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Phonology Practice Sheet
Introduction
Phonology is the study of how sounds are used in a language. It is an important part of linguistics and helps us to better understand how language works. This practice sheet will help you learn and understand the basics of phonology.
What is Phonology?
Phonology is the study of how sounds are used in a language. It is concerned with the way sounds are combined and used to create meaning. It looks at the different sounds that are used in a language and how they are used in different contexts.
Phonemes
A phoneme is a unit of sound that is used to create meaning. It is the smallest unit of sound that can be used to differentiate between different words. For example, the phonemes /p/ and /b/ are different sounds, but they can both be used to make the same word, like pat
and bat
.
Syllables
A syllable is a unit of sound that is made up of one or more phonemes. Syllables can be used to help us break up words into smaller parts. For example, the word cat
can be broken down into two syllables, /kæt/.
Stress
Stress is the emphasis placed on a particular syllable or word. In English, the stressed syllable is usually the one that has the most emphasis when it is spoken. For example, the word cat
is usually stressed on the first syllable, /kæt/
Practice Problems
- Identify the phonemes in the word
apple
.
Answer: /a/, /p/, /l/
- How many syllables are in the word
elephant
?
Answer: Three syllables: /e/, /lə/, /fənt/
- Which syllable is stressed in the word
computer
?
Answer: The first syllable /kəm/ is usually stressed.