Structure and Description of the English Syllables

Bahroz H. Mawlood

2017

Syllable Structure

The syllable (conventionally marked as small Greek sigma: σ) has two constituents (it “branches” into two elements, to put it in another way) the Onset (O), which includes any consonants that precede the nuclear element (the vowel), and the Rhyme (R), which includes the nuclear element (the vowel) as well as any other elements (consonants) that might follow it.

The Rhyme, further branches into Peak (P), also known as Nucleus (N), and Coda (Co). The Peak (Nucleus), as the designation suggests, represents the “nuclear” or most sonorous element in a syllable. The Coda includes all consonants that follow the Peak in a syllable.

Syllable structureSyllable structure

σ

Rhyme

Onset Nucleus Coda

Syllable structure is represented graphically by means of a “tree diagram”. The first example we shall take is cat /kæt/.

On the other hand, the Onset, Peak and Coda may each further branch into two C-or V-constituents respectively. The English syllable

drowned/draʊnd/ is an example in which all three elements branch:

Closed Syllable, Open Syllable        

   Syllables ending in a consonant, e.g. cat /kæt/, it /ɪt/, eat /i:t/, are traditionally known as closed syllables, whereas those ending in a vowel, as in sea /si:/ or eye /aɪ/, are called open.

In terms of syllable structure, in closed syllables the Coda is present, while in open ones the Coda element is absent.

Consider the Following Examples

OnsetPeak Coda

sea/si:/ /s/ /i:/ Ø (none)

on/ɒn/ Ø /ɒ/ /n/

Monosyllable

A word that consists of a single syllable (like dog) is called a monosyllable (and is said to be monosyllabic).

Bear can dish deal Ball bat

Disyllable

It is for a word of two syllables; Contact Rocket Chicken Pillow Candy Crowded

Trisyllable

It is for a word of three syllables; Beautiful Terrible Horrible carefully

Polysyllable

which may refer either to a word of more than three syllables or to any word of more than one syllable.

Polysyllable Trisyllable

Syllable [sıt]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleusExample 1: sit [sıt]

s ı t

Example 2: Ice [aıs]

Syllable [aıs]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

aı s

Example 3: me [mi:]

Syllable [mi:]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

i;m

Example 4: I [aı]

Syllable [aı]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

aı

Syllable [kri:m]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

Example 6: Ice cream

[aıs kri:m]

r i: m

Syllable [aıs]

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

aı s k

Syllable

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

Example 7: I scream

[aı skri:m]

r i: m

Syllable

Onset Rhyme

CodaNucleus

aı ks

Analyze: [aı skri:m]

Phonotactics

Phonotactics is a branch of Phonology that deals with restrictions (official limits) in a language on the combinations of phonemes.

In other words, Phonotactics are the rules that govern the combinations and ordering of phonemes in a syllable or a word.

Pattern of Consonant Cluster

The English syllable twelfths [twelfθs], for instance, is divided into the onset /tw/, the nucleus /e/, and the coda /lfθs/,

its phonotactic can be described as CCVCCCC twelfths [ twelfθs ]

and its syllable structure as O N C.

Consonant Clusters

Consonant clusters are groups of two or more consonant sounds in a row, as in spot, strong, desk, desks, or sister.

It’s important to remember that we’re talking about groups of consonant sounds, not consonant letters.

These are not always the same thing. For example, ship and sing each have groups of two consonant letters, but each group represents only one sound (sh=/ʃ/ and ng=/ŋ/).

On the other hand, the letter x as in six represents a consonant cluster of two sounds: /ks/.

Structure of C.C. in English/s/  +  /k/  +  / l / : sclerosis/s/  +  /k/  +  / r / : scream/s/  +  /k/  +  / j / : skewer/s/  +  /k/  +   / w / : squash/s/  +  /p/  +  / l / : splash/s/  +  /p/  +  / r / : spring/s/  +  /p/  +  / j / : spew/s/  +  /t/  +  / r / : street /s/  +  /t/  +  / j / : student

At the Beginning of Words

At the End of Words

We can have one, two, three, or four consonants together. Some of the longer clusters are in words with the grammatical endings -s or -ed, which add an extra sound.

