Phonology: Major, Manner, and Place Classes 1.2

Phonology: Major, Place, and Manner Classes 1.2

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This exercise is designed to give you practice with categorizing phonemes based on shared features, which is preparation for learning to build natural classes. For each question, select the list of phonemes in Standard English that share the features listed.

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Question 1

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [-son] [+dors] [+voice]

A	[g]
B	[ŋ] Hint: [g] forms the class [+dors][+voice][+obs]. [ŋ] is a nasal and therefore [-obs].
C	[g, ŋ] Hint: [g] forms the class [+dors][+voice][+obs]. [ŋ] is a nasal and therefore [-obs].

Question 2

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+syll] [-cons] [+round] [+back]

A	[ə, ʌ, o, u] Hint: [u, o, ʊ, ɔ] form the class [+syll, -cons, +round, +back]. [ə, ʌ] are [-round]
B	[æ, ɑ, o, u] Hint: [u, o, ʊ, ɔ] form the class [+syll, -cons, +round, +back]. [æ, ɑ] are [-round] and [æ] is -back.
C	[u, o, ʊ, ɔ]

Question 3

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+ant] [+son]

A	[p, b, m, w] Hint: [m, n, l, w] form the class [+ant, +son]. [p,b] are stops and therefore [-son].
B	[m, n, l, w, ŋ] Hint: [m, n, l, w] form the class [+ant, +son]. [ŋ] is velar and therefore [-ant].
C	[m, n, l, w]

Question 4

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+strident] [+voice]

A	[v, z, ʒ, dʒ,] or APA [v, z, ž, dž]
B	[m, n, v, z, ʒ, dʒ,] or APA [m, n ,v, z, ž, dž] Hint: [v, z, ʒ, dʒ,] or APA [v, z, ž, dž] form the class [+strident, +voice]. [m, n] are nasals, which do not produce friction or white noise during articulation and are therefore [-strident].
C	[v, z, ʒ, dʒ, h] or APA [v, z, ž, dž, h] Hint: [v, z, ʒ, dʒ,] or APA [v, z, ž, dž] form the class [+strident][+voice]. [h] is [-strident, -voice].

Question 5

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [-son] [+cont] [-voice]

A	[f, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ, h, ʔ ] or APA [f, θ, s, š, tš, h, ʔ] Hint: [f, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ, h] or APA [f, θ, s, š, tš, h] form the class [-son, +cont, -voice]. [ʔ] is a stop and therefore [-cont].
B	[m,f, θ, s, ʃ, h] or APA [m, f, θ, s, š, h] Hint: [f, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ, h] or APA [f, θ, s, š, tš, h] form the class [-son, +cont, -voice]. [m] is a nasal and therefore [+son, +voice].
C	[f, θ, s, ʃ, tʃ, h] or APA [f, θ, s, š, tš, h]

Question 6

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+cont] [+cor] [+strident]

A	[ʃ, ʒ] or APA [š, ž]
B	[f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ, ʒ] or APA [f, v, θ, ð, s, z, š, ž] Hint: [ʃ, ʒ] or APA [š, ž] form the class [+cor, +cont, +strident] [f, v] are labiodental and therefore [-cor].
C	[f, v, s, z, tʃ, dʒ] or APA [f, v, s, z, tš, dž] Hint: [ʃ, ʒ] or APA [š, ž] form the class [+cor, +cont, +strident]. [f, v] are labiodental and therefore [-cor]. [tʃ, dʒ] or APA [tš, dž] are affricates and therefore [-cont].

Question 7

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [-cont] [-son] [-voice]

A	[p, d, k] Hint: [p, t, k] form the class [-cont, -son, -voice]. [d] is [+voice].
B	[p, t, k]
C	[p, t, k, ŋ] Hint: [p, t, k] form the class [-cont, -son, -voice]. [ŋ] a nasal and therefore is [+son] and [+voice].

Question 8

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+son] [+ant] [+cor]

A	[n, s, z] Hint: [n, l] forms the class [+cor][-obs]. [s, z] are fricatives and therefore [-son].
B	[m, n, w, l] Hint: [n, l] forms the class [+son, +ant, +cor]. [m, w] are bilabial and therefore [-cor].
C	[n, l]

Question 9

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [-cont] [-back] [-ant]

A	[k, g, ʔ] Hint: [ʔ] forms the class [-cont, -back, -ant]. [k,g] are velar and therefore [+back]. [h] is a fricative and therefore [+cont].
B	[k, g, h] Hint: [ʔ] forms the class [-cont, -back, -ant]. [k,g] are velar and therefore [+back]. [h] is a fricative and therefore [+cont].
C	[ʔ]

Question 10

Which set of phonemes can be described by the following classes/features? [+syll] [-cons] [+low]

A	[o, ɔ, æ, ɑ] Hint: [æ, ɑ] forms the class [+syll] [-high] [+low]. [o, ɔ] are [-high, -low].
B	[æ, ɑ]
C	[w, æ, ɑ] Hint: [æ, ɑ] forms the class [+syll, -cons, +low]. [w] is [-syll].

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Phonology: Major, Place, and Manner Classes 1.2

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