English 615: Modern English Linguistics

Homework #2: Segment Puzzles
Due Friday, September 19th

Practice

Here is a little puzzle you can do to help you get ready for the homework.

These are some riddles my eight year old likes and their answers spelled out in consonant features just like on the next homework. I've given you the vowels in phonetic transcription. Aren't we funny?

Remember that:

Question 1. What did the zookeeper use to unlock cages?

Answer:
[voiceless glottal fricative] h
I
[voiced alveolar fricative] z
[bilabial nasal] m
schwa
[alveolar nasal] n
[voiceless velar stop] k
i

his monkey

Question 2. Which is the rudest animal?

Answer:
schwa
[voiced velar stop] g
u
[voiceless alveolar fricative] s

a goose

Question 3. Why did the black cat cross the road?

answer:
[voiced bilabial stop] b
i
[voiceless velar stop] k
schwa
[voiced alveolar fricative] z
[voiceless glottal fricative] h
i
[voiced labio-velar glide] w
schwa
>[voiced alveolar fricative] z
[voiceless alveolar fricative] s
[voiceless alveolar stop] t
ej
[voiceless bilabial stop] p
[syllabic voiced alveolar lateral] l
[voiced alveolar stop] d
[voiceless alveolar stop] t
u
[voiced interdental fricative] theta
schwa
[voiceless alveopalatal affricate] tS
I
[voiceless velar stop] k
I
[alveolar nasal] n

Because he was stapled to the chicken.