In The Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful

The University of Holy Koran and Islamic Sciences

Faculty of Education

A syllable

•A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water consists of two syllables: wa and ter.

A syllable

• A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus (most often a vowel) with optional initial and final margins (typically, consonants).

A syllable

• Syllables are often considered the phonological "building blocks" of words. They can influence the rhythm of a language, its prosody, its poetic meter and its stress patterns.

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

• Similar terms include disyllable (and disyllabic) for a word of two syllables;

• trisyllable (and trisyllabic) for a word of three syllables;

• and polysyllable (and polysyllabic), which may refer either to a word of more than three syllables or to any word of more than one syllable.

The English Syllables They consist of: a centre which has

no or little obstruction to the airflow and which sounds comparatively loud.

Before and after the centre there will be greater obstruction to the airflow and less loud sound.

Examples

•Minimum syllable: Single vowel in isolation:

are / ɑ: / or / ɔ: / err / ɜ: / m / m / sh / ʃ /

Examples

Some syllables have onset . They have more than just a silence preceding the centre:

bar / bɑ: / key /ki: / more / mɔ: /

Examples

• Some syllables have no onset but they have coda:

am /æm / ought / ɔ:t / ease /i:z /

Examples

• Some syllables have onset and coda:

run /rʌn / sat /sæt / fill / fɪl /

The Nucleus• nucleus is usually the vowel in the middle of a

syllable. • Generlly, every syllable requires a nucleus

(sometimes called the peak).• The minimal syllable consists only of a nucleus,

as in the English words "eye" or "owe".• The syllable nucleus is usually a vowel, in the

form of a monophthong, diphthong, or triphthong

• Sometimes there is a syllabic consonant.• The most common syllabic consonants are like

[l], [r], [m], [n] or [ŋ]

The onset• The onset is the consonant sound or sounds at the beginning of a syllable, occurring before the nucleus. Most syllables have an onset.• For example, in English, onsets such as pr-, pl- and tr- are possible but tl- is not, and sk- is possible but ks- is not.

The coda• The coda comprises the consonant

sounds of a syllable that follow the nucleus, which is usually a vowel. • The combination of a nucleus and a

coda is called a rime(rhyme).• Some syllables consist only of a

nucleus with no coda.

Examples

• Here are some English single-syllable words that have both a nucleus and a coda.• in: /ɪn/• cup: /kʌ p/• tall: /tɔːl/•milk: /mɪlk/

Examples

•tints: /tɪnts/•fifths: /fɪfθs/•sixths: /sɪksθs/•twelfths: /twɛlfθs/•strengths: /strɛŋθs/

ExamplesThe following single-syllable words

end in a nucleus and do not have a coda (i.e. open syllables):• glue, /uː/• pie, /ʌɪ/ or /aɪ/• though, /əʊ/ (UK) or /oʊ/ (US)• boy, /ɔɪ/

Phonotactics

Phonotactics : The possible phoneme combinations of a language.

Phonotactic constraints

• Phonotactic rules determine which sounds are allowed or disallowed in each part of the syllable.• English allows very complicated

syllables; syllables may begin with up to three consonants (as in string or splash), and occasionally end with as many as four (as in prompts).

Phonotactics

• We look at what can occur in initial position:

_ A word can begin with: a vowel or with one consonant or two consonants or three consonants.

Phonotactics

We look at how a word ends: A word can end with: a vowel or with one or two or three consonants.

The structure of English Syllable

• Onset : - a word may begin with a vowel. Any

vowel except /ʊ / (zero onset). -It may begin with one consonant. Any

consonant except / ŋ / and /ʒ/. - It may begin with two or more

phonemes together. They are called consonant clusters.

Initial Consonant Clusters

Initial two consonant clusters are of 2 types: • -/ s/ followed by /t/ /m/ /w/

/j/• - One of 15 consonants followed

by /l/ /r/ /w/ /j/ try quick few play

Initial Consonant Clusters

Initial three consonant clusters:-• Two consonant cluster + a third consonant split stream square

Two consonant cluster + a third consonant

/j/ /w/ /r/ /l/

spew _ spray splay /p/ /s/ +

stew _ string _ /t/ /s/ +

skewer squeak _ _ /k/ /s/ +

Final consonant clusters:

