Acoustic Phonetics: Delving into the Physical Properties of Speech Sounds

Question 1

Which of the following is **not** a fundamental component of a sound wave?

Accepted Answer

Timbre

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Duration

Question 2

What unit is used to measure sound intensity?

Accepted Answer

Decibel

Answer

Hertz

Answer

Pascal

Answer

Newton

Question 3

What is the physical quantity that represents the lowest frequency component of a sound wave?

Accepted Answer

Fundamental frequency

Answer

Highest frequency

Answer

Average frequency

Answer

Dominant frequency

Question 4

What is the key distinction between a formant and a harmonic?

Accepted Answer

Formants are speech-specific resonances, whereas harmonics are overtones.

Answer

Harmonics are speech-specific resonances, whereas formants are overtones.

Answer

Formants and harmonics are essentially the same phenomenon.

Answer

Formants are found in voiced sounds, while harmonics are found in unvoiced sounds.

Question 5

How is sound pressure level (SPL) related to the perception of loudness?

Accepted Answer

SPL is a logarithmic measure that corresponds to the perceived loudness.

Answer

Loudness is a logarithmic measure that corresponds to the SPL.

Answer

SPL and loudness are directly proportional to each other.

Answer

SPL and loudness are inversely proportional to each other.

Question 6

Which of the following is **not** a category of speech sound?

Accepted Answer

Syllable

Answer

Vowel

Answer

Consonant

Answer

Dipthong

Question 7

How does acoustic phonetics contribute to speech therapy practices?

Accepted Answer

It helps analyze speech sounds and diagnose speech disorders with specific tools.

Answer

It assists in generating speech waveforms for teaching correct speech production.

Answer

It provides a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between speech and language.

Answer

It has no relevance to speech therapy.

Question 8

How do the acoustic properties of speech sounds contribute to their perception and production?

Accepted Answer

The acoustic properties of speech sounds affect their clarity and intelligibility, making it easier for us to distinguish between different sounds and words.

Answer

Acoustic properties are primarily relevant for speech production and have a limited impact on perception.

Answer

Acoustic properties are irrelevant for speech production, as speech is solely controlled by articulatory movements.

Answer

Acoustic properties are only significant in specialized fields such as forensic speech analysis.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental property of sound waves?

Accepted Answer

Density

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Wavelength

Question 10

What is the standard unit of measurement for sound pressure level (SPL)?

Accepted Answer

Decibels (dB)

Answer

Hertz (Hz)

Answer

Pascals (Pa)

Answer

Meters per second (m/s)

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of a voiced consonant sound in English?

Accepted Answer

/l/

Answer

/p/

Answer

/f/

Answer

/s/

Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of a formant?

Accepted Answer

A resonant frequency of the vocal tract

Answer

A property of the sound source

Answer

A type of noise

Answer

A unit of measurement for sound intensity

Question 13

What is the primary difference between a stop and a fricative consonant in terms of their articulation?

Accepted Answer

Stops involve complete closure of the vocal tract, while fricatives involve partial closure

Answer

Fricatives involve complete closure of the vocal tract, while stops involve partial closure

Answer

Stops are always voiced, while fricatives are always unvoiced

Answer

Fricatives are always voiced, while stops are always unvoiced

Question 14

Which of the following best defines a syllable?

Accepted Answer

A unit of speech that contains both a vowel and consonant sound

Answer

A unit of speech that contains a vowel sound

Answer

A unit of speech that contains a consonant sound

Answer

A unit of speech that contains multiple vowel sounds

Question 15

How does the acoustic analysis of a language's sound system contribute to our understanding of

Accepted Answer

The perceptual categories used by native speakers

Answer

The historical development of the language

Answer

The influence on speech perception by non-native speakers

Answer

The role of context in speech production

Question 16

What term describes the highest point of a sound wave?

Accepted Answer

Crest

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Period

Question 17

Which of the following is a commonly used method for visualizing the acoustic properties of speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Spectrogram

Answer

Phonetogram

Answer

Laryngograph

Answer

Electroglottograph

Question 18

What is the term used to describe the gradual change in the formant frequencies of vowels as they transition from one vowel to another?

Accepted Answer

Diphthongization

Answer

Coarticulation

Answer

Formantization

Answer

Glottalization

Question 19

Which of the following is a measure of the rate at which an acoustic signal changes?

Accepted Answer

Frequency

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Duration

Question 20

Which property is NOT fundamental to the acoustic analysis of speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Articulation

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Duration

Answer

Pitch

Question 21

The perceived loudness of a speech sound is primarily determined by its:

Accepted Answer

Intensity

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Duration

Answer

Spectral tilt

Question 22

Which acoustic property is the primary cue for vowel identification?

Accepted Answer

Formant frequencies

Answer

Fundamental frequency

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Duration

Question 23

The average frequency range of human hearing is:

Accepted Answer

20-20,000 Hz

Answer

50-50,000 Hz

Answer

100-10,000 Hz

Answer

1,000-1,000,000 Hz

Question 24

Which instrument is commonly used to measure the sound pressure level of speech?

