WAEC 2019 English Language · Question 121

destroy — Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined

Question

Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined. destroy

In the original paper part of this question is underlined. The underline isn't shown here: see the explanation below.

A.poor
B.boat
C.poise
D.idea

Answer: C. poise

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The word is "destroy". The underlined part isn't shown, but the vowel sound is almost certainly the one in "oy", the diphthong /ɔɪ/ (as in "boy", "toy").

Explain the concept: A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one sound to another within the same syllable. The /ɔɪ/ sound is spelled "oy" or "oi" in English words such as boy, coin, oil and noise.

Solution: Let's check each option's vowel sound:

A. poor is /pʊə/ or /pɔː/. It is not /ɔɪ/.
B. boat is /bəʊt/. It is the diphthong /əʊ/, not /ɔɪ/.
C. poise is /pɔɪz/. The "oi" is the diphthong /ɔɪ/, which matches "destroy" (/dɪˈstrɔɪ/).
D. idea is /aɪˈdɪə/. The first sound is /aɪ/ and the ending is /ɪə/. Neither is /ɔɪ/.

Answer: The correct option is C (poise).

Tip: For vowel-sound questions, ignore the spelling and say the words aloud. Group them by sound: "oy" and "oi" nearly always give /ɔɪ/ (boy, coin, joy, voice, poise). Spelling can mislead you, as it does with "poor" and "boat", which contain "o" but have different sounds.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.