Phonetics

Test your knowledge of English phones

The phones (sounds) of English:

Consonants

Instructions

Test your knowledge of the Voice, Place and Manner of English phones.
Press the 'PLAY' button on the audio player to listen to the phone (sound)
Write down the VOICE - If the sound is voiceless (open glottis) or voiced (phonation)
Write down the PLACE - The place of articulation within the vocal tract
Write down the MANNER - Nasal, Plosive, Fricative, Affricate, Approximant, or Lateral Approximant
Write down the IPA symbol for the phone
Press the Reveal Voice-Place-Manner (VPM) link to reveal the description and IPA symbol
Check if you were correct.
You can download a spreadsheet to record and mark your answers, below.

Download a V-P-M English phones quiz sheet

01. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ s ]

Example words include:
◦ Word Initial (WI): 'sun'
◦ Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'chasing' / ˈt͡ʃeɪ.sɪŋ /
◦ Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'baseball' / ˈbeɪs.bɔɫ /
◦ Word Final (WF): 'nurse' / nɜs /

02. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Labiodental
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ v ]

02. Example words include:

Word Initial (WI): 'van' /væn/
Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'oven' / ˈʊ.vn̩ /
Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'caveman' / ˈkeɪv.mæn /
Word Final (WF): ‘hive’ / haɪv /

03. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Postalveolar
MANNER: Affricate
IPA symbol: [ d͡ʒ ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'jump' / d͡ʒʊmp /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'budgie' / ˈbʊ.d͡ʒi /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'hedgehog' / ˈhed͡ʒ.hɒg /
• Word Final (WF): ‘fridge’ / fɹɪd͡ʒ /

04. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Bilabial
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ p ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'pan' / pæn / - Note that the aspirated allophone is used WI, that is [ pʰ ], and the unaspirated allophone within word (WW) and word final (WF).
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'happy' / ˈhæ.pi /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'captain' / ˈkæp.tɪn /
• Word Final (WF): ‘cap’ / kæp /

05. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Nasal
IPA symbol: [ n ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'no' / nəʊ /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'animal' / ˈæ.nɪ.mʊɫ /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'winter' / ˈwɪn.tə /
• Word Final (WF): ‘man’ / mæn /
• / n / may be syllabic, taking the role of the vowel in the syllable, in word such as 'button' / ˈbʊ.tn̩ /

06. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Approximant
IPA symbol: [ ɹ ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'red' / ɹed /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'operate' / ˈɒ.pə.ɹeɪt /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): In non-rhotic accents/dialects, / ɹ / does not usually occur in WWSF position.
• Word Final (WF): In non-rhotic accents/dialects, / ɹ / does not usually occur.
• In connected speech, it will occur when followed by an open vowel. For example, 'the car was wet' - / ðə kɑ wəz wet /, / ɹ / is followed by /w/, a consonant, so is NOT realised.
• In contrast, in the utterance 'the car is wet', / ðə kɑ ɹ ɪz wet /, / ɹ / is followed by an open vowel and so the / ɹ / IS realised.

07. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ d ]. Note that for voiced phones it is difficult to produce as a single phone without adding a schwa,. That is, [ də ] CV.

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'dinner' / ˈdɪ.nə /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'window' / ˈwɪn.də /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'advice' / əd.ˈvaɪs /
• Word Final (WF): ‘bed’ / bed /

08. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Glottal
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ h ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'horse' / hɔs / - Note that / h / is frequently omitted word initial in several regional accents/dialects, including Northern accents.
Most speakers omit word initial / h / in typical, rapid, connected speech as an efficiency.
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'coherent' / kəʊ.ˈhɪə.ɹənt /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): Not used in this word position.
• Word Final (WF): Not used in this word position.

09. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ z ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'zoo' / zu /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'hazard' / ˈhæ.zəd /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'amazement' / ə.ˈmeɪz.mənt /
• Word Final (WF): ‘those’ / ðəʊz /, 'prize' / pɹaɪz /

10. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ t ] - Note that the aspirated allophone is used WI, that is [ tʰ ], and the unaspirated allophone within word (WW) and word final (WF).

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'table' / ˈteɪ.bɫ̩ /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'butter' / ˈbʊ.tə /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'atmosphere' / ˈæt.məs.fi.jə /
• Word Final (WF): ‘bat’ / bæt /
In many accent/dialects, WF and WW may be replaced by an allophone, the glottal stop.

11. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Postalveolar
MANNER: Affricate
IPA symbol: [ t͡ʃ ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'chin' / t͡ʃɪn /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'enchanting' / ˈen.t͡ʃæn.tɪŋ /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'matchbox' / ˈmæt͡ʃ.bɒks /
• Word Final (WF): ‘watch’ / wɒt͡ʃ /

12. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Velar
MANNER: Nasal - this phone only occurs word or syllable final, or in a postvocalic (after the vowel) cluster
IPA symbol: [ ŋ ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): Not found.
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): Not found.
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'finger' / ˈfɪŋ.gə /
• Word Final (WF): ‘ring’ / ɹɪŋ /. Note that the /g/ following the nasal may or may not be present depending pin the accent/dialect. In Standard English and Standard Northern English it is NOT usually present.

13. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Dental
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ ð ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'these' / ðiz /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'another' / ə.ˈnʊ.ðə /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'withdrawn' / ˈwɪð.dɹɔn /
• Word Final (WF): ‘with’ / wɪð /
Note that in some accents/dialects (such as Central Manchester, UK), dental fricatives may not be part of the inventory and / ð / replaced with / v / in all contexts (WI, WWSI, WWSF, and WF).

14. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Velar
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ k ] - Note that the aspirated allophone is used WI, that is [ kʰ ], and the unaspirated allophone within word (WW) and word final (WF).

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'cake' / keɪk /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'baker' / ˈbeɪ.kə /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'workshop' / ˈwɜk.ʃɒp /
• Word Final (WF): ‘fork’ / fɔk /
Note that /k/ WI is usually aspirated, whereas the unaspirated allophone is found WWSI, WWSF and WF.

15. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Bilabial
MANNER: Nasal
IPA symbol: [ m ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'mouse' / maʊs /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'chemical' / ˈke.mɪ.kɫ̩ /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'compact' / ˈkɒm.pækt /
• Word Final (WF): ‘farm’ / fɑm /

16. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Bilabial
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ b ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'ball' / bɔɫ /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'keyboard' / ˈki.bɔd /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'submarine' / ˈsʊb.mə.ɹin /
• Word Final (WF): ‘herb’ / hɜb /

17. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Labiovelar
MANNER: Approximant
IPA symbol: [ w ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'water' / ˈwɔ.tə /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'backwards' / ˈbæk.wədz /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): Not found.
* Word Final (WF): Not found.
Words are often written with 'w' in word or syllable final position, but these are actually vowels. Consider 'bow' and 'cowboy' / ˈkaʊ.bɔɪ / and / bəʊ / (or / baʊ / depending on if it is a noun-for playing a stringed instrument, or a verb-to bow or stoop in a formal greeting gesture.)

18. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Postalveolar
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ ʒ ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): Not usually found. Loan words from other sources are possible, such as 'zhuz' (meaning to fix, tidy or style hair or other aspects from Polari, gay slang) / ʒʊʒ /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): ‘treasure’ / ˈtɹe.ʒə /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): Not found.
* Word Final (WF): Not found unless a colloquial shortening of WWSI word, such as 'Come to the party cazh' (short for 'casual dress').

19. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Alveolar
MANNER: Lateral Approximant
IPA symbol: [ l ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'look' / lʊk /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'pilot' / ˈpaɪ.lət /
Both WF and WWSF are a different allophone - 'dark l' which is an allophone of 'light l' found WI and WWSI. The WF and WWSF allophone is a voiced velarised lateral Approximants.
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'healthy' / ˈheɫ.θi /
* Word Final (WF): ‘bell’ / beɫ /

20. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Dental
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ θ ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'think' / θɪŋk /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'panther' / ˈpan.θə /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'ethnicity' / eθ.ˈnɪ.sɪ.ti /
* Word Final (WF): ‘bath’ / bæθ /
CAUTION! Both the voiceless and voiced dental fricative are written as 'th' in English.

21. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Palatal
MANNER: Approximant
IPA symbol: [ j ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'yes' / jes /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'yoyo' / ˈjəʊ.jəʊ /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): '' / /
* Word Final (WF): Not found. 'y' is often found at the end of written words, but stands for a vowel. Consider 'finally' / ˈfaɪ.nə.li /

22. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Postalveolar
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ ʃ ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'sheep' / ʃip /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'fashion' / ˈfæ.ʃn̩ /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'dashboard' / ˈdæʃ.bɔd /
* Word Final (WF): ‘wash’ / wɒʃ /

23. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiceless
PLACE: Labiodental
MANNER: Fricative
IPA symbol: [ f ]

Example words include:
• Word Initial (WI): 'fan' / fæn /
• Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'wafer' / ˈweɪ.fə /
• Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'briefcase' / ˈbɹif.keɪs /
• Word Final (WF): ‘knife’ / naɪf /

24. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Velar
MANNER: Plosive
IPA symbol: [ g ]

Example words include:
* Word Initial (WI): 'goat' / gəʊt /
* Within Word Syllable Initial (WWSI): 'target' / ˈtɑ.gɪt /
* Within Word Syllable Final (WWSF): 'flagship' / ˈflæg.ʃɪp /
* Word Final (WF): ‘bag’ / bæg /

25. Which phone is this?

VOICE: Voiced
PLACE: Velarised Alveolar
MANNER: Approximant
IPA symbol: [ ɫ ]

Example words include:
◦ This is an allophone of the phoneme / l /
◦ This phone is sometimes known as 'dark l'
◦ This phone occurs in the post vocalic position, and mainly syllable or word final.
◦ Examples include 'bottle' / ˈbɒ.tɫ̩ / and 'hill' / hɪɫ /.