Pin — choose the word that has the same consonant sound(s) as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined…

Analyze the question The word is "Pin," and the underlined letter is not shown. In the original JAMB question the underlined sound is the /p/ at the start of "Pin." We need the option whose underlined letters give the same /p/ sound. The underlining in the options isn't visible here either, so I'll assume the underlined part is the "p" at the start of each word, as in the usual question.

Concept In English, some words begin with a silent "p" that comes before another consonant. Examples are "psychology," "pneumonia," and "pseudonym." The "p" is not pronounced in these words, so the sound starts with the next letter (/s/ or /n/).

Solution

• A. Psychology is pronounced /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/. The "p" is silent.
• B. Pneumonia is pronounced /njuːˈmoʊniə/. The "p" is silent.
• C. Pseudonym is pronounced /ˈsjuːdənɪm/. The "p" is silent.
• D. Pragmatic is pronounced /præɡˈmætɪk/. The "p" is clearly sounded as /p/, just like in "Pin."

Answer The correct option is D. Pragmatic.

Tip When a word starts with "ps-" or "pn-", the "p" is almost always silent (psalm, psychic, pneumatic). When "p" is followed by a vowel or by "r" or "l" (pragmatic, play, price), it is pronounced. Check whether the "p" is actually heard before choosing.