WAEC 2023 English Language · Question 92

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

Question

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the underlined letter(s). tie

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

A.hail
B.hey
C.bile
D.farce

Answer: C. bile

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: "tie" has the vowel sound /aɪ/ (a diphthong, as in "my" or "time"). We need the word with the same vowel sound.

Explain the concept: In English, the same sound can be spelled in different ways. In "tie", the letters "ie" make the long /i/ sound, which is the diphthong /aɪ/. So we compare sounds, not spellings.

Check each option:

A. hail /heɪl/: the sound is /eɪ/, so it does not match.
B. hey /heɪ/: the sound is /eɪ/, so it does not match.
C. bile /baɪl/: the sound is /aɪ/, so it matches "tie" /taɪ/.
D. farce /fɑːs/: the sound is /ɑː/, so it does not match.

Answer: The correct option is C, bile.

Tip: Don't be misled by spelling. Say each word aloud and focus on the vowel sound. A and B both have /eɪ/ (as in "day"), which is a common distractor. Remember that "tie, my, bile, time" all share /aɪ/.

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.