Syllables

• syllable: a unit of sound which must consisting of a vowel and optional consonants before or after the vowel.

Basic elements of the syllable:

• Onset = INTIAL ( can be empty / can have 1 or more consonant)

• Rhyme/rime: consists of the 

  1. nucleus ( a vowel or vowel-like sound: long/short/diphthong) 

  2. Coda = FINAL ( can be empty / can have 1 or more consonant)

A syllable must contain a vowel or vowel-like sound, including diphthongs.

The most common type of syllable also has a consonant (C) before the vowel (V) and is represented as CV. 

Example: 

CVC -> run

CCVCC -> thank

CCCVCCC -> scripts 

CCCCVCCCC -> strengths 

Opened syllable: a vowel sound at the end of syllable.

ex: tea, bye,...

Closed syllable: consonant sound at the end of the syllable.

ex: in, top,...

Consonant Clusters:

• Two or more consonants in sequence.

• Both the onset and the coda can consist of more than a single consonant, also known as a consonant cluster.

• The combination /st/ is a consonant cluster (CC) used as onset in the word stop, and as coda in the word post. 

• English can actually have larger onset clusters, as in the words stress and splat, consisting of three initial consonants (CCC).

• When we study the phonotactics of these larger onset consonant clusters, we can find a fairly regular pattern.

• The first consonant must always be /s/, followed by one of the natural class of voiceless stops (/p/, /t/, /k/), plus a liquid or a glide (/l/, /r/, /w/).