AQA A-level English Language – Language Change Practice Test 2026 - Free A-level Language Change Practice Questions and Study Guide

The Great Vowel Shift describes how long vowels in English changed in pronunciation from Middle English to Early Modern English. A classic illustration is the word wife: in Middle English, it would have been pronounced with a long high front vowel, something like weef. As the shift unfolded, that vowel raised and then became a diphthong, giving the modern pronunciation waɪf. This example is often cited because it clearly shows how a single long vowel transformed into a different vowel sound, highlighting the finger-by-finger change character of the shift. The other options reference meaning, population, or historical events rather than a phonetic change in vowels.