Choose the word that does not have the same vowel sound as the others

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the odd one out based on the vowel sound, so we compare how the vowel is pronounced in each word.

Explain the concept: In English, the same sound can be spelled in different ways. The letter "o" in "son" does not sound like the "o" in "short". Always go by sound, not spelling.

Solution:

| Word | Phonetic transcription | Vowel sound | |------|------------------------|-------------| | A. shun | /ʃʌn/ | /ʌ/ | | B. son | /sʌn/ | /ʌ/ | | C. sun | /sʌn/ | /ʌ/ | | D. short | /ʃɔːt/ | /ɔː/ |

• shun, son, and sun all share the short vowel /ʌ/, as in "cup" or "bus". Notice that "son" and "sun" are homophones (they sound exactly the same) even though they are spelled differently.
• short has the long vowel /ɔː/, as in "door" or "thought", which is a different sound.

Answer: The word that does not share the same vowel sound as the others is short, which is option D.

Tip: In "odd one out" vowel questions, ignore the spelling and say each word aloud. Watch for words like "son", "love", "come", and "money", where the letter "o" is pronounced /ʌ/. They often appear as traps in JAMB English.