Linguistics Assignment: Phonetics, Morphology and Language Analysis

This assignment delves into the core concepts of phonetics and morphology, crucial components of linguistic study. It begins with phonetic transcription, requiring the use of IPA symbols to represent casual speech, and considers accents and dialectal variations. The assignment then explores minimal pairs, identifying pairs of words that differ by a single phoneme, and analyzes phonological processes like assimilation and deletion. Furthermore, it investigates the consonant inventory of French compared to English, examining voicing as a contrasting feature. The analysis extends to the identification of morphemes within words, classifying them as roots, prefixes, suffixes, and noting their derivational or inflectional nature. Throughout, the assignment offers a comprehensive exploration of key linguistic principles, providing detailed explanations and examples to facilitate understanding.

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1. Choose 3 of the following 5 sentences and transcribe them as you would say them in casual
speech, using IPA symbols. Indicate stress in the words. Do not indicate vowel nasalisation or
aspiration. Please indicate your accent/s (Australian, North American, Canadian, Singaporean,
Indonesian etc) and whether you are using HCE or MD. (10 marks)
Your accent is European. or MD (circle-delete as appropriate)
If not indicated, the assignment will be marked based on MD and Australian accent.
• There is a growing number of intercultural couples in Australia as the country becomes more
ethnically diverse. -Growing /ˈɡrəʊɪŋ/
• Discovering new dishes, trying new foods and learning about different customs and traditions
are seen as benefits of intercultural relationships.
• However there may be a few challenges, such as language barriers, differences in religion and
family expectations.- However /haʊˈevə(r)/
• The defence force warned travellers that consular assistance may be increasingly limited due to
restrictions on movement and other services.
• Students studying overseas are worried about flight cancellations because of how quickly
things seem to be moving.- worried /ˈwʌrid/
2. For the following pairs of English words, a. specify which are minimal pairs by writing the
word Minimal Pair or Not a minimal pair. b. for those sets that are minimal pairs, write next to
the words the phonemes contrasted in / / (5 marks).
a. knead & meat-Not minimal pair
b. sight & cite – Not minimal pair
c. sigh & shy- Minimal pair
/saɪ/ and /ʃaɪ/
d. swish & switch- Minimal pair
/swɪʃ/ and /swɪtʃ/
e. bored & bird- Minimal pair
/bɔː(r)d/ and /bɜː(r)d/
f. week & tweak- Minimal pair
/wiːk/ and /twiːk/
g. grief & grieve - Minimal pair

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/ɡriːf/ and /ɡriːv/
h. bath & bathe- Not Minimal pair
i. who & two- Minimal pair
/huː/ and /tuː/
j. track & drag- Not Minimal pair
3. For the following words/phrases, a. identify the phonological process(es) which explain(s) the
pronunciation (progressive assimilation, regressive assimilation, fusional assimilation,
dissimilation, metathesis, segment deletion, segment addition) and b. describe what segment is
affected and how: (10 marks)
a. I can go [aɪ kæŋ goʊ]: [aɪ kæŋ goʊ] segment deletion - can
b. thought provoking [θɔ pɹəˈvoʊkɪŋ] segment deletion- thought provoking
c. hamster [ˈhæmpstə] (Australian) or [ˈhæmpstər] (in American English): progressive
assimilation hamster
d. draw all the flowers [drɔɹ ɔl ðə ˈflaʊəz] (Australian) or [drɔɹ ɔl ðə ˈflaʊərz] (American):
progressive assimilation - flowers
e. could you open the window [kʊdʒʊ ˈoʊpən ðə ˈwɪndoʊ] fusional assimilation- window
4. You might have noticed or read that French does not have dental fricatives, [ð] and [θ], thus
French speakers tend to pronounce the English words thin as [sɪn] and this as [zɪs]. Based on this
information, 1.what can you say about a. The inventory of French consonants as opposed to the
English ones, by discussing phonemes and allophones. b. Does French use voicing as a
contrasting feature? Please explain your answer/provide evidence based on the examples that you
are given. (3 marks) 2. What are the implications of this knowledge for language teachers? 3.
Would you predict how a French student would pronounce the words ‘then’ and ‘thick’? Please
explain your answer (2 marks) (5 marks total)
The inventory of French has more phonemes as compared to the English consonants. This is
because the French language has more consonants as compared to English
French uses the voicing as a contrasting feature. Some of the words have voiced and unvoiced
equivalents. The only difference is whether the vocals cords vibrate. The voice pairs are
important regarding assimilation, enhancement and liaisons. An example in thin as [sɪn] and this
as [zɪs].
Teachers can use this knowledge to teach language more effectively. Also, this knowledge can
be used to determine the manner of articulation and the place of articulation.

