STRONG & WEAK

SYLLABLES
Phonetics & Phonology
1. Strong & Weak
Length: Strong syllables are longer
than weak syllables.
data /ˈdeɪtə/
Loudness (Intensity): Strong syllables
are louder than weak syllables.
bottle /ˈbɒtl̩ /
Quality: Strong syllables have vowels syllabic consonant.
the differ in quality from the vowels of
weak syllables.
Strong Syllables
any strong syllables will have as its peak one of the
vowel phonemes (or possibly a triphthong) but not ə, i, u

vowel is one of ɪ, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, ʊ
=> the strong syllable will always have a coda as well
 Weak Syllables
ending with a vowel (with no coda):

the vowel /ə/ (“schwa”) better /betə/

the close front unrounded vowel /i/. happy /hæpi/

the close back rounded vowel /u/. thank you /θæŋk ju/
 Weak Syllables

in word-final position with a coda if the vowel is "ə"

broken /brəʊkən/

sharpen /ʃɑːpən/
 Weak Syllables
inside a word, vowels ə, i, u acts as peaks without coda:

photograph /ˈfəʊtəɡræf/

radio /ˈreɪdiəʊ/

influence /ˈɪnfluəns/
 Weak Syllables
vowel "ɪ" can act as a peak without a coda if the
following syllable begins with a consonant

design /dɪˈzaɪn/

architect /ˈɑːkɪtekt/
2. The ə
vowel
("schwa")
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")

/ə/
mid, central, lax, neutral
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")

The most frequently

occurring vowel in

/ə/ English.

The weakest vowel,

always associated
with weak syllables.
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")

Learners of English need

/ə/
to learn where ə is
appropriate and where it
is not.
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
a. Spelt with "a"

attend /əˈtend/
Strong: /æ/
barracks /ˈbær.əks/

Weak: /ə/
character /ˈkær.ək.tər/
 2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
b. Spelt with "ar"

particular /pəˈtɪk.jə.lər/
Strong: /ɑː/
molar /ˈməʊ.lər/

Weak: /ə/
monarchy /ˈmɒn.ə.ki/
 2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
c. Spelt with "ate" (adjective ending)

intimate /ˈɪn.tɪ.mət/
Strong: /eɪ/
accurate /ˈæk.jə.rət/

Weak: /ə/
desolate /ˈdes.əl.ət/
!!EXCEPTION!!

private /ˈprɑɪ·vɪt/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
d. Spelt with "o"

tomorrow /təˈmɒr.əʊ/
Strong: /ɒ/ or /əʊ/

potato /pəˈteɪ.təʊ/
Weak: /ə/
carrot /ˈkær.ət/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
e. Spelt with "or"

forget /fəˈɡet/
Strong: /ɔː/

ambassador /æmˈbæs.ə.dər/
Weak: /ə/
opportunity /ˌɒp.əˈtʃuː.nə.ti/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
f. Spelt with "e"

settlement /ˈset.əl.mənt/
Strong: /e/

violet /ˈvaɪə.lət/
Weak: /ə/
postmen /pəʊst.mən/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
g. Spelt with "er"

perhaps /pəˈhæps/
Strong: /ɜː/

stronger /strɒŋgə/
Weak: /ə/
superman /ˈsuː.pə.mæn/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
h. Spelt with "u"

autumn /ˈɔː.təm/
Strong: /ʌ/

support /səˈpɔːt/
Weak: /ə/
halibut /ˈhæl.ɪ.bət/
2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
i. Spelt with "ough"

Strong: varied
thorough /ˈθʌr.ə/

borough /ˈbʌr.ə/ Weak: /ə/

2. The ə vowel ("schwa")
j. Spelt with "ou"

Strong: /aʊ/
gracious /ˈɡreɪ.ʃəs/

callous /ˈkæl.əs/ Weak: /ə/

3. Close front and close
back vowels

Strong syllables:
Food vs Good
/fuːd/ /ɡʊd/

Bit vs beat
/bɪt/ /biːt/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

Weak syllables:

Easy vs Busy
3. Close front and close
back vowels

easy
/iːziː/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

busy
/bɪzɪ/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

the matter is not so clear

3. Close front and close
back vowels

There is also the uncertainty about the

corresponding close back rounded vowels.
3. Close front and close
back vowels

"Good to eat" vs "Food to eat"

3. Close front and close
back vowels
- The vowels in question are more
like iːor uː when they precede
another vowel, less so when they
precede a consonant or pause.
3. Close front and close
back vowels
There is really no possibility in these contexts of a
phonemic contrast between iː and ɪ, or between ʊ
and uː.
Effectively, then, the two distinctions, which
undoubtedly exist within strong syllables, are
neutralised in weak syllables of BBC
pronunciation.
3. Close front and close
back vowels

