WAEC 2014 English Language · Question 85

/t∫/ — choose the word that contains the sound represented by the phonetic symbol

Question

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that contains the sound represented by the phonetic symbol. /t∫/

A.leaf
B.peach
C.chic
D.cede

Answer: B. peach

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the sound /tʃ/. This is the "ch" sound heard in church, chair and match.

Explain the concept: /tʃ/ is a voiceless affricate. It starts like a /t/ and slides into a /ʃ/ ("sh"). Spelling can mislead you here. The letters "ch" do not always give /tʃ/, so always say the word aloud and listen to the sound.

Solution: Let's transcribe each option.

A. leaf: /liːf/. It ends in /f/, so there is no /tʃ/.
B. peach: /piːtʃ/. It ends in /tʃ/, so this matches.
C. chic: /ʃiːk/. The "ch" here is /ʃ/ ("sh"), a word borrowed from French. This is the trap option.
D. cede: /siːd/. It starts with /s/ and ends with /d/, so there is no /tʃ/.

Answer: The word containing /tʃ/ is peach, which is option B.

Tip: Watch out for "ch" words that sound like "sh", such as chic, chef, machine and champagne. These come from French. Words with "ch" or "tch" that sound like "church" have /tʃ/, such as peach, catch and teacher.

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