• A word may end with a vowel. (zero coda)• It may end with one consonant. It

is called final consonant. It may be

any consonant except /h/ /r/ /w/ /j/

Final consonant clusters: It may end with two consonants: - final consonant preceded by pre final

consonant /m/ /n/ /l/ /s/ /ŋ / bump bent ask bank - final consonant followed by post final

consonant /s/ /z/ /t/ /d/ / θ / bets beds backed bagged eighth

Final consonant clusters:• A word may end with three consonants:• The first type is: pre-final + final + post final

Pre-final final Post-final

helped he l p t

banks bæ ŋ k s

bonds bɒ n d z

twelfth twe l f θ

Final consonant clusters:• The second type is final + post final 1 + post final 2

Pre-final final Post

final1 post final2

fifths fɪ _ f θ s

next ne _ k s t

lapsed læ _ p s t

Final consonant clusters:• Most four consonant clusters consist of : pre final + final + post final 1 + post final2

pre final final post final 1

post final 2

twelfths Twe l f θ s

Prompts pro m p t s

English syllable phonological structure:

• The English syllable has this phonological structure:

Pre initial + initial + post initial +VOWEL + pre-final + final + post final 1 + post final 2 + post final 3 • Recently the vowel and coda are known

as rhyme.• The rhyme is divided into peak and coda.

English Syllable

syllable

onset rhyme

peak coda

Strong and weak syllables• Some English syllables are strong and some

are weak.• Weak syllables are shorter, of lower

intensity and different in quality.• The second syllable in the word father

/fɑ:ðə/is shorter than the first syllable, less loud and has a vowel which does not occur in strong syllables.

• The weak syllable in the word bottle /bɒtl/does not contain a vowel.

Strong and weak syllables• Strong syllables are stressed. Weak

syllables are unstressed. • Any strong syllable has a vowel

phoneme as its peak but not /ə/,/u/ or /i /• A weak syllable can have one of a

small number of vowels as its peak.

Strong and weak syllables• At the end of a word weak syllable

may end with a vowel a• The schwa/ə/ better /betə/• The vowel /u/ which is

between /u:/and /ʊ/ thank you /θæŋk ju/• The vowel/ i /which is between

/i:/and /ɪ/ happy /hæpi/

Strong and weak syllables• There are weak syllables in word final

position with a coda if the vowel is /ə/ open /əʊpən/ sharpen /ʃɑ:pən/• Inside a word these vowels /ə/,/u/

and/i/ act as peaks without a coda:• photograph/fəʊtəgrɑ:f /• radio/reɪdiəʊ/ • influence /ɪnfluəns

Word Stress

• In English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong, important) and all the other syllables very quietly.

Word Stress

• (emphasis given to a particular syllable or word in speech, typically through a combination of relativelya greater loudness, higher pitch, and longer duration)

Word Stress Let's take 3 words: photograph,

photographer and photographic. Do they sound the same when spoken? No. Because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word. And it is not always the same syllable.

What is Word Stress?

• In English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong, important) and all the other syllables very quietly.

What is Word Stress?• Let's take 3 words: photograph, photographer

and photographic. Do they sound the same when spoken? No. Because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word. And it is not always the same syllable. So the shape of each word is different.

• PHO TO GRAPH• PHO TO GRAPH ER• PHO TO GRAPH IC

Rules of Word Stress in English

• One word has only one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. If you hear two stresses, you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one word. It is true that there can be a "secondary" stress in some words. But a secondary stress is much smaller than the main [primary] stress, and is only used in long words.)

• We can only stress vowels, not consonants.

Stress position

• Stress on first syllable:•Most 2-syllable nouns• PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble•Most 2-syllable adjectives• PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy

Stress position

•Stress on last syllable•Most 2-syllable verbs and prepositions•to preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN betWEEN aMONG

Stress position• There are many two-syllable words in English whose

meaning and class change with a change in stress. The word present, for example is a two-syllable word. If we stress the first syllable, it is a noun (gift) or an adjective (opposite of absent). But if we stress the second syllable, it becomes a verb (to offer).

• More examples: the words export, import, contract and object can all be nouns or verbs depending on whether the stress is on the first or second syllable.

Stress position• Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate =

second from end)• Words ending in –ic• GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGic• Words ending in -sion and -tion• teleVIsion, reveLAtion• For a few words, native English speakers don't

always "agree" on where to put the stress. For example, some people say teleVIsion and others say TELevision. Another example is: CONtroversy and conTROversy

Stress position• Stress on ante-penultimate syllable

(ante-penultimate = third from end)• Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and –gy• deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy,

geOLogy• Words ending in –al• CRItical, geoLOGical

Stress positionCompound words (words with two parts):For compound nouns, the stress is on the first part• BLACKbird, GREENhouse SEAfood ICEland

TOOTHpaste

For compound adjectives, the stress is on the second part

bad-TEMpered, old-FASHionedFor compound verbs, the stress is on the second

partto underSTAND, to overFLOW

Strong and weak forms

Weak and strong forms ٍ

• There are English words which has strong form and weak form.

