AmE Pronunciation Varieties MOCK TEST                                    Answer Sheet

A/2pts each                           1a The author of Accents of English, 1982:    J.C. Wells

1b The author of Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen, 2010: Paul Meier

1c The author of The Social Stratification of /r/ in NYC Dept. Stores, 1966: William Labov

2 Match phonetic terms and their definitions:

A assimilation, B palatalization, C approximant, D glottis, E dialect, F devoicing.

C.   A consonant in which the vocal tract is narrowed, but not enough to cause turbulent air flow.

F.   The occurrence of a normally voiced consonant losing some or all of its voicing as happens in

Dutch and German to final voiced consonants.

A.   The fusion of two consonants into one.

E.   A regional variant of a language distinguished by pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar from
the standard form.

D.   The space between the vocal folds.

B.   The active upper position of tongue blade as occurs while pronouncing the semi-vowel /j/.

3 Transcribe the American pronunciations of the terms futile: [ˈfjuːɾɫ̩] or [ˈfjuːdəɫ]

  aluminum:  [əˈluːmɪnəm]harrassment:  [həˈræsmənt]hostile:  [ˈhɑstəɫ]

4 Which variety of AmE does the abbreviation  AAVE stand for? What 2 other expressions are used for
labeling it?

   African American Vernacular English, Ebonics, Jive

5 The name of a British actor who has made a great success in a U.S. series about an unconventional
 sociopathic  physician.  Hugh Laurie (House, M.D.)

6 What are the three most typical indicators of accents of the American South?

  Slower tempo and drawl, monophthongizations, nasality, non-rhoticity in states such as Alabama.

7 What can you say about rhoticity in the Boston area?    erratic

8 What can you say about rhoticity in New York City?        variable

9 Which are the three overseas varieties based on AmE, two in Asia and one in the Pacific?

Singapore, the Philippines, Hawaii.

10 Explain the difference between pidgin and creole and give examples.

A pidgin (orig. from the Chinese pronunciation of business) is a simplified mix, a convenience to
facilitate communication between two or more linguistic groups. It has no written form nor native
speakers. It can in time be creolized to a language in its own right, such as Jamaican Patois.

B/ 2pts each Match the origins of speakers reading “Please call Stella“ prompted on the right with
the numbers of their recordings.

1 Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.A.

2 Brooklyn, NYC, U.S.A.

3 Fresno, California, U.S.A.

4 Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.A.

5 Westmoreland, Jamaica


C/ 20pts You will hear 5 celebrities talking about the legacy of Nelson Mandela.  In the table,
they appear in alphabetical order. Complete the order they appear in on the recording, their first
names and nationalities. In the box “linguistic information“ complete the data required. You will
hear the 2.5-minute recording twice.

Order


1pt each

Last Name

First Name

1pt each

Nationality



1pt each

Linguistic information

5


Bruni


Carla

It/Fr

French rather than Italian accent

1


Hopkins


Anthony

English


4


Jackman


Hugh

Aus

3pts: What is the correct form of the word describing Mandela‘s [mægˈnæmɪtɪ] (full form,
transcription, meaning:)? magnanimity

[ˌmægnəˈnɪməti]  generosity




3


Mirren


Helen

English (of Russian origin)

1 pt: What is her pronunciation of “status“?

[ˈsteɪtəs]



1 pt:What is the Am. pronunciation of “status“?

[ˈstæɾəs]



2


Pitt


Brad

American