What is the pronunciation of the plural morpheme in the word 'churches'?
A/s/
B/z/
C/iz/
DNone of these
Answer:
C. /iz/
Read Explanation:
Phonetics of Plural Morphemes in English
Understanding the '-es' Plural Ending
- The pronunciation of the plural morpheme in English, particularly when it's represented by '-es', is not always a simple /z/ sound.
- The specific pronunciation depends on the final sound of the singular noun.
- For nouns ending in sibilant sounds (like /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/), the plural ending is pronounced as /ɪz/ (or /iz/ in simpler phonetic transcription).
- This rule applies to words like 'bus' (/bʌs/) becoming 'buses' (/ˈbʌsɪz/), 'wish' (/wɪʃ/) becoming 'wishes' (/ˈwɪʃɪz/), and 'judge' (/dʒʌdʒ/) becoming 'judges' (/ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/).
- The word 'churches' ends with the /tʃ/ sound, which is a sibilant sound.
- Therefore, the plural morpheme '-es' in 'churches' is pronounced as /ɪz/, making the word sound like /tʃɜːrtʃɪz/.
Contrast with other Plural Pronunciations
- When a singular noun ends in a voiced consonant (like /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /m/, /n/, /l/, /r/) or a vowel sound, the plural morpheme is typically pronounced as /z/. Examples include 'dog' (/dɔːɡ/) becoming 'dogs' (/dɔːɡz/) and 'play' (/pleɪ/) becoming 'plays' (/pleɪz/).
- When a singular noun ends in a voiceless consonant (like /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /θ/), the plural morpheme is pronounced as /s/. Examples include 'cat' (/kæt/) becoming 'cats' (/kæts/) and 'life' (/laɪf/) becoming 'lifes' (/laɪfs/).
Relevance for Competitive Exams
- Questions on phonetics, particularly the pronunciation of plural and past tense endings, are common in English language and literature sections of competitive exams.
- Understanding these rules can help in correctly answering multiple-choice questions that test phonological awareness.
- Pay close attention to the final sound of the base word, not just its spelling, when determining the pronunciation of suffixes.