Question

What phoneme is a voiceless labio-dental fricative?

a) /b/
b) /v/
c) /f/
d) /s/
e) /theta/

Answer 1

The voiceless labio-dental fricative sound is /f/ as in the end sound of 'leaf,' not to be confused with /v/ which is voiced, as in 'leave.'

Step-by-step explanation:

The phoneme that is a voiceless labio-dental fricative is /f/. This sound is produced by placing the upper teeth against the lower lip and blowing air out without vocal cord vibration. An example of this sound can be heard at the end of the word leaf, where /f/ is articulated. In contrast, /v/ is a voiced labio-dental fricative, where the vocal cords do vibrate, as heard at the end of the word leave. Therefore, the correct answer is c) /f/.