Task 1:
The nature of syllable:
A syllable is a single, unbroken vowel sound within a spoken word. It always has a
center*, which is often a vowel, and can have cinsonants or not have.
(* : not necessarily a vowel.)
Syllables are represented by the symbol [σ] (sigma).
Syllables have one or more consonants preceding the center, and end with a vowel
are called Open syllable.
E. g.: bar [bɑː] more [mɔː]
Syllables have one or more consonants following the center.
E.g.: ought [ɔ:t] ease [iːz]
Syllables have consonats both before and after the center.
E.g.: ran [ræn] fill [fɪl]
Sullables that end with a consonant are called Closed syllables.
=> A word/syllable can begin with a vowel or with 1, 2, or 3 consonants; no word /
syllable begins with more than 3. It can also end with a vowel or 1, 2, 3, or 4
consonants; no word ever end with more than 4.
E.g.: cramped [kræmpt]
=> The consonant that is before the center is called onset, and the one after it
is the coda. -> kr (center) - æ - mpt (coda)
The onset:
Syllables begin with - a vowel (Zero onset)
- 1 consonant (Initial consonant - any consonant except [ŋ]; [ʒ] is
rare in this position).
If we have two or more consonants at the beginning, those are consonant clusters –
2 kinds:
1. sting [stɪŋ] Pre-initial Initial
smoke [sməʊk] [s] consonant
2. try [traɪ] Initial Post-initial
few [fjuː] consonant [j, r, l, w]
All three consonant clusters follow the same structure.
Pre - initial Initial consonant Post - initial
[s] [p, t, k] [ j, r, l, w ]
=> To analyze the onset, it is best to dentify the Pre & Post – initial first.
The coda:
The coda is a little bit more complicated.
Coda analysis is similar to onset:
No final consonant – Zero coda
1 Consonat – final consonant (any except [h, w, j])
Two – consonant final cluster -> two sorts:
1. bump [bʌmp] Pre-final Final
ask [ɑːsk ] [ m, n, ŋ, l, s ] consonant
2. backed [bækt] Final Post-final
eighth [eɪtθ] consonant [s, z, t, d, θ]
Final three – consonant clusters -> 2 types:
1. bonds [bɒndz] Pre-final Final Post-final
[ m, n, ŋ, l, s ] consonant [s, z, t, d, θ]
2. lapsed [læpst] Final Post-final 1 Post-final 2
consonant [s, z, t, d, θ] [s, z, t, d, θ]
Final four - consonant clusters:
Prompts Pre-final Final Post-final 1 Post-final 2
[prɒmpts] [ m, n, ŋ, l, s ] consonant [s, z, t, d, θ] [s, z, t, d, θ]
Strong & Weak Syllable
Strong syllables are longer lasting in terms of length. Weak syllables are short in
terms of length. They are louder and have higher intensity.
It is important to understand the difference between strong and weak syllables
especially when we consider stress, elision, and intonation:
• The concept of ‘stress’ is very important in deciding whether a syllable is strong or
weak because only strong syllables can be stressed.
• ‘Elision’ is the removal of an unstressed syllable from a word in order to mix words
together and decrease overall syllables. This makes it easier to words to be spoken
and often reflects patterns of colloquial speech.
• ‘Intonation’ is the way that your voice rises and falls as you talk. For example,
when you ask a question, your voice rises at the end of the sentence. This change in
tone goes directly withthe degree of the syllable strength.
Strong Syllables vs Weak Syllables.
Strong Syllable Weak Syllable
Strong syllables are longer lasting in Weak syllables are short in terms of
terms of length. length.
They are louder and have higher They are quite low and have low
intensity. intensity.
They are articulated with high quality. They are articulated with low quality.
We do not pronounce them rapidly. They are said more quickly in words.
They are always stressed syllables. They can never be stressed.
They are composed of all vowel sounds They are composed of only /ǝ, i, u/
except /ǝ, i, u/ as their peak. vowel sounds plus syllabic
consonants /m̩ , n̩, ŋ̩ , l, ̩ r̩/ as their peak.
Because they are stressed, rising- Because they are unstressed,
intonation starts from them and they risingintonation does not start from
can never be removed in a word. them and they are always under the
effect of elision.
Short vowel sound peaks of strong /ǝ, i, u/ should not always have a coda.
syllables should always have a coda.
Position of Weak Syllables in Words
1) Weak syllablescan occur at the end of a word with no coda following it:
Examples:
Better/betƏ/ Happy /hæpi/ Canary /kǝneri/
Never /nevƏ/ Thank you /Ɵæɳk ju/ Lorry /lDri/
Reader /ri:dƏ/ Into /Intu/* Do /du/*
(*- if they are unstressed.)
2) Weak syllables can occur at the end of the word with a coda only if the peak
is composed of /ǝ/ sound:
Examples:
Open /ƏƱpƏn/ paddock /pædƏk/ Necklace /neklƏs/
Sharpen /ʃɒ:pƏn/ Ballad /bælƏd/ Autumn /Ͻ:tƏm/
3) Weak syllablecan occur in the middle of words (inside words) with no codas:
Examples:
Photograph/fƏƱtƏgrɒ:f/ Appreciate /ǝpri:ʃieIt/
Customer /cʌstƏmǝ/ Create /krieIt/
Jeopardy /dƷepƏdi/ influence /InfluƏns/
Radio /reIdiƏƱ/ Evacuation /IvækjueIʃn/
4) The short vowel /I/ can act as a peak without a coda which means it can be a
weak syllable only if the following syllable starts with a consonant. For
example in the word ‘Architect’ /a:kItekt/ and ‘Design’ /dIzaIn/. [an
exception]
