JAMB 2011 English Language · Question 25

leach? — Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s)

Question

Choose the option that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s). leach?

In the original paper part of this question is underlined. The underline isn't shown here: see the explanation below.

A.gear
B.cedar
C.cheer
D.death

Answer: B. cedar

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The word is "leach", and the underlined part is most likely "ea", which is pronounced /iː/ as in "leech" (/liːtʃ/). We need the option with the same vowel sound, /iː/.

Check each option:

A. gear /ɡɪə(r)/: the vowel is the diphthong /ɪə/, so it is not a match.
B. cedar /ˈsiːdə(r)/: the first syllable "ce" is /siː/, the long vowel /iː/. This is a match.
C. cheer /tʃɪə(r)/: the vowel is the diphthong /ɪə/, so it is not a match.
D. death /deθ/: the vowel is the short /e/, so it is not a match.

Answer: B. cedar. The question does not show which letters are underlined, but "ea" in "leach" is the natural choice.

Tip: For vowel-sound questions, write out the sound of the underlined part first, e.g. /iː/. Then watch for distractors like "gear" and "cheer". Their spelling looks similar, but they have the diphthong /ɪə/, which is a different sound from the long /iː/. Always compare sounds, not spellings.

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