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

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the sound /k/ (the hard "k" sound, as in cat or kite). The question is about how a word is pronounced, not how it is spelled.

Concept: In English, the /k/ sound can be spelled in several ways:

• c before a, o, u (e.g., cane, cot, cup)
• k (e.g., kite)
• ck, ch (in some words, e.g., school)

Some words begin with a silent k (the "kn-" words), where the k is written but not pronounced: knee, know, knock.

Step-by-step solution:

• A. cane: pronounced /keɪn/. The "c" is followed by "a", so it is a hard c, which gives the /k/ sound at the start. ✔
• B. chain: pronounced /tʃeɪn/. The "ch" gives /tʃ/, not /k/. ✘
• C. knight: pronounced /naɪt/. The "k" is silent, so there is no /k/ sound. ✘
• D. knife: pronounced /naɪf/. The "k" is silent here too. ✘

Correct answer: A (cane)

Tip: Always say the word aloud in your head and listen to the sound, not the spelling. Remember that "kn-" at the beginning of a word means the k is silent (knife, knight, knee, knot, know). Questions like this often use those words as traps, along with "ch" words, which usually give /tʃ/.