• I like that. /aɪ laɪk ðæt /• I hope that she will. / aɪ hoʊp ðət ʃi: wɪl /• It is important to learn weak forms. Why?• Functional words have weak and strong

forms.• They are normally used in their weak forms.

Weak and strong forms

• The strong form is used in some contexts.• When the word of the weak form comes at

the end:• I am fond of chips. / aɪm fɒnd əv tʃɪps /• Chips is what I am fond of./tʃɪps ɪz wɒt aɪm

fɒnd ɒv/ • When the word of the weak form is being

contrasted with another.• I travel to and from London a lot. /aɪ trævl tu:

ən frɒm lʌndən ə lɒt/

Weak and strong forms

• The letter’s from him not to him. /ðə letəz frɒm ɪm nɒt tu: ɪm /

• When the word of the weak form is stressed for the purpose of emphasis.

• You must give me more money. / ju: mʌst gɪv mɪ mɔ: mʌnɪ/

• When the word of the weak form is cited or quoted.

• You shouldn’t put “and” at the end of a sentence. /ju: ʃʊdnt pʊt ænd ət ðɪ end əv ə sentəns/

The most common weak form words

• The most common weak form words are:-• The : • /ðə/ before consonants; • Shut the door. /ʃʌt ðə dɔ:/ • / ði / before vowels; • Wait for the end /weit fə ði end /

a , an • a , an • ə before consonants; • Read a book. /ri:d ə bʊk/ • ən before vowels;• Eat an apple. /i:t ən

and

•and /ən/ sometimes n after t d s ʃ ʒ;• Come and see /kʌm ən si:/

but

•but /bət/ • It’s good but expensive.• / ɪts gʊd bət ɪkspensɪv

that• Its weak form is used when it is in

relative clause. • /ðət/ The price is the thing that

annoys me. • /ðə praɪs ɪz ðə θɪŋ ðət ənɔɪz mi/• When it is demonstrative it is

pronounced with the strong form.• Give me that book /giv mi ðæt bʊk /

Than

•Than /ðən/ •Better than ever /betə ðən evə/

his

his (when it occurs before a noun) ɪz (hɪz at the beginning of a sentence) •Take his name. /teik iz neim/

her• When used with possessive

sense ,as an object or at the end of a sentence.• /ə/ before consonants; Take her home. /teɪk ə həʊm/ • /ər/ before vowels, Take her out /teik ər aʊt/

your

• your /jə/ before consonants; Take your time / teɪk jə taɪm/ • /jər/ before vowels; On your own /ɒn jər əʊn/

she, he, we, you:• a) she / ʃi / Why did she read it?/

waɪ dɪd ʃi r i:d ɪt/• b) he /i/ without h except at the

beginning of a sentence. Which did he choose? /wɪtʃ dɪd i tʃu:z/• He was late, wasn’t he? /hi wəz

leit wɒznt i/

we

•c) we /wi/ How can we get there? /haʊ kən wi get ðeə/ •d) you / ju/ What do you think? /wɒt də ju θɪŋk/

him, her, them & us• him ɪm Leave him alone. / li:v ɪm

ələʊn/• her / ə/ /hə/ in initial. • Ask her to come /ɑ:sk ə tə kʌm • them /ðəm/• Leave them here. /li:v ðəm hɪə/• us / əs/ • Write us a ltter. /raɪt əs ə letə/

at

• at /ət/ I’ll see you at lunch. /aɪl si: ju

ət lʌnʃ /• In final position/ æt/ What’s he shooting at? /wɒts i

ʃu:tɪŋ æt/

for

• for /fə/ before consonants Tea for two /ti: fə tu:/• /fər/before vowels • thanks for asking /θæŋks fər

ɑ:skɪŋ/• In final position /fɔ:/• what’s that for? /wɒts ðæt fɔ: /

from

• from /frəm/• I’m home from work /aɪm

həʊm frəm wɜ:k/ • In final position /frɒm/

Here’s where it came from /hɪəz weə ɪt keɪm frɒm /