How can we transcribe these words

“easy” and “busy”?
3. Close front and close
back vowels

‘easy’ ‘busy’
i) /'iːziː/ /'bɪziː/
ii) /'iːzɪ/ /'bɪzɪ/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

‘easy’ ‘busy’

/ˈiːzi/ /ˈbɪzi/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

"to"
(before vowels) /tu/
3. Close front and close
back vowels

/i/ and /u/

In word-final position in words spelt with final ‘y’ or ‘ey’ after one
or more consonant letters /ˈhæpi/, /ˈvæli/

In morpheme-final position when such words have suffixes

beginning with vowels /ˈhæpiər/ /ˈiːziəst/ /ˈhʌriɪŋ/

In prefix such as those spelt ‘re’, ‘pre’, ‘de’ if it precedes a vowel

and unstressed /riˈækt/, /kriˈeɪt/

In suffixes spelt ‘iate’, ‘ious’ when they have two syllables

/əˈpriːʃieɪt/, /hɪˈleəriəs/.

In the following words when unstressed: ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘we’, me’, ‘be’
and the word ‘the’ when it precedes a vowel.
 Weak syllables with close back rounded vowels are not so commonly
found.
- most frequently in the words ‘you’, ‘to’, ‘into’, ‘do’, when they are
unstressed and are not immediately preceding a consonant,

- ‘through’, ‘who’ in all positions when they are unstressed.

- This vowel is also found before another vowel within a word, as in

‘evacuation’ /ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃn/, ‘influenza’ /ˌɪnfluˈenzə/
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllables in which no vowel is found.

A consonant stands as the peak of the

syllable instead of the vowel.

A syllabic consonant is usually

indicated by means of a small vertical
mark (,) beneath the symbol.
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllabic l

It occurs after another consonant.

It is a "dark l". "ball", "able"

"pillow", "dollhouse"
4. Syllabic consonants
Syllabic l
Syllabic l is found:
words ending in one or more consonants + "le" or "les"
4. Syllabic consonants
Syllabic l
Syllabic l is found:
Such words usually lose their final letter ‘e’ when a suffix beginning
with a vowel is attached, but l usually remains syllabic.

Similar words not derived in this way do not have the syllabic l.
"coddle" - "coddling" "coddling" (=small cod)
4. Syllabic consonants
Syllabic l
Syllabic l is found:
words ending in one or more consonants + "al" or "el"
4. Syllabic consonants
Syllabic l
In many accent, the vowel ə is inserted "bottle", "muddle",
"struggle"
between l and the preceding
consonant, but this is considered a
mispronunciation in BBC pronunciation.
However, in some less common or
technical words, it is not obligatory to "missal"
pronounce syllabic l and the sequence
əl may be used instead, although it is
less likely.
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllabic n

Syllabic n is usually found in medial "threaten"

and final positions of a word (/ən/ is
more common in initial position) and is "threatening"
normally spelt as ‘n’.
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllabic n
Syllabic n is most common after alveolar "eaten"
plosives and fricatives (t, d, s, z).
After labiodentals (f, v), syllabic n is "seven"

more common than ən.

After bilabial and velar consonants, "happen"
syllabic n and ən are both acceptable.
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllabic n
We do not usually find syllabic n after l, "sullen"
tʃ, dʒ.
It is possible for another consonant to
precede the consonant that comes "London"
before n, but in this case, syllabic n is
less likely and /ən/ is more usual.
4. Syllabic consonants

Syllabic m , ŋ
Both consonants can occur as syllabic,
but only as a result of processes such
as assimilation and elision.

The pronunciation is similar to non-

syllabic m, ŋ.
SYLLABIC "r"
particular
In many accents of the type call "rhotic" /pəˈtɪkjələ/
/pr̩ ˈtɪkjəlr̩ /
In American accent, "r" is very common history
/ˈhɪstərɪ/
/ˈhɪstr̩ ɪ/
 Combination of
syllabic consonants
It is usual to find two syllabic consonants together

literal /litr̩ l̩ /
visionary /vɪʒn̩ r̩ ɪ/
veteran /ˈvetərən/ /ˈvetər̩ n̩ / /ˈvetr̩ n̩ /
Exercise
Find the strong and weak syllables in these
words.
1. open
2. laundry
3. couple
4. actual
5. satiate
6. fantastic
7. commission
Find the strong and weak syllables in these
words.
1. open /ˈəʊ.pən/
2. laundry /ˈlɔːn.dri/
3. couple /ˈkʌp.l̩ /
4. actual /ˈæk.tʃu.əl/
5. satiate /ˈseɪ.ʃi.eɪt/
6. fantastic /fænˈtæs.tɪk/
7. commission /kəˈmɪʃ.n̩ /
Thank you!