WAEC 2017 English Language · Question 130

/ai/ — choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol

Question

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

A.ice
B.face
C.drain
D.plane

Answer: A. ice

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the vowel sound /aɪ/ (the "eye" sound, as in my, time, light).

Concept: /aɪ/ is a diphthong, a gliding vowel that starts with "ah" and moves toward "ee". The same spelling can give different sounds, so always go by how the word is pronounced, not how it is spelt.

Step-by-step solution:

A. ice is pronounced /aɪs/. It contains /aɪ/. ✔
B. face is pronounced /feɪs/. It contains /eɪ/, as in day. ✘
C. drain is pronounced /dreɪn/. It contains /eɪ/. ✘
D. plane is pronounced /pleɪn/. It contains /eɪ/. ✘

Only ice has the /aɪ/ sound. The other three options all share /eɪ/, which is a common distractor in WASSCE and JAMB oral English questions.

Answer: A. ice

Exam tip: /aɪ/ sounds like the letter name "I" (as in eye). /eɪ/ sounds like the letter name "A". If you say the word aloud and hear "eye", it is /aɪ/. If you hear "ay", it is /eɪ/. Try this with similar words: bike, fine, sky are /aɪ/, while cake, rain, grey are /eɪ/.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.