SYLLABLE STRUCTURE Syllables and their parts - The parts are onset and rhyme; within the rhyme we find the nucleus and coda. «Not all syllables have all parts; the smallest possible syllable contains a nucleus only. /- -A syllable may or may not have an onset and a coda. Coda, onset and nucleus syllable ee ae = onset rhyme (optional) Nucleéts coda (not optional) (optional) one or more | consonants vowel one or more consonants EXAMPLE: Syllable —-If a syllable has the coda, itis called _ closed syllable Example : cap, sit, man If a syllable doesn’t have the coda it is called open syllable. Example : he, she, me F PHONOTACTICS: also known 2s sequence constraints. These are restrictions on the number and type of segments that can combine to form syllables and words: they vary greatly from one language to another. In English, for example, a word may begin with up to three ‘consonants, but no more than three. If a word does begin with three consonants, the first will always be [s], the second must be chosen from among the voiceless stops [p t k ] and the third from among the liquids [| r] or glides [ w ]. Thus we get words such as 'squeez=" [5 kw izz ]in English, but not words such as | ps ta: p]. Ib English we can state a number of constraints which are! operative on ayllable strac- tute, for example: Jy) never oocars in onsets, Pj vw! never occur in codas. {el never occurs in codas in noa-zhots (see p. 89) varieties of English (e.g. NRF). “The lenis fricatives hv 2 3 never occur in onset clusters. sn three-element onset clusters the initial consonant is invariably /!. ‘fe & 8/ never combine with AY in onset clusters. ‘Nasels never combine with stops in onsets, é ‘Natels combining with stops in coda clusters are invariably Bomorgenicye.2. Jonp kl but not */mk mpl. SONORITY IN PHONOTACTICS Syllable structure tends to be highly influenced by the sononty scale. with the general rule that More sonorous elements are intemal (i.¢., close to the nucieus) and less sonorant elements are extemal. This is the sonority sequencing principle. For example, the sequence /plamt! is permissible in English, while /Ipo:tn/ is not. Table 81.2 Consanents classed according to sonority Vowels Most sencrous | Nasais cnn 9 {| tateral (approximant) | SONORANTS: 4 {Central approximents < v} 4 ‘Voiced fricatives 4 Voiceless fricatives 4 Voiced plosives OBSTRUENTS + Woiceiess plosives Least sonorous‘Table B1.2 shows how it is possible to classify sounds in terms of sonotity. On this basis we can consider three types of sound: vowels, which typically form the syllable nucleus: © obstruents, which are found invariably at the margins of syllables (onset or coda) ©. those in the intermediate category — the sonorant consonants (ie. nasals end approximants) - typically occur at syllable margins but, if there is no vowel in 2 syllable, certain of these sounds cen fonction es ¢ nucleus. We then term them syllabic consonants (sce Section A2), Such consonants are likely to be realised with greater energy and extra length, giving them more prominence, (One example of an attempt to construct a sonority scale is shown in Figure B13. FE] Openvowsls Une» =) 99-faa) Close vowels: feet} eal) Nasals and approximants eg.inir] ‘icalas posives eg. (pt) Lenst sonorous ‘Most sonorous Figure B13 Relative sonority scale Which of these are permissible syllables in English? Explain why. gwomz = kroch qos kn Skwaks®s vonz diaimg stank spra:es oro frostsAccent these dial appropriately. Explain why you have/have not stressed the underlined items. 10. ailit’s starting to * rain!t | bi Yes! they forecast wet * weath o a a Tony says he cant sleep * at night hare lon, deadlHe “does look ted! / + >; et e 4 a- | Tonv'l Hey! ~ Eset nce gos weroin*panay | eet 2 cli “wast came back a few days ° ago. a-[Hi,° mum|it's me! Craig. | i b’ Howiovely ” ohsarfom you How are sig youths ey ® going?) [The water's “boiling ‘| Then do ® something! ‘A:|why didnt you do your task lest night? | A: Come on. The tax's wating. Bi thought we were going in your ear ‘A: What did you have for dessert? B: Inad'apple ple... / A! What did the others have? B: Chis had cherry pie and James hed cherry cake. ‘A:What's the name ofthe hoteyou recommended? ‘ 8: Which hotel ary? < ‘A: The one in Bell Road, “1 B: You mean in Bell ‘Street, There's 2 Bre! Road) not Bel Road. ‘A: How cid the exam.ao? B: Pretty good, to tell you the truth