Ling 1 UCLA Midterm Exam Questions With
Solved Solutions
linguistics - ANSWER>>the scientific study of language
vocal tract - ANSWER>>structures that work together to create the sound
1) place of articulation
2) manner of articulation
3) voicing - ANSWER>>three features that determine consonants
bilabials - ANSWER>>sounds produced by bringing both lips together (i.e. [b], [p], [m])
labiodentals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by touching the bottom lip to the upper
teeth (i.e. [f], [v])
interdentals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by inserting the tip of the tongue between
the upper teeth and the lower teeth (i.e. [θ], [đ])
alveolars - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the tip of the tongue to the alveolar
ridge (part of the hard palate directly behind the upper front teeth) (i.e. [t], [d], [n], [s], [z],
[l], [r])
palatals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the front part of the tongue to the
hard palate (bony section of the roof of the mouth behind the alveolar ridge) (i.e. [ʃ], [ʒ],
[tʃ], [dʒ], [j])
velars - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the back of the tongue to the soft
palate or velum (i.e. [k], [g], [ŋ])
glottals - ANSWER>>[h] produced with the flow of air through the open glottis.
[Ɂ] produced if the air is stopped completely at the glottis by tightly closed vocal chords:
glottal stop
labio-velar - ANSWER>>bilabial and velar
voiceless - ANSWER>>vocal cords apart, air flows freely through glottis (no vibration)
voiced - ANSWER>>vocal cords together, airstream forces way through, causing
vibration
stops - ANSWER>>there is a complete obstruction of airflow somewhere in the vocal
tract
, oral stops - ANSWER>>the velum is raised to block the nasal cavity so that when the
stop is released, the air flows out through the mouth (i.e. [p, b, t, d, k, g, Ɂ ])
nasal stops - ANSWER>>the velum is lowered to
open the nasal cavity (i.e. [m] [n] [ŋ])
fricatives - ANSWER>>there is a major, but not complete, obstruction in the vocal tract
(i.e. f, v, ɵ as in thick, ð as in thy, s, z, ʃ as in issue, ʒ as in leisure, h as in house)
affricates - ANSWER>>briefly stopping the air flow completely, then slightly releasing
the closure so that a fricative‐like noise is produced (i.e. [tʃ] as in cheap, [dʒ] as in Joe)
liquids - ANSWER>>some minor obstruction of the vocal tract w/ tongue, but air still
passes through (i.e. [l, r])
lateral Liquid - ANSWER>>[l] - If you inhale sharply you should feel air passing along
the sides of your tongue
retroflex liquid - ANSWER>>[r] - articulated in the alveolar region and for most, the tip of
the tongue is curled back behind the alveolar ridge
four features to determine vowels - ANSWER>>1)tongue position (frontness/backness)
2)tongue height (high/mid/low)
3)lip rounding
4)tenseness
front vowels - ANSWER>>[i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [e] bait, [ɛ] bet, [æ] bat
central vowels - ANSWER>>[ә] about, [ʌ] but, [a] cot
back vowels - ANSWER>>[u] boot, [ʊ] book, [o] boat, [ɔ] caught
high vowels - ANSWER>>[i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [u] boot, [ʊ] book
mid vowels - ANSWER>>[e] bait, [ɛ] bet, [ә] about, [ʌ] but, [o] boat, [ɔ] bought
low vowels - ANSWER>>[æ] bat , [ɑ] cot
tense vowels - ANSWER>>muscles tensed/tighter [i] [e] [u] [o] [a]
lax vowels - ANSWER>>muscles a bit more relaxed [ɪ] [ɛ] [æ] [ʌ] [ә] [ʊ] [ɔ]
unrounded vowels - ANSWER>>[ә] about, [ʌ] but, [a] cot, [i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [e] bait, [ɛ] bet,
[æ] bat
Solved Solutions
linguistics - ANSWER>>the scientific study of language
vocal tract - ANSWER>>structures that work together to create the sound
1) place of articulation
2) manner of articulation
3) voicing - ANSWER>>three features that determine consonants
bilabials - ANSWER>>sounds produced by bringing both lips together (i.e. [b], [p], [m])
labiodentals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by touching the bottom lip to the upper
teeth (i.e. [f], [v])
interdentals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by inserting the tip of the tongue between
the upper teeth and the lower teeth (i.e. [θ], [đ])
alveolars - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the tip of the tongue to the alveolar
ridge (part of the hard palate directly behind the upper front teeth) (i.e. [t], [d], [n], [s], [z],
[l], [r])
palatals - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the front part of the tongue to the
hard palate (bony section of the roof of the mouth behind the alveolar ridge) (i.e. [ʃ], [ʒ],
[tʃ], [dʒ], [j])
velars - ANSWER>>sounds produced by raising the back of the tongue to the soft
palate or velum (i.e. [k], [g], [ŋ])
glottals - ANSWER>>[h] produced with the flow of air through the open glottis.
[Ɂ] produced if the air is stopped completely at the glottis by tightly closed vocal chords:
glottal stop
labio-velar - ANSWER>>bilabial and velar
voiceless - ANSWER>>vocal cords apart, air flows freely through glottis (no vibration)
voiced - ANSWER>>vocal cords together, airstream forces way through, causing
vibration
stops - ANSWER>>there is a complete obstruction of airflow somewhere in the vocal
tract
, oral stops - ANSWER>>the velum is raised to block the nasal cavity so that when the
stop is released, the air flows out through the mouth (i.e. [p, b, t, d, k, g, Ɂ ])
nasal stops - ANSWER>>the velum is lowered to
open the nasal cavity (i.e. [m] [n] [ŋ])
fricatives - ANSWER>>there is a major, but not complete, obstruction in the vocal tract
(i.e. f, v, ɵ as in thick, ð as in thy, s, z, ʃ as in issue, ʒ as in leisure, h as in house)
affricates - ANSWER>>briefly stopping the air flow completely, then slightly releasing
the closure so that a fricative‐like noise is produced (i.e. [tʃ] as in cheap, [dʒ] as in Joe)
liquids - ANSWER>>some minor obstruction of the vocal tract w/ tongue, but air still
passes through (i.e. [l, r])
lateral Liquid - ANSWER>>[l] - If you inhale sharply you should feel air passing along
the sides of your tongue
retroflex liquid - ANSWER>>[r] - articulated in the alveolar region and for most, the tip of
the tongue is curled back behind the alveolar ridge
four features to determine vowels - ANSWER>>1)tongue position (frontness/backness)
2)tongue height (high/mid/low)
3)lip rounding
4)tenseness
front vowels - ANSWER>>[i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [e] bait, [ɛ] bet, [æ] bat
central vowels - ANSWER>>[ә] about, [ʌ] but, [a] cot
back vowels - ANSWER>>[u] boot, [ʊ] book, [o] boat, [ɔ] caught
high vowels - ANSWER>>[i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [u] boot, [ʊ] book
mid vowels - ANSWER>>[e] bait, [ɛ] bet, [ә] about, [ʌ] but, [o] boat, [ɔ] bought
low vowels - ANSWER>>[æ] bat , [ɑ] cot
tense vowels - ANSWER>>muscles tensed/tighter [i] [e] [u] [o] [a]
lax vowels - ANSWER>>muscles a bit more relaxed [ɪ] [ɛ] [æ] [ʌ] [ә] [ʊ] [ɔ]
unrounded vowels - ANSWER>>[ә] about, [ʌ] but, [a] cot, [i] beet, [ɪ] bit, [e] bait, [ɛ] bet,
[æ] bat