WEAK AND STRONG

SYLLABLES
BY
SRI WAHYUNI THAMRIN. S. Pd., M. Pd

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH BULUKUMBA
 THE NATURE OF WEAK AND STRNG
SYLLABLES
In English we recognize weak and strong syllables.
By understanding weak and strong syllables, ones
can analyze what sound comes in the initial,
middle and final positions in one syllable, and it
helps us pronounce the syllables more
accurately.

Also, weak and strong syllables become the most

significant thing to discuss because it relates to
the stress placement of English words.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03 04
Definition Characteristic Position of Weak and
of Weak of Weak and Weak and strong
and Strong Strong Strong syllable
Syllables Syllables Syllables analysis
Introductio
n
As it has been discussed in the previous
chapter or topic, syllables are also
divided into weak and strong syllables.
Weak and strong syllables are syllables
which contain vowels with different
vowel types. Weak has weak vowels and
strong has strong vowels.
 0
1
Definition of
Weak and
Strong Syllables
 DESCRIPTION

WEAK SYLLABLES STRONG

SYLLABLES
Weak syllables
are syllables Strong syllables
which contain are syllables that
vowels contain vowels
categorized as categorized as
weak because it strong because it
sounds less loud, sounds louder,
less prominent more prominent
 0
2
Characteristic of
Weak and
Strong Syllables
 DESCRIPTION

CHARACTERISTIC OF CHARACTERISTIC OF
WEAK SYLLABLES STRONG SYLLABLES

Weak syllables have Strong syllables have

weak vowels such as strong vowels such as
vowel schwa, short long vowels and other
vowel ɪ and u and a vowels classified as
syllabic consonant. strong. Also, strong
Also, weak syllables are syllables are longer,
shorter, less loud and louder and has high
has low intensity when intensity when
pronounced pronounced
 0
3
Position of Weak
and Strong
Syllables
 DESCRIPTION
To easily find the position of syllables, one must be
able to analyze and to behead the sounds into
fragments as discussed in the previous chapter, and
then identify the vowels based on the characteristics
of weak and strong syllables, One may be confused
when determining the vowels because one sound may
refer to some alphabets. Thus, to avoid this matter, a
dictionary must be used.
Weak and strong syllables can be found in any
positions. It can be in the initial, middle and
final position. Weak syllables can consist weak
vowels and consonant clusters, while strong
syllables have strong vowels and consonant
clusters.
 0
4
Weak and
Strong Syllable
Analysis
 DESCRIPTION
To be able to analyze the weak and strong syllables, first,
one must
recognize the sounds of English words. You can find it in the
Oxford
Dictionary. Second, one must behead the sounds into some
syllables based on the vowels, especially the number of
syllables
that the word has and where the weak and strong syllables
can be
found within the words.

Now, let’s analyze the weak and strng syllables based on

the
characteristic of the weak syllables.
 DESCRIPTION
1. VOWEL SCHWA
One of the phonetic characteristics of weak syllables is that weak
syllables contain vowel schwa (ə). Vowel schwa is a front, middle, spread,
and short vowel phoneme. It may be the most frequently occuring weak
vowel in English. Vowel schwa occurs beside non syllabic and syllabic
consonants, but it is most often found before non syllabic consonant.
a. Non Syllabic Consonant
Monosyllable in Simple Words
 DESCRIPTION
Disyllable in Simple Words
Unlike monosyllable, vowel schwa in disyllable of simple words can be
found in the
initial and the final position. The vowel schwa in disyllable can be seen in
the
follwoing analysis.
 DESCRIPTION
Trisyllable in Simple Words
Vowel schwa in trisyllable of simple words can be found in the initial, the
middle and
the final position. The vowel schwa in trisyllable can be seen in the
follwoing
analysis.
 DESCRIPTION
Disyllable in Complex Words
Weak syllable in complex words are more easily recognized than in simple
words
because of the word structure in that the complex words are noticed by
affixes.
Almost suffix found in the final position is represented with vowel schwa.
The vowel
schwa in complex words can be seen in the following analysis.
 DESCRIPTION
b. Syllabic Consonant
Syllabic consonants are a group of consonants which are preceded by
certain consonants but there is no vowel found between the consonants.
However, the syllable containing syllabic consonants is pronounced as if
there is vowel schwa in the syllable. For this reason, a syllable that
contain syllabic consonant can be analyzed as one syllable. There are
some kinds of syllabic consonants; syllabic l, n, m, ŋ and r.
1) Syllabic l
2) Syllabic n
 DESCRIPTION
2. VOWEL I
Close back /ɪ/ and close front vowels /u/ are assumed as weak
syllables.
Like vowel schwa, close back /ɪ/ and close back vowels /u/ are
also easily
identified through morphological formation of words. Therefore,
the analysis
of close back /ɪ/ and close back vowels /u/ are classified based on
simple
and complex words.

Close back vowel / ɪ / can be found in monosyllable and

polisyllable of
simple words. However, in monosyllable close back vowel / ɪ /
stands alone
as strong syllable which means that the close back vowel / ɪ / is
pronounced with greater power. Otherwise, in polisyllable close
a. Vowel ɪ in simple words
1) Monosyllable words
Close back vowel / ɪ / can be found in monosyllable of simple words.
However, in monosyllable close back vowel / ɪ / stands alone as strong
syllable which
means that the close back vowel / ɪ / is pronounced with greater power.
2) Disyllable words
Otherwise, in polisyllable close back vowel / ɪ / as weak vowel can be
identified in the
initial and final position. The close back vowel / ɪ / in polisyllabl words can
be seen in
the following analysis.
3) Trisyllable words
3) Trisyllable words
a. Vowel ɪ in Complex Words
1) Disyllable words
Otherwise, in polisyllable close back vowel / ɪ / as weak vowel can be
identified in the
initial and final position. The close back vowel / ɪ / in polisyllabl words can
be seen in
the following analysis.
2) Trisyllable words
 DESCRIPTION
3. VOWEL u
Another vowel which can be weak in syllable is
close back vowel /u/. However, it is not
commonly found. Weak syllable with /u/ is only
found in the words like ‘you’, ‘to’, ‘into’, ‘do’,
who and trough, when they are unstressed