In which word are all consonants deaf: cat, mosquito, fork, lump? - briefly
Deaf consonants are those that are pronounced without vibration of the vocal cords, such as "k," "t," "p," "s," and "f." Among the words provided, the word "fork" contains only deaf consonants: "f," "r," "k."
In the word "cat," the consonants "c" (pronounced as "k") and "t" are deaf, but the word "mosquito" contains the voiced consonant "q" (pronounced as "k"), and "lump" includes the voiced consonant "m." Therefore, "fork" is the word where all consonants are deaf.
In which word are all consonants deaf: cat, mosquito, fork, lump? - in detail
The examination of the words "cat," "mosquito," "fork," and "lump" requires an understanding of phonetics, specifically the distinction between voiced and voiceless consonants. Voiceless consonants, often referred to as deaf consonants, are produced without vibration of the vocal cords. Let us analyze each word individually to determine which, if any, contains only voiceless consonants.
First, consider the word "cat." The consonants in this word are 'c' and 't'. Both 'c' (before 'a', 'o', 'u' and consonant letters) and 't' are voiceless. Therefore, "cat" meets the criterion of having all voiceless consonants.
Next, examine the word "mosquito." The consonants in this word are 'm', 's', 'q', 't', and 'w'. Among these, 's', 'q', and 't' are voiceless. However, 'm' and 'w' are voiced consonants. Thus, "mosquito" does not qualify as a word with all voiceless consonants.
The word "fork" contains the consonants 'f', 'r', 'k'. Here, 'f' and 'k' are voiceless, but 'r' is a voiced consonant. Consequently, "fork" does not meet the requirement of having all voiceless consonants.
Finally, analyze the word "lump." The consonants in this word are 'l', 'm', and 'p'. Among these, 'p' is voiceless, but 'l' and 'm' are voiced consonants. Therefore, "lump" does not qualify as a word with all voiceless consonants.
In summary, the word "cat" is the only one among the given options that contains exclusively voiceless consonants. This analysis underscores the importance of phonetic understanding in linguistic studies, illustrating how the properties of individual sounds contribute to the overall phonetic structure of words.