/^/ — Choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol

Analyze the question: The symbol /ʌ/ is the vowel in words like "cup", "but" and "love". It is a short, central vowel, often called the "strut" vowel.

Concept: Look at the stressed syllable of each word and ask whether it has the "uh" sound, as in cut.

Solution:

• A. platform /ˈplætfɔːm/: the vowel is /æ/, as in cat. No /ʌ/.
• B. constant /ˈkɒnstənt/: the stressed vowel is /ɒ/, as in hot. The second syllable has the weak schwa /ə/, not /ʌ/.
• C. coloured /ˈkʌləd/: the first syllable "co-" is pronounced like "cu" in cup. This is /ʌ/.
• D. cautious /ˈkɔːʃəs/: the vowel is /ɔː/, as in caught. No /ʌ/.

Answer: Only coloured has the /ʌ/ sound.

Tip: The letter "o" is often pronounced /ʌ/ in words like colour, love, come, money, son, government, brother and another. If you see "o" spelled this way in an English word, check for /ʌ/. Also remember that /ʌ/ only occurs in stressed syllables. The unstressed "uh" sound is the schwa /ə/, which is a different symbol.