Accepted Answer

Sound level meter

Answer

Oscilloscope

Answer

Spectrograph

Answer

Electroglottograph

Question 25

The perceived pitch of a sound is primarily determined by its:

Accepted Answer

Frequency

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Duration

Answer

Harmonic structure

Question 26

Which factor does NOT affect the duration of speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Gender

Answer

Articulatory rate

Answer

Phonetic context

Answer

Stress

Question 27

Which acoustic property is the primary cue for consonant identification?

Accepted Answer

Spectral noise

Answer

Fundamental frequency

Answer

Formant frequencies

Answer

Intensity

Question 28

The perceived pitch of a sound is primarily determined by which acoustic property?

Accepted Answer

Frequency

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Duration

Answer

Intensity

Question 29

Which of the following waveforms represents a sine wave?

Accepted Answer

Sine wave

Answer

Square wave

Answer

Triangle wave

Answer

Sawtooth wave

Question 30

The formants of a vowel sound are primarily determined by which aspect of the vocal tract?

Accepted Answer

Vocal tract shape

Answer

Vocal fold vibration

Answer

Tongue position

Answer

Dental occlusion

Question 31

Which of the following speech sounds is characterized by frication noise?

Accepted Answer

/s/

Answer

/p/

Answer

/a/

Answer

/l/

Question 32

The spectrum of a stop consonant such as /p/ is typically characterized by:

Accepted Answer

A broad peak at low frequencies

Answer

A sharp peak at high frequencies

Answer

A series of formants

Answer

A relatively flat response

Question 33

The study of the acoustic properties of speech sounds produced by people with different regional backgrounds is known as:

Accepted Answer

Dialectology

Answer

Sociolinguistics

Answer

Phonetics

Answer

Acoustic analysis

Question 34

How does acoustic phonetics assist in analyzing speech recordings in forensic investigations?

Accepted Answer

Identifying speakers based on unique vocal traits

Answer

Enhancing speech clarity for improved understanding

Answer

Converting speech recordings into written text

Answer

Diagnosing speech disorders and medical conditions

Question 35

The amplitude of a speech sound wave is directly related to its:

Accepted Answer

Loudness

Answer

Duration

Answer

Pitch

Question 36

Formants of a vowel refer to its:

Accepted Answer

Resonance frequencies

Answer

Acoustic cues

Answer

Temporal patterns

Answer

Articulation points

Question 37

Which acoustic parameter measures the length of time taken to produce a speech sound?

Accepted Answer

Duration

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Amplitude

Question 38

In acoustic phonetics, a spectrogram is a visual representation of:

Accepted Answer

Frequency and intensity over time

Answer

Articulation and place of production

Answer

Voicing and nasality

Answer

Loudness and duration

Question 39

The fundamental frequency of a sound wave corresponds to which perceptual trait of speech?

Accepted Answer

Pitch

Answer

Duration

Answer

Volume

Answer

Timbre

Question 40

When investigating the frequencies of speech resonances (formants), which instrument is commonly utilized?

Accepted Answer

Sound spectrograph

Answer

Waveform analyzer

Answer

Vowel analyzer

Answer

Oscilloscope

Question 41

What is the main acoustic difference between a voiced and unvoiced consonant?

Accepted Answer

Vocal cord vibration

Answer

Sound intensity

Answer

Sound duration

Question 42

What is the term for the explosive release of air when a stop is released?

Accepted Answer

Plosion

Answer

Release

Answer

Aspiration

Answer

Ejection

Question 43

What technique utilizes symbols to represent speech sounds?

Accepted Answer

Phonetic transcription

Answer

Morphological transcription

Answer

Orthographic transcription

Answer

Phonological transcription

Question 44

What makes the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) significant?

Accepted Answer

It provides a standardized method for representing speech sounds across languages.

Answer

It is exclusively utilized for documenting English sounds.

Answer

It is a system of shorthand used by speech therapists.

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a property of sound waves?

Accepted Answer

Color

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Velocity

Answer

Wavelength

Question 46

What is the term for the loudness or softness of a sound?

Accepted Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Wavelength

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Frequency

Question 47

Which of the following is a unit of frequency?

Accepted Answer

Hertz

Answer

Decibels

Answer

Seconds

Answer

Meters

Question 48

What is the relationship between frequency and pitch?

Accepted Answer

Higher frequency, higher pitch

Answer

Lower frequency, higher pitch

Answer

There is no relationship

Answer

Higher frequency, lower pitch

Question 49

Which of the following is a measure of the time it takes for a sound wave to complete one cycle?

Accepted Answer

Period

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Wavelength

Answer

Amplitude

Question 50

What is the term for the distance between two adjacent crests or troughs of a sound wave?

Accepted Answer

Wavelength

Answer

Amplitude

Answer

Frequency

Answer

Period

Question 51

What is the term for the minimum level of sound that can be heard by the human ear?

Accepted Answer

Absolute threshold of hearing

Answer

Frequency threshold

Answer

Threshold of pain

Answer

Loudness threshold

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a component of the human ear that is involved in hearing?

Accepted Answer

Lungs

Answer

Eardrum

Answer

Auditory nerve

Answer

Cochlea

Question 53

What is the function of the middle ear?

Accepted Answer

To amplify sound waves and protect the inner ear

Answer

To transmit sound waves to the brain

Answer

To maintain balance

Answer

To convert sound waves into electrical signals