What term describes inserting an additional sound in the middle of a word?

What term describes inserting an additional sound in the middle of a word?

• A. Epenthesis
• B. Assimilation
• C. Metathesis
• D. Reduplication

Answer: (A)

This question is about epenthesis, the process of inserting an extra sound inside a word to make pronunciation easier or to fit the sound patterns of a language. In many cases, this added sound is a vowel, inserted between two consonants or before a difficult consonant cluster, so the word can be spoken more smoothly. That’s why epenthesis is the best answer here: it specifically describes adding an additional sound in the middle of a word. For contrast, assimilation is when a sound becomes more like a neighboring sound (sounds blend or resemble each other). Metathesis is the swapping of the order of sounds within a word (like saying “aks” for “ask”). Reduplication is the repetition of whole syllables or parts of a word for emphasis or grammatical effect.

This question is about epenthesis, the process of inserting an extra sound inside a word to make pronunciation easier or to fit the sound patterns of a language. In many cases, this added sound is a vowel, inserted between two consonants or before a difficult consonant cluster, so the word can be spoken more smoothly.

That’s why epenthesis is the best answer here: it specifically describes adding an additional sound in the middle of a word.

For contrast, assimilation is when a sound becomes more like a neighboring sound (sounds blend or resemble each other). Metathesis is the swapping of the order of sounds within a word (like saying “aks” for “ask”). Reduplication is the repetition of whole syllables or parts of a word for emphasis or grammatical effect.