Choose from the options lettered A - E the one that contains the sound segment represented by the given phonetic symbol /p/

Analyze the question: You're asked to find the word containing the sound /p/. This is a consonant sound, the voiceless bilabial plosive, the "p" sound as in pen. Be careful, though: the question could also be a vowel question where the symbol was meant to be /ɒ/ (as in cot). In the text you gave, the symbol is clearly written as /p/, so I'll work with that.

Concept: /p/ is a consonant made by pressing both lips together and releasing a puff of air. Check each word by its sound (pronunciation), not its spelling.

Transcribe each option:

• A. caught: /kɔːt/ (sounds: k, ɔː, t). No /p/.
• B. cool: /kuːl/ (k, uː, l). No /p/.
• C. cot: /kɒt/ (k, ɒ, t). No /p/ consonant. (The vowel is /ɒ/, which looks a little like p in some fonts.)
• D. court: /kɔːt/ (k, ɔː, t). No /p/.
• E. pull: /pʊl/ (p, ʊ, l). Yes, it begins with /p/.

Answer: E, pull, is the only word that contains the sound /p/.

Note: If your original paper actually printed the symbol /ɒ/ (the rounded "open o" vowel), the answer would be C, cot.

Tip: In phonetics questions, always say the word aloud and ignore the spelling. Also, look closely at the symbol: /p/ (consonant) and /ɒ/ (vowel) are different, so check what is actually printed in your paper.