This exercise asks advanced English learners to use their general knowledge of English pronunciation in order to decide whether the following non-existent words could be used in English. It is similar to exercises that can be found in linguistics textbooks, e.g. The Study of Language by George Yule (Cambridge: CUP; I have the 2nd edition of 1996).
Ex. Look at the following words and their pronunciation. Would it be possible to have such words in English? If not, why not?
1. glom /glɒm/ 2. sarpck /sɑːpk/ 3. cra /kræ/ 4. lpome /lpəʊm/ 5. locious /'ləʊʃəs/ 6. xane /kseɪn/ 7. jooly /'dʒuːli/ 8. lagly /'lægli/ 9. ftroo /ftruː/ 10. ippy /'ɪpi/ 11. quider /'kwɪdə/
12. ploh /ploh/ 13. zock /zɒk/ 14. drunting /'drʌntɪŋ/ 15. toor /tuːr/
KEY: Possible: 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14
Impossible: 2 (the syllable-final cluster /-pk/); 3 (a full short vowel at the end of a word); 4 (the syllable-initial cluster /lp-/); 6 (the syllable-initial cluster /ks-/; a word spelt this way would have to begin with /z-/); 9 (the syllable initial cluster /ftr-/); 12 (word-final /h/); 15 (/uː/ is not followed by /r/; a word spelt this way would be pronounced like "tour").
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