Syllable. What is a syllable? A syllable is a word or part of a word that has only one vowel sound....

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Syllable

Transcript of Syllable. What is a syllable? A syllable is a word or part of a word that has only one vowel sound....

Syllable

What is a syllable? A syllable is a word or part of a word that has

only one vowel sound. All words have at least one syllable. Every syllable has one vowel sound. A syllable may or may not contain any

consonants. When we talk about the number of the syllable

the sound which is produced is important.

Note: Suprasegmental features (stress, tone…) affect all the segments of a syllable.

Some rules about syllables: A single consonant between two vowels goes with the

second vowel if the first vowel is long (vc/v).Example belong

A single consonant between two vowels goes with the first vowel if the first vowel is accented and short (vc/v). Example guitar

Two or more consonants between vowels are divided if the first vowel is not long.

Prefixes and suffixes usually form separate syllables. Examples unkind and kindly

Never divide two vowels next to each other if they carry one sound. Example bread.

The tree diagram of a syllable

• A syllable consist of an onset and a rhyme.

• Rhyme consist of two parts, nucleus and a (coda).

Onset

The beginning sounds of the syllable; the ones preceding the nucleus. These are always consonants in English. The nucleus is  a vowel in most cases, although the consonants [ r ], [ l ], [ m ], [ n ], and the velar nasal (the 'ng' sound) can also be the nucleus of a syllable.

Note: Onsets are strongly preferred over codas.

Rhyme (or rime):

The rest of the syllable, after the onset (the underlined portions of the words above). The rhyme can also be divided up:

Rhyme = nucleus + coda

Nucleus Is the core or essential part of a syllable. A nucleus must be present in

order for a syllable to be present.

In English and most other languages, most syllable nuclei are vowels.

The English liquids [ r  l ] and the nasals [ m  n ] can be the nuclei of syllables under certain conditions. [ r ] can be a nucleus as easily as a vowel, in any position: the words 'bird', have [ r ] as the nucleus; in other words, there is no vowel in the pronunciation of these syllables, even though they have one in the spelling. [brd]

[ l ] and the nasals [ m n ] become syllable nuclei when they follow an alveolar consonant in the last syllable of a word. This happens in the relaxed or casual rather than very formal articulation of the word. Compare casual vs. formal pronunciations of 'button', 'bottle', 'bottom'.

Note 1: The nucleus is the most sonorant sound in the syllable. Note 2: Consonants in codas are weakened.

English has a wide variety of syllable types:

 V oh VC at VCC ask VCCC asked CV no CVC not CVCC ramp CVCCC ramps CCV flew CCVC flute CCVCC flutes CCVCCC crafts CCCV spree CCCVC spleen CCCVCC strength CCCVCCC strengths

Syllabification Rules

Syllabification is the separation of a word into syllables.

Syllabification may also refer to the process of a consonant becoming a syllable nucleus.

In syllabification divide off the affixes. When a single consonant is between vowels,

divide after a long vowel or after consonant if vowel is short.

Here’s something to remember: You can’t divide a one-syllable word Every syllable has to have a vowel!

Types of words

o Mono syllable ( A word consisits of a single syllable, like bat)

o Disyllable ( A word consisting of two syllables, like father)

o Polysyllable ( A word consisting of more than three syllables, like: intelligence)

Different Types of a Syllable

Open Syllable Closed Syllable Vowel consonant e syllable Consonant “l-e” syllable “r” controlled syllable Vowel Digraph/Diphthong syllable

Open Syllable Starts with a Consonant (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k,l, m,

n p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z)

Next letter is a Vowel (a, e, i, o, u and y)

Proof: cv (consonant/vowel)

Examples:to be try show

Note: Vowel usually has a long sound.

Closed Syllable Starts with a Consonant (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k,l, m, n p, q, r, s, t,

v, w, x, y, z)

Next letter is a Vowel (a, e, i, o, u and y)

Ends with a Consonant

Proof: CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant)

Examples:

Black scratch hand dress

Note:

In Closed Syllable Vowel is usually short. There are some exceptions: old, olt, ost…

Vowel consonant e syllable

Ends in a silent e (“e” makes no sound)

Previous vowel is a long vowel

Proof: cross out silent e

Examples: Made hide rope

Consonant “l-e” syllable

This syllable has only three letters – a consonant, an l and an e.

The e is silent The consonant and the l are sounded

like a blend This syllable must be the last syllable in

a multisyllabic word

Examples:

Stable purple bugle

“r” controlled syllableHas to have a vowel before the “r”

The “r” controls the sound of the vowel

The vowel, therefore, may not sound like you would expect it to sound.

Examples:

Cart fort start

Vowel Digraph/Diphthong syllable

Having two vowels making one sound is called Digraph (ai, ay, ee, ea, ie, igh, oa, ow, ui, ue, ew…) or diphthong (oi, oy, aw, ow/owl…)

First Vowel is long .

Second Vowel is usually silent .

Proof: vv

Examples: Hair Stray HaulNote: Two vowels together are not always a vowel

digraph or diphthong.

In another classification syllables are divided in to four types:

Weak syllable

Strong syllable

Light Syllable

Heavy Syllable

Weak Syllable

The vowel in a weak syllable is short.

Example: In the word ‘father’ ; the second syllable, which is weak, includes the vowel which is shorter and less loud than the first (and strong) syllable.

Strong SyllableStrong syllables consist of long vowels.

Example; In the word ‘father’ ; the first syllable is stressed and it is the strong syllable.

Note 1:The peak of the syllable determines if the syllable is weak or strong.

Note 2: Strong syllables are always stressed.

Light syllable or CV

  A syllable with a short vowel as the nucleus and no coda (a CV syllable).

Heavy syllable or  CVV

A heavy syllable is a syllable with a branching nucleus or a branching rime.

Heavy Syllable and Light Syllable

As you can see on the left side we have a heavy nucleus and on the right side we have a heavy coda.

Mahya NejadianM.A. Student in TEFL

Islamic Azad UniversityZanjan BranchAutumn 2013