Consonant Transcription Practice

For Linguistics 103, "Introduction to General Phonetics"

as taught by Bruce Hayes
Department of Linguistics
UCLA

Getting Started

You can do the exercise by clicking on the links below.  

Or, click here to obtain this entire exercise in one zipped bundle.  Then you can do something else while it's downloading (3.92 meg), instead of waiting for the files one by one.  Once you have the zipped file, put it in a folder, unzip it, and click on Index.htm.  

Please don't try the above if you're uneasy about computers--just go on to the next section.

If you have no Internet connection, or your connection is too slow, you can bring a blank recordable compact disk to my office hours and I will make a copy for you.

Purpose of the Exercise

These words are for practice in transcribing the IPA consonants.  Vowels are taken from the minimal set [i, e, a, o, u], with a couple of epsilons in one place.  The exercise take the form of transcribing pseudo-words with a wide variety of IPA sounds.  For a systematic presentation of the sounds in chart form (with sound files produced by the same speaker), go to http://www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/hayes/103/charts/cchartwithsounds/cchart.pdf

Note for random people who arrived at this page while browsing the Web: my pronunciations carry no particular authority, and you would probably do better visiting a more official site. The purpose of this exercise is to help my own students, who take phonetic dictation tests from me.

The site

has the renditions of two well-regarded IPA experts (this site is also recommended to my own students). Other recommended sites are:

Doing the Exercise

Click in the second column of the chart below for the sound files, and in the last column for the answer. There are 66 items.  If the sound files don't play, click here for directions.

1. straight transcription sound file answer
2. straight transcription sound file answer
3. straight transcription sound file answer
4. straight transcription sound file answer
5. straight transcription sound file answer
6. straight transcription sound file answer
7. straight transcription sound file answer
8. straight transcription sound file answer
9. straight transcription sound file answer
10. two words, minimally different sound file answer
11. straight transcription sound file answer
12. straight transcription sound file answer
13. straight transcription sound file answer
14. straight transcription sound file answer
15. straight transcription sound file answer
16. straight transcription sound file answer
17. doublet: bilabial/labiodental (in some order) sound file answer
18. doublet: bilabial/labiodental (in some order) sound file answer
19. straight transcription sound file answer
20. triplet: bilabial/linguolabial/dental (in some order) sound file answer
21. triplet: bilabial/linguolabial/dental (in some order) sound file answer
22. straight transcription sound file answer
23. doublet: alveolar/retroflex (in some order) sound file answer
24. a word with alveolar/dental (in some order) sound file answer
25. doublet: palato-alveolar/retroflex (in some order) sound file answer
26. a word with palato-alveolar/retroflex (in some order) sound file answer
27. triplet: palatal/velar/uvular (in some order) sound file answer
28. triplet: palatal/velar/uvular (in some order) sound file answer
29. triplet: palatal/velar/uvular (in some order) sound file answer
30. triplet: velar/uvular/pharyngeal (in some order) sound file answer
31. triplet: velar/uvular/pharyngeal (in some order) sound file answer
32. doublet: two nasals sound file answer
33. triplet involving laterals sound file answer
34. doublet: velar approximant/fricative (in some order) sound file answer
35. triplet: alveolar/palatal/velar (in some order) sound file answer
36. two different labial fricatives sound file answer
37. two different labial fricatives sound file answer
38. two affricates sound file answer
39. doublet: alveolar/retroflex sound file answer
40. triplet: phonation types sound file answer
41. doublet: phonation types sound file answer
42. doublet: clicks sound file answer
43. doublet: two r-like sounds sound file answer
44. triplet: bilabial/labial-velar/velar (in some order) sound file answer
45. triplet: bilabial/labial-velar/velar (in some order) sound file answer
46. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
47. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
48. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
49. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
50. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
51. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
52. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
53. Octuplet: all possible lengths on ['apa] sound file answer
54. triplet: clusters with /p/ and glottal stop sound file answer
55. straight transcription sound file answer
56. straight transcription sound file answer
57. doublet: voiced/voiceless (in some order) sound file answer
58. doublet: velars and uvulars sound file answer
59. straight transcription sound file answer
60. straight transcription sound file answer
61. affricate and fricative sound file answer
62. fricative and approximant sound file answer
63. two approximants sound file answer
64. palato-alveolar and lateral fricatives (in some order) sound file answer
65. palato-alveolar and lateral fricatives (in some order) sound file answer
66. palato-alveolar and lateral fricatives (in some order)   sound file answer

(end of exercise)

If the sound files don't play

Download a free waveform player on the Web.  For Windows, I've had the best luck with the Windows Media Player, available here. I don't know much about Macs, but one possibility is WinAmp, available here.  For both Windows and Mac, there are many other players as well.

If all is going smoothly, the files will simply play when you click on them. But you may find that instead, your software for playing files will pop up on the screen. This will slow you down, but only by a little. Click the Play button on this software (it usually looks like the Play button on a tape recorder). If you can't locate an interface with a Play button on your computer screen, try minimizing the browser window (it might be lurking underneath).

Please contact me at if you're still having trouble with the sound files.

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