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‘then’ /sen/ will be pronounced as and ‘thick’ as /zɪk/. this is because French does not have
dental fricatives
5. For each of the following pairs of sounds, state whether they have the same or different place
of articulation. Then identify the place of articulation for each sound (5 marks).
a. [s]: [l] different-voiceless alveolar fricative, voiced alveolar lateral liquid
b.[k]: [n] different- voiceless velar stop, voiced alveolar nasal
c. [l]: [ɹ] same-voiced alveolar lateral liquid, voiced (post)alveolar liquid
d: [m]: [n] same- voiced bilabial nasal, voiced alveolar nasal
e. [j]: [w] same- voiced palatal glide, voiced labial-velar glide
f. [ð] : [v] same-voiced dental fricative, voiced labiodental fricative
g. [tʃ]: [ʃ] different-voiceless alveolar stop, voiceless postalveolar fricative
h. [p]: [h] different-voiceless bilabial stop, voiceless glottal fricative
j. [j]: [g] different-voiced palatal glide, voiced velar stop
i. [z]: [v] same-voiced alveolar fricative, voiced labiodental fricative
6. a. Explain the concepts of phoneme(s) and allophones (s) as used in linguistics. b. Describe the
position/environment in which they can be found. c. Provide at least one example of phonemes
and allophones to illustrate your answer (5 marks).
Phonemes are set of sound in a language. They exist in the environment as minimal pairs of
contrast in identical environment (CIE). An example is /pɪn/ vs /bɪn/ and /tɐn/ vs /dɐn/
Allophones are non-significant variants of phonemes. Allophones have free variation therefor
they vary from environment to environment and person to person. They are words that are in
mutually exclusive or complementary distribution (C.D.).an example is /p/=[p,b] and /t/=[t,d]
7. Choose 10 words from the list below and identify the morphemes for each word. A. First,
identify the root for each word. B. For each affix, please specify whether it is a suffix, infix,
circumfix, or prefix and C. whether it is derivational or inflectional. (10 marks)
(If more than 10 are selected only the first 10 will be marked.)
Example:
boyish: 2 morphemes= boy (root)+ish (derivational suffix)
a. international: 2 morphemes= inter (derivational prefix) + national (root)

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b. followers
c. Irregularity 2 morphemes= ir (derivational prefix) + regularity (root)
d. entertaining (music) (classify ‘entertaining’ as it is used in the phrase ‘entertaining music’)
e. improbable: 2 morphemes= im (derivational prefix)+ probable (root)
f. unbelievable= 2 morphemes= un (derivational prefix) + believable(root)
g. alienates= 2 morphemes = alien (derivational root) + ates (suffix)
h. misused (as in the clause ‘his money was misused’) =mis (derivational prefix)+ used (root)
i. endangerment
j. disclosure = 2 morphemes= dis (derivational prefix) + closure (root)
k. inhabitant= 2 morphemes = In (derivational prefix) + habitant (root)
l. hyperactivity = 2 morphemes =hyper (derivational prefix)+activity (root)
m. seizures
n. increasingly= 2 morphemes =increase (root)+ ly ( derivational suffix)