Which symbol corresponds to the unvoiced labiodental fricative listed second?

Which symbol corresponds to the unvoiced labiodental fricative listed second?

• A. /u:/
• B. /v/
• C. /f/
• D. /b/

Answer: (C)

The concept here is voicing in consonants and how place and manner of articulation map to symbols. A labiodental fricative is made by letting air flow between the lower lip and upper teeth, and the unvoiced version has no vibration of the vocal cords, which is written as /f/. The symbol /v/ represents the voiced counterpart with vocal cord vibration, so it’s not the unvoiced one. The other options aren’t labiodental fricatives: /u:/ is a vowel, and /b/ is a bilabial stop. Therefore, the symbol for the unvoiced labiodental fricative is /f/.