Which term describes a transcription of the sounds of a word or phrase using IPA symbols?

• A. Phonemic script
• B. Pre-listening
• C. Pre-teaching
• D. Prescriptive grammar

Answer: (A)

Transcribing the sounds of speech with IPA symbols aims to capture the actual spoken form of a word or phrase, focusing on the sounds (phonemes) rather than spelling. The term that best fits this is phonemic script. It emphasizes representing how a word sounds, using a standard set of symbols to stand in for the distinct sounds.

The other ideas describe teaching activities or grammar rules, not sound transcription. Pre-listening and pre-teaching are about preparing learners before a listening activity, and prescriptive grammar is about rules for how language should be used, not how it sounds.