The Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies

Benghazi Campus
Applied Linguistics Department
Phonetics and Phonology

Chapter8: The syllable

Presenter : Wrda Saleh Abdullah/13584
 contents
• The nature of the syllable
- the onset
- the coda
• Syllable division
• Maximal Onset Principles
• Ambisyllabicity
• Sonority
 The nature o f the syllable
1- The syllable: It’s a unit consisting of a compulsory vowel or a syllabic
consonant and maybe preceded and /or followed by one or more consonant sounds.
2- Minimum Syllable: It’s a syllable consisting of a single vowel in isolation.
EX: Are /a:/.
3- Peak: It’s the vowel sound or syllabic consonant that stands as the compulsory
component of the syllable.
4- Onset: It’s the consonant sound(s) which precede the peak (the vowel), such
as /k/ in car /ka:/
 The nature o f the syllable
5-Coda: It’s the consonant sound(s) that follow the peak.
6- Ryhme: It’s the combination of the Peak (vowel) and the Coda within the
syllable, such as; /eim/ in the word /seim/ ‘same’.
7- Phonotactics: It’s the study of the possible phoneme combination and the
restrictions of the sequences of phonemes of a language.
 1-The Onset
Consonant Cluster: it is the situation when two or more consonants coming
together in the same syllable. Such as; strong /stroŋg/ /str/ and /ŋg/ are both
consonant clusters.
 1-The Onset
a. Zero Onset
It means the syllable starts with a vowel, that is the peak.
EX: Am /æm/
As we note, the syllable started with /æ/ , which is the peak of the syllable. It
was not preceded by a consonant. Therefore, it is zero onset.
 1-The Onset
b. One Onset
One consonant precedes the peak (the vowel). It is named ‘Initial’.
Bar/ba:/ , Car /ka:/
Both /b,k/ in these examples are named ‘Initial’.
 1-The Onset
c. Two Onsets
When two consonant come before the peak. We will have two probabilities:
1. The first probability
C1 + C2 + V
1- C1= pre initial = only/s/
2- C2 = initial = any consonant
 Example:

Snake /sneik/
/s/ = pre initial
/n/ = initial
/ei/ = peak
 2- second probability

C1 + C2 + V

1- C1 = initial = any consonant EXCEPT /s/

2- C2 = post initial = ONLY /l , r , w , j/

 Example:

Blue /blu:/
/b/ = initial
/l/ = post initial
/u:/ = peak
d. Three Onsets
When three consonants precede the peak (the vowel)
C1 + C2 + C3 + V
1- C1 = pre initial = ONLY /s/
2- C2 = initial = ONLY /p , t , k /
3- C3 = post initial = ONLY /l , r , w , j/
 Examples
Splash /splæʃ/ Squeak /skwi:k/
/s/ = pre initial /s/ = pre initial
/p/ = initial /k/ = initial
/l/ = post initial /w/ = post initial
/æ/ = peak /i:/ = peak
 The coda
It’s the consonant sound(s) following the peak.
1- Zero Coda
The syllable ends with a Vowel that is the peak.
Example: Bar /ba:/
The syllable ends with /a:/, which is the peak of the syllable. It is not
followed by a consonant. Therefore, it is Zero Coda
2- One Coda
One consonant following the peak (the vowel). It’s named Final.
Example: Come /kʌm/
/k/= initial
/ʌ/= peak
/m/= final
Important tip: all consonants can be finals, EXCEPT / h , r , w , j /
3- Two Coda
When Two consonant follow the peak. We will have two probabilities.
1. V + C1 + C2
C1 = pre final = ONLY /m , n , ŋ , l , s/
C2 = final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j /
Example
Camp /kæmp/
/æ/ = peak
/m/ = pre final
/p/ = final
2- V + C1+ C2