Here are some examples of words ending in two-consonant clusters: help, felt, old, milk, shelf, curb, art, cord, mark, bump, ant, hand, tense, ranch, sink, else, bulge, course, march, arm, barn, girl, wasp, trust, ask, soft, act, tax, fourth

Here are examples of words ending in three-consonant clusters: text, sixth, exempt, waltz, world, glimpse, quartz, against

Some words end in four-consonant clusters because a grammatical ending has been added: texts, sixths, exempts, waltzed, worlds, glimpsed

Simplification of Consonant Clusters

There is one situation when it’s acceptable to simplify a consonant cluster, that is, to omit one of the consonants.

When there are three or more consonants in a row, the middle one is sometimes dropped.

(The first or last consonant is not dropped.) This happens most often when the middle consonant is a stop, /θ/, or /ð/.

For example: • tests might sound like /tɛsts/ or /tɛs/ • asked might sound like /æskt/ or /æst/ • months might sound like /mʌnθs/ or /mʌns/ • sixths might sound like /sɪksθs/ or /sɪks/

Simplification of Consonant Clusters

Another way native speakers make consonant clusters easier to pronounce is by resyllabification. That is, they split up a consonant cluster so that the last consonant in the cluster joins the syllable after it.

For example, when we say: The cats are sleeping, the final /s/ in cats

sounds like it joins the following word: The cat sare sleeping.

SYLLABIFICATION

Syllabification or syllabication is the separation of a word into syllables, whether spoken or written.

It can also be defined as the act, process, or method of forming or dividing words into syllables.

P/R/S Divide between Prefixes,

Root words, and Suffixes

Syllablication rules

re•do sing•er

walk•ing

VC/CV Two consonants between

two vowels are split between consonants.

Syllabication rules

per•haps ac•cept

won•der

VC/CVIf the two consonants form a blend, do not divide them

(ch, sh, th, wh, ng, nk, ck)

Syllablication rules

wish•ing ring•ingtough•er

V/CV One consonant between two vowels

is split between vowel and following consonant, if the vowel is long

Syllablication rules

clo•ver stu•pid

be•have di•ver

VC/V One consonant between two

vowels is split after the consonant, if the vowel is short

Syllablication rules

tep•id drag•oncam•el riv•er

V/V If the vowels have

different sounds, split the word between them.

Syllablication rules

ra•di•oca•me•oro•de•o

When the last three letters are consonants+le, split before the consonant.

Syllabication rules

a•ble ta•blemis•er•a•ble

Compound words are divided into the original two words.

Syllabication rules

cow•boy swim•suitbeach•ball

If either or both of the original words have more than one vowel sound, that word should also be divided into syllables.

Syllabication rules

bask•et•ball book•keep•er

Syllable Division There are still some

problems with phonetic description.Most speakers of English feel that ‘going’ /gǝuɪῃ/ consists of two syllables:

Roach (2000:77) states that most speakers could decide on phonetic grounds that the /u/ in the middle is the dividing point between the two syllables, since the articulation is slightly closer to obstructing airflow than the vowel next to it.

Another difficulty can be seen in ‘extra’ /ekstrǝ/. One problem is that by some definitions the /s/ in the middle , between /k/ and /t/, would be counted as a syllable, which most English speakers would reject. The most controversial issue relates to where the two syllables are to be divided:

i- /e-kstrǝ/ ii- /ek-strǝ/ iii- /eks-trǝ/ iv- /ekst-rǝ/ v- /ekstr- ǝ/ 38

Minimum Onsets Principle

This principle states that where two syllables are to be divided , any consonants between them should be attached to the right-hand syllable, not the left as far as possible within the restrictions governing syllable onsets and codas.

This principle will reject the first and fifth options of ‘extra’, leaving us with the other three ones (ii, iii, and iv). Roach (2000:78) ,under the maximum onsets rule ,chooses (ii) /ek-strǝ/. Thus, the syllable is the basic phonotactic unit following particular phonotactic rules or morpheme structure conditions (Katamba,1989:164f).

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ReferencesReferences Laver, J. 1994. Principles of Phonetics. CUP Roach, P. 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology.

A Practical Course. 3rd edition. CUP Blevins, Juliette. 1995. Syllable in phonological

theory. In The Handbook of Phonological Theory, edited by John Goldsmith, 206–244. Blackwell Publishers.

http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~llsroach/phon2/mitko/syllable.htm#_Syllable_structure

http://clas.mq.edu.au/speech/phonetics/phonology/syllable/syll_structure.html