Lecture 4

Syllables
• Definition

• The nature of syllables

• The structure of English syllables
• Strong and weak syllables

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 Definition
• Phonetically, a syllable is a unit which consists of a
vowel as the centre and/or consonant(s) before and
after it.
e.g. Are /å…/
No /n\¨/
At /æt/
Cat /kæt/
• A syllable can be part of a word or it can coincide with a
word.

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 The nature of syllables
• A minimum syllable is a single vowel in isolation
e.g. are /å…/ or /ø…/ err /±…/
• Some syllables have an onset. That is they have more
than just silence preceding the centre of the syllable.
e.g. my /maˆ/
• Some syllables may have no onset but have a coda
(termination).
e.g. on /Ån/
• Some syllabes have both an onset and a termination.
e.g. meat /mi…t/
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Structure of English syllables

Syllable

Onset Centre Coda

(Optional) (Optional)

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 Syllable onset
• If the first syllable of the word begins with
• A vowel → Zero Onset
e.g. ease our
• One consonant → initial consonant
e.g. send church
• Two or more consonants together → an initial
consonant cluster.
e.g. clear spring

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 Initial consonant clusters
1. Initial two-consonant clusters
• Pre-initial /s/ + initial consonant
e.g. slight smoke
• Initial + post-initial /j, w, l, r/
e.g. queue twin try
2. Initial three-consonant cluster
• Pre-initial /s/ + initial /p, k, t/ + post-initial /l, r, w, j/
e.g. scream stew
squid string 6
 Syllable coda (termination)
• If a syllable ends with:
• A vowel → zero termination
e.g. no car
• A consonant → final consonant
e.g. meal late
• More than one consonant → final consonant cluster
e.g. ask next
tests texts
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 Final consonant clusters

Final two Final three Final four

Consonant Consonant Consonant
cluster cluster cluster

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 Final two consonant clusters
1. Pre-final /m, n, N, l, s/ + final. Examples:
bond pump
bank dealt
desk think
2. Final + post-final /s, z, t, d, †/. Examples:
cats bags
looked begged
eighth kissed
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 Final three consonant clusters
1. Pre-final + final + post-final. Examples:
helped banks
bonds twelfth
2. Final + post-final 1 + post-final 2. Examples:
fifths
next
lapsed

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 Final four consonant clusters
1. Pre-final + final + post-final 1 + post-final 2

twelfths

prompts

2. Final + post-final 1 + post-final 2 + post-final 3

sixths

texts

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Syllable division

extra
• e.kstr@
• ek.str@
• eks.tr@
• ekst.r@
• ekstr.@
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 Syllable division
Maximum Onset Principle:
• Consonants are assigned to the right-hand syllable
as far as possible within the restrictions governing
syllable onsets and codas.

Restrictions:
• No word begins with more than 3 consonants.
• No word ends with more than 4 consonants.

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Therefore:

extra
• e.kstr@
• ek.str@
• eks.tr@
• ekst.r@
• ekstr.@
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 Strong and weak syllables
1. Strong syllables: Strong syllables are stressed. They
are syllables that have as their centres one of the vowel
phonemes or possibly a triphthong, but not /@/.
Examples:
contain advise alter
2. Weak syllables: are unstressed. They are syllables that
can have only four types of centre.
a. The vowel /@/: worker banana
b. A close front unrounded vowel in the general area of /i:/
and / I /: / i /: money family
c. A close back rounded vowel in the general area of /u:/
and / U /: /u/: arduous do
d. A syllabic consonant: bottle garden 15
 The /@/ vowel (schwa)

In quality:

• Mid (half-way between close and open)

• Central (half-way between front and back)

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 Common Spellings
Weak form Strong Form

‘a’ attend character

‘ar’ particular march

‘ate’ intimate mate

‘o’ carrot potato

‘or’ forget mortgage

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 Common Spellings
Weak form Strong form

‘e’ violet settlement

‘u’ autumn butter

‘er’ perhaps merge

‘ough’ thorough though

‘ou’ callous could

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 Close front vowel
• Phonetic symbol: / i /
• Common spellings:
9 Final ‘-y’ or ‘-ey’ : happy
9 Prefix ‘re-’ ‘pre-’ ‘de-’ : react
9Suffix ‘-iate’ ‘-ious’ : appreciate
9 Unstressed words : he , she , we
9‘the’ preceding a vowel
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 Close back vowel

• Phonetic symbol: /u/

• Common spellings:

9 Unstressed words: you , to , who

9 Before another vowel within a word: influenza

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 Syllabic Consonants

• Definition:

A syllabic consonant stands as the peak of

the syllable instead of a vowel. It is usual to
indicate that a consonant is syllabic by
means of a small vertical mark ( < )
• Phonetic symbols: /n§/, /l§/, /m§/, /˜§/

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 /l/
Common spellings
• Words ending with one or more consonant letters
followed by ‘le’
9 with alveolar consonant preceding
cattle , wrestle
9with non-alveolar consonant preceding
couple , struggle
• Words ending with one or more consonant letters
followed by ‘al’ or ‘el’
panel , petal , parcel
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 /n/
Common spellings

• After alveolar plosives t, d

threaten , student

• After labiodental fricative f, v

often , seven

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 /m/ /˜/
Only occur as a result of processes such as
assimilation and elision

happen enthusiasm

thicken rythm

prism
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