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-ENL 224-

The document discusses the concept of syllables in English, defining them as units of sound that consist of a vowel and may include consonants. It outlines the components of a syllable (onset, nucleus, coda) and categorizes syllables into open and closed types. Additionally, it explains phonotactics and provides examples of various syllable structures based on consonant and vowel combinations.

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Aghaibie Harriet
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2 views3 pages

-ENL 224-

The document discusses the concept of syllables in English, defining them as units of sound that consist of a vowel and may include consonants. It outlines the components of a syllable (onset, nucleus, coda) and categorizes syllables into open and closed types. Additionally, it explains phonotactics and provides examples of various syllable structures based on consonant and vowel combinations.

Uploaded by

Aghaibie Harriet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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*ENL 224*

Topic 1(Week 1)

*English Syllables*

A syllable is a unit of sound in a word that typically consists of a vowel sound, and may or may
not have consonants before or after it. It can also be defined as a unit of sound before and after
which there is a pause.
In English, syllables are critical in understanding pronunciation, word stress, rhythm, and
intonation. By breaking words into syllables, speakers can articulate words more clearly,
understand their rhythm, and identify stress patterns.

*Components of a Syllable*

A syllable generally consists of three parts:

1. *Onset*: The consonant(s) that come before the vowel.


- Example: In the word *"cat"*, /k/ is the onset.

2. *Nucleus*: The vowel or vowel-like sound at the center of the syllable. This is the core or the
peak of the syllable, and every syllable must have a nucleus.
- Example: In the word *"cat"*, /æ/ (the vowel sound) is the nucleus.

3. *Coda*: The consonant(s) that come after the vowel.


- Example: In the word *"cat"*, /t/ is the coda.

Together, the nucleus and coda are often referred to as the *rhyme*. A syllable may have an
onset, nucleus, and coda, or it may have only some of these parts. For example, the word
*"eye"* has no onset, consisting only of a nucleus.

*Types of Syllables in English*

There are different types of syllables based on their structure:

1. *Open Syllables*: These syllables end with a vowel sound and have no coda.
- Example: The word *"he"* (/hi:/) has one open syllable. The vowel sound /i:/ ends the
syllable.

2. *Closed Syllables*: These syllables end with a consonant sound, meaning they have a coda.
- Example: The word *"dog"* (/dɒg/) has one closed syllable, with the consonant sound /g/
closing it.

*Syllables and Phonotactics*


Phonotactics refers to the rules governing the permissible combinations of sounds in a particular
language. In English, certain syllables can have complex onsets and codas, while others are
quite simple.

- A *simple syllable* has only one consonant in the onset and coda:
- Example: *"cat"* (/kæt/)

- A *complex syllable* can have clusters of consonants in the onset or coda:


- Example: *"spring"* (/sprɪŋ/) has a consonant cluster /spr/ in the onset.
- Example: *"texts"* (/teksts/) has a complex coda /ksts/.

Traditionally, the phonotactic rule that guides syllable formation is


*CCCVCCCC* . This means that at the onset position, we can have 0-3 consonants, 1 vowel at
the nucleus position and 0-4 consonants at the coda position.
C0-3, V, C0-4.
The following are illustrative examples to describe words that have such structures:

1. *V (Vowel only)*
- Example: *a* (/ə/)
- Example: *I* (/aɪ/)

2. *CV (Consonant-Vowel)*
- Example: *go* (/ɡoʊ/)
- Example: *see* (/siː/)

3. *CCV (Consonant-Consonant-Vowel)*
- Example: *tree* (/triː/)
- Example: *play* (/pleɪ/)

4. *CCCV (Consonant-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel)*
- Example: *spray* (/spreɪ/)
- Example: *straw* (/strɔː/)

5. *CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)*
- Example: *cat* (/kæt/)
- Example: *dog* (/dɒɡ/)

6. *CCVC (Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)*
- Example: *stop* (/stɒp/)
- Example: *flag* (/flæɡ/)

7. *CCCVC (Consonant-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)*
- Example: *street* (/striːt/)
- Example: *sprint* (/sprɪnt/)

8. *CVCC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant)*
- Example: *milk* (/mɪlk/)
- Example: *band* (/bænd/)

9. *CCVCC (Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant)*
- Example: *blink* (/blɪŋk/)
- Example: *plant* (/plænt/)

10. *CCCVC (Consonant-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)*


- Example: *scream* (/skriːm/)
- Example: *splash* (/splæʃ/)

11. *CVCCC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant-Consonant)*


- Example: *texts* (/tɛksts/)
- Example: *banks* (/bæŋks/)

12. *CCCVCC (Consonant-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant)*


- Example: *splint* (/splɪnt/)
- Example: *straps* (/stræps/)

13. *CCCVCCC (Consonant-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Consonant-Consonant)*


- Example: *scripts* (/skrɪpts/)

It should be noted that not all combinations of consonants are allowed in English syllables. For
instance, /ŋ/ (as in *"sing"*) never occurs at the beginning of a syllable in English.

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