Types of writing systems (logographic, syllabic, alphabetic) MCQs 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. Which writing system uses symbols to represent whole words or morphemes? (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) Phonetic 2. Chinese characters are primarily an example of which writing system? (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) Hieratic 3. A syllabary represents: (A) Entire sentences (B) Phonemes (C) Syllables (D) Words 4. Which language uses a syllabic writing system? (A) English (B) Japanese kana (C) Arabic (D) Latin 5. An alphabetic writing system represents: (A) Words (B) Syllables (C) Individual sounds (phonemes) (D) Ideas 6. The English language uses which type of writing system? (A) Syllabic (B) Logographic (C) Alphabetic (D) Pictographic 7. Which is considered the most complex type of writing system? (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) None of the above 8. A logographic script often requires: (A) Few symbols (B) Thousands of symbols (C) Only vowels (D) Only consonants 9. The Japanese writing system combines: (A) Only logographs (B) Only syllabic scripts (C) Logographic (Kanji) and syllabic (Hiragana/Katakana) (D) Alphabetic and pictorial 10. Which is the main advantage of alphabetic systems? (A) Easy to memorize (B) No grammar rules needed (C) Uses pictures only (D) Requires thousands of symbols 11. What is a characteristic feature of logographic writing? (A) Each symbol equals one sound (B) Each symbol equals one syllable (C) Each symbol equals one word or morpheme (D) Each symbol equals one letter 12. The Greek alphabet is an example of: (A) Syllabic writing (B) Logographic writing (C) Alphabetic writing (D) Mixed writing system 13. Which writing system was the basis for the Roman alphabet? (A) Arabic script (B) Greek alphabet (C) Chinese logographs (D) Japanese kana 14. Syllabic writing systems are best suited for languages with: (A) Many complex syllable structures (B) Very few syllables (C) Thousands of unique words (D) Only vowels 15. Which of the following is NOT a logographic script? (A) Sumerian cuneiform (B) Chinese Hanzi (C) English alphabet (D) Mayan glyphs 16. Hangul (Korean script) is classified as: (A) Logographic (B) Alphabetic with syllable blocks (C) Purely syllabic (D) Hieroglyphic 17. What is a key disadvantage of logographic systems? (A) They lack consonants (B) They are difficult to memorize due to large number of symbols (C) They cannot express ideas (D) They are unsuitable for trade 18. Which writing system uses symbols for consonants only (abjad)? (A) Latin (B) Greek (C) Arabic (D) Korean 19. An abugida is: (A) A logographic script (B) A syllabic-alphabetic hybrid system (C) A purely pictorial script (D) An ancient code language 20. Which script is considered an abugida? (A) English (B) Devanagari (used in Hindi) (C) Chinese (D) Latin 21. The Latin alphabet is used by: (A) Over 70% of modern languages (B) Only English (C) A few European countries (D) Ancient Mesopotamia 22. In alphabetic systems, vowels are: (A) Always omitted (B) Represented by separate letters (C) Replaced by symbols (D) Only implied 23. The Mayan script is: (A) Alphabetic (B) Logographic and syllabic combined (C) Abjad (D) Pictographic only 24. Which writing system has the fewest symbols to learn? (A) Logographic (B) Alphabetic (C) Syllabic (D) Pictographic 25. Which type of writing system allows easiest literacy acquisition? (A) Logographic (B) Alphabetic (C) Syllabic (D) Hieroglyphic 26. The term “orthography” refers to: (A) The study of sound systems (B) The rules of writing and spelling (C) The history of alphabets (D) Ancient inscriptions 27. Japanese Katakana is used primarily for: (A) Foreign words and names (B) Religious texts (C) Ancient poetry (D) Numbers 28. Hiragana in Japanese represents: (A) Logograms (B) Syllables (C) Phonemes (D) Pictographs 29. Which system is considered the foundation of most modern European scripts? (A) Egyptian hieroglyphics (B) Phoenician alphabet (C) Mayan script (D) Indus symbols 30. What is a unique feature of alphabetic systems? (A) Direct mapping of symbols to meaning (B) Representation of both consonants and vowels (C) Thousands of required characters (D) Based on images 31. Which of the following is a feature of logographic writing? (A) Low symbol count (B) Phonetic spelling (C) High level of memorization (D) Lack of meaning in symbols 32. Korean Hangul organizes letters into: (A) Words only (B) Pictographs (C) Syllable blocks (D) Logograms 33. Which is NOT a syllabary? (A) Japanese Katakana (B) Cherokee (C) Hiragana (D) Arabic 34. The main reason alphabetic writing spread widely is: (A) It was visually attractive (B) It is efficient and easy to learn (C) It uses only pictures (D) It replaced spoken language 35. Which writing system is used for Mandarin Chinese today? (A) Alphabetic pinyin only (B) Simplified and traditional logographic characters (C) Syllabary only (D) Phoenician script 36. How many letters are in the modern English alphabet? (A) 24 (B) 26 (C) 28 (D) 30 37. Which writing system does NOT indicate vowels? (A) Latin (B) Arabic (abjad) (C) Greek (D) Korean 38. Which is a mixed writing system combining logographic and phonetic elements? (A) Mayan (B) Latin (C) Arabic (D) Phoenician 39. Why do logographic systems persist in some cultures? (A) They are easier to develop (B) They preserve meaning across dialects (C) They have fewer symbols (D) They only use sounds 40. The term “phoneme” refers to: (A) A word meaning (B) A smallest unit of sound in a language (C) A writing symbol (D) A pictograph 41. Which writing system originated from the Phoenician script? (A) Latin (B) Chinese (C) Mayan (D) Egyptian 42. The Inuktitut script is primarily: (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) Hieroglyphic 43. Which type of writing system tends to be the oldest historically? (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) Abugida 44. What does an abugida use as its basic symbol? (A) Vowels (B) Consonants with inherent vowels (C) Words (D) Numbers 45. The word “syllabary” comes from: (A) Greek word for sound (B) Latin word for script (C) Greek word “syllabe” meaning syllable (D) Phoenician term for alphabet 46. A logogram may represent: (A) Sound only (B) An entire concept or word (C) Syllables only (D) A vowel 47. Which system is most efficient for representing tonal languages like Chinese? (A) Alphabetic (B) Syllabic (C) Logographic (D) Abjad 48. Which is considered the simplest for new learners? (A) Logographic (B) Alphabetic (C) Mixed (D) Syllabic 49. In writing systems, “grapheme” refers to: (A) Smallest unit of sound (B) Smallest unit of writing (C) Entire script (D) A syllable 50. Which writing system is the most widely adopted globally today? (A) Logographic (B) Alphabetic (Latin script) (C) Syllabic (D) Hieroglyphic 1. Foundations of Linguistic Anthropology MCQsDefinition, scope, and history MCQsLanguage vs. communication MCQsHuman language vs. animal communication MCQsKey figures in linguistic anthropology MCQs2. Language Structure MCQsPhonetics and Phonology MCQsMorphology MCQsSyntax MCQsSemantics MCQsPragmatics MCQs3. Language Acquisition and Socialization MCQsFirst language acquisition MCQsSecond language acquisition MCQsLanguage learning in cultural context MCQsEnculturation through language MCQs4. Language, Culture, and Thought MCQsSapir–Whorf hypothesis (linguistic relativity) MCQsLanguage and worldview MCQsEthnosemantics and ethnoscience MCQsMetaphor and cognition MCQs5. 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