) batter [bætə] [bætəɹ]
e) butter [bʌtə] [bʌtə]

3) Consider the phonetic forms of Hebrew words:

[v]-[b]
bika 'lamented'
mugbal 'limited'
ʃavar 'broke masculine'
ʃavra 'broke feminine'
ʔikev 'delayed'
bara 'created'
[f]-[p]
litef 'stroked'
sefer 'book'
sataf 'washed'
para 'cow'
mitpaxat 'handkerchief'
haʔalpim 'the Alps'

Assume that these words and their phonetic sequences are representative of what may
occur in Hebrew. In your answers below, consider classes of sounds rather than
individual sounds

Answer the following questions:

i. Indicate the best statement:

a. [v], [b] belong to separate phonemes
a. [f], [p] belong to separate phonemes
b. [v], [b] are allophones of the same phoneme
b. [f], [p] are allophones of the same phoneme.
.
If you choose (a) state the evidence. If you choose (b), show your data and state the
distribution (i.e., the environment where each allophone occurs). (3)
b. allophones of the same phoneme

[p] [f]
sounds immediately sounds immediately sounds immediately sounds immediately
before after before after
t,l i, a a, e # (end of word), e

[b] [v]
sounds immediately sounds immediately sounds immediately sounds immediately
before after before after
# (beginning of
i, a a, e a, r, # (end of word)
word), g

The "after" environments overlap. The sound [a] can come immediately after both [v] [f]
and [b] [p]. Therefore we cannot predict which of [v] [f] or [b] [p] would occur just given
the information about what sound comes immediately after.
The "before" environments do not overlap. Therefore the before environment is sufficient
to predict which of [b] [p] or [v] [f] will occur.

ii. Based on your analysis in questions i, and the rest of the Hebrew data, write a
phonological rule (in English prose) that captures a generalization concerning Hebrew.
Use natural classes in your description. Be general, but specific enough to represent the
data. (3)

Bilabial stops become labiodental fricatives when preceded by a vowel.

iii. Now write a phonological rule which captures the description above. (1)
e.g.

XY W___Z

[labial oral stop] → [fricative] / [vowel] __

Or using natural classes

+labial +labial
-continuant  +continuant
αvoice αvoice [+vowel]

4) Write the appropriate IPA symbol for the following descriptive terms. (5)
1. alveolar nasal stop [n]
2. high front unrounded tense vowel [ɪ]
3. voiced labiodental fricative [v]
4. high back rounded tense vowel [u ]
5. voiceless interdental fricative [θ]

5) Give a three-way phonetic description of the following consonants and vowels. (5)
a. /ʃ/ voiceless palato-alveolar fricative
b. /dӡ/ voiced palate-alveolar affricate
c. /ɔ/ mid round back vowel
d. /ð/ voiced interdental fricative
e. /ʊ/ high round back lax vowel
.