In which word are only deaf consonants present: cat, mouse, lamp, geese? - briefly
The word "cat" contains only voiceless consonants.
In which word are only deaf consonants present: cat, mouse, lamp, geese? - in detail
The question at hand is to identify which word among "cat," "mouse," "lamp," and "geese" contains only voiceless (or 'deaf') consonants. To solve this, we must first understand what voiceless consonants are. Voiceless consonants, also known as surd consonants, are produced without the vibration of the vocal cords. Examples include 'p,' 't,' 'k,' 'f,' and 's.'
Let's examine each word:
- Cat: This word contains the consonant 'c', which is voiced before vowels and semi-vowels, making it not entirely voiceless in this context.
- Mouse: Here, the consonants are 'm,' 'ou,' and 's.' The 'm' is a voiced consonant, so this word does not meet the criteria.
- Lamp: This word includes the consonants 'l,' 'm,' and 'p.' Both 'l' and 'm' are voiced consonants, disqualifying this word from being the correct answer.
- Geese: The consonants in this word are 'g' and 's.' The 'g' is a voiced consonant, but notice that in English, the plural form of "goose" is pronounced as /giːs/, where the 'g' is often devoiced, making it sound more like /k/. However, traditionally in writing, it remains 'g.'
Given this analysis, none of these words strictly contain only voiceless consonants when considering their standard written form. Therefore, based on the provided options and traditional spelling rules, there isn't a word from the list that meets the criterion of containing only deaf consonants.