C1 = final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j /

C2 = post final = ONLY /s , z , t , d , ɵ /
Example:
Fifth /fifɵ /
/i/ = peak
/f/= final
/ɵ/ = post final
 4- Three Coda
When three consonant follow the peak (the vowel). There will be two
possibilities.
1- V+ C1+C2 +C3
C1 = pre final = ONLY /m , n , ŋ , l , s )
C2= final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j /
C3 = post final = ONLY /s , z , t , d , ɵ /
Example:

Helped /helpt/
/e/= peak
/l/ = pre final
/p/ = final
/t/ = post final
2- V+C1+C2+C3

C1 = final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j /

C2 = post final 1 = ONLY /s , z , t , d , ɵ/
C3 = post final 2 = ONLY /s , z, t , d , ɵ /
Example: Lapsed /læpst/
/æ/ = peak /s/ = post final
/p/ = final /t/ = post final 2
5- Four Coda

When four consonants follow the peak (the vowel). There will be two
possibilities:
1- V+C1+C2+C3+C4
C1= pre final = ONLY /m , n , ŋ , l , s/
C2= final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j/
C3= post final 1 = ONLY /s , z , t , d , ɵ /
C4= post final 2 = ONLY /s, z, t , d , ɵ /
Example

Twelfths /twelfɵs/
/e/= peak
/l/ = pre final
/f/ = final
/ ɵ / =post final 1
/s/ = post final 2
3- V+C1+C2+C3+C4

C1 = final = any consonant EXCEPT /h , r , w , j /

C2 = post final = ONLY /s , z , t , d , ɵ /
C3 = post final 2 = ONLY /s, z, t , d , ɵ /
C4 = post final 3 = ONLY /s, z, t , d , ɵ /
Example:

Sixths /siksɵs/
/i/ = peak
/k/=final
/s/= post final 1
/ɵ/= post final 2
/s/= post final3
 Written exercise
Using the analysis of the word ‘cramped’ given below as a model, analyze the structure of
the following one-syllable English words:
 Syllable Division
There was a controversy on the way of dividing English syllables.
Phonologists put a principle to solve this controversy, namely, the “Maximal
Onset Principle”
The principle states that where two syllables are to be divided, any
consonants between them should be attached to the right-hand syllable, not
the left.
For instance, /n/ in “morning” goes to the right syllable.
/mɔ: . niŋ/ , NOT /mɔ:n . iŋ/
 Although this principle serves almost all the syllables. There still few problems regarding some syllables.
For example, the word “extra” /ekstrǝ/ . If the principle was applied as it is, the word would be transcribed as
/e . kstrǝ/. But simply, syllable can never start with /kstr/. Therefore; this principle is modified and applied
“within the restrictions governing syllable onsets and codas “. Hence /e . kstrǝ/ is rejected, and the only
accepted division would be /ek. strǝ/.

There still some problems regarding the division of some syllables. For instance; the word
“better” /betǝ/. How should it be divided? If the principle is applied, the word would be
transcribed as /be . tǝ/. We never find syllable ends with /i, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, u/. Therefore;
transcription /be . t ǝ/ is UNACCEPTABLE. Phonologists put another modification on the
principle to allow the consonant to be added to the left- handed syllable to prevent the
syllable from being ended with /i, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, u/. Therefore ; the accepted transcription would
be
/bet . ǝ/. The same thing is for the word “carry”. It would be transcribed /kær . i/
 Ambisyllabicity
It is the situation when there is one consonant surrounded by two vowels and it’s difficult to
assign the consonant to one syllable of the other, as in “better”. This consonant belongs to
both syllables

Sonority
It’s the loudness of a sound comparing with other sounds that have the same length,
voicing, and pitch. Vowels have the highest sonority; therefore, they are the peaks of the
syllables.
 Maximal Onset Principles
What we understood, is that the Maximal Onset Principle has gained two
major modifications to resolve many problems. The two modification have
been :
1- the principle works within the restriction governing syllable onsets and
codas. As in /ek . strǝ/.
2- in order to prevent a syllable from being ended with /i, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, u/, we
add the consonant to the left – hand syllable, not the right one. As in /bet . ǝ/