Syllables
The definition of the syllable:
The syllable may be defined both phonetically and phonologically.
A)phonetically: i.e. the way syllables are produced (production) and the way they sound (perception).
The syllable is composed of a center which has little or no obstruction to the flow of air. This center may be preceded by one or more consonants usually referred to as ‘’onset’’, and it may also be followed by one or more consonants referred to as ‘’termination’’ or ‘’coda’’.
Types of Syllables:
1)-Minimum syllable: a single vowel in isolation.
Ex: are / ɑː / or / ɔː/ I / aɪ/
2)- Onset+ Center:
Ex: car / k ɑː / key / k iː / more / m ɔː /
o c o c
3)-center+ termination:
Ex: at / æ t / is / ɪz / eat / iː t / eight / eɪt /
c t
4)-onset+ center+ termination:
Exs: run / r ʌ n / , big / bɪg / cat / kæt /
o c t
B)-phonologically: phonology insists on the possible combinations of the English phonemes. In other words, how a syllable and another one combined together can make a meaningful word.
Ex: Ex + port = Export
1 syll. 2 syll.
There are some words which begin with one vowel or 1, 2 or 3 consonants (consonant clusters) i.e. two or more consonants occurring one after the other → C.C or C.C.C
Exs:
V ______ able / ˈeɪbl /
C ______ feel / fiːl /
C C ______ fly / flɑɪ / spay / spɑɪ / sky / skɑɪ /
C C C ______ strike / strɑɪk /
Other words end with a vowel or with 1,2,3 or 4 consonants:
______ V ex: pity /ˈpɪtɪ/
______ C ex: take / ˈteɪk /
______ C C ex: takes /teɪks /
______ C C C ex: text / tekst/
______ C C C C ex : texts /teksts/
The Syllabic consonant:
A Syllabic consonant is a consonant which sends as the center of the syllable instead of the vowel. These consonants are /l, r, n, m, ŋ/:
pistol /ˈpɪstḷ/tunnel /ˈtʌnḷ/
cotton /ˈkɑ:tṇ;/
button /ˈbʌtṇ/.