Summary of Chapters 8 & 9

The Syllable & Strong and Weak syllables

1. Syllable: Definition

We usually divide the words into syllables. The syllable is a unit where the
vowel or diphthong serves as the center (sometimes called; nucleus or peak)
surrounded by one or more consonants in certain numbers and certain
arrangements. Some consonants such as /l/, /n/, /m/, and /ƞ/ can also serve the
center of a syllable. These consonants are called syllabic consonants.
Roach (2009: 56) states that syllable consists of a center (i.e., vowels and
syllabic consonants) which has little or no obstruction to airflow and which
sounds comparatively loud; before and after this center (i.e. at the beginning and
end of the syllable), there will be greater obstruction to airflow and/or less loud
sound (i.e., consonants).
The syllable is usually divided into the marginals (consonants) and the
nucleus (vowels). The marginals may occur before and/or after the nucleus. The
marginals are one, two or three before the vowel (nucleus or center) constitute
the onset, while those after the vowel constitute the coda. For example, the
word sit can be analyzed in terms of its constituents as follows;

/sit/
/s/ → onset
/i/→ nucleus/peak
/t/ → coda

-Onset is any consonant that precedes the center or the vowel in a syllable.

-Coda is any consonant that follows the center or the vowel in a syllable.

- Nucleus (peak): is the center or the heart of the syllable since no syllable
without a vowel with the exception of syllabic consonants.

-Rhyme is divided into the nucleus/peak (normally the vowel) and an optional
coda (the rhyme may have no coda, as in a word like ‘me’).
 Summary of Chapters 8 & 9
The Syllable & Strong and Weak syllables

2. Kinds of Syllables

There are four kinds of syllables in English. These are;

a) Minimum syllable (open syllable): a single vowel in isolation without any

consonant sound before and after the vowel. For example; the words ‘are’ /a:/,
‘or’ / o:/.

b) Zero coda syllable: Some syllables have an onset- that is, they have one or
more consonants preceding the center of the syllable. For example; ‘bar’
/ba:/‘key’ /ki:/ .

c) Zero onset syllable: Syllables may have no onset but have a coda - that is,
they end with one or more consonants. For example; ‘am’ /am/ ‘ought’ /o:t/.

d) Maximum syllable (closed syllable): Some syllables have both onset and
coda. For example; ‘ran’ /ran/ ‘sat’ /sat/ ‘fill’ /fil/.

3. Strong and Weak Syllables

In English pronunciation, some of syllables are strong while many others are
weak. The vowel in a weak syllable tends to be shorter, of lower intensity
(loudness) and different in quality. For example, in the word ‘data’ /deita/ the
second syllable, which is weak, is shorter than the first, is less loud and has a
vowel that cannot occur in strong syllables. In a word like ‘bottle’ /bot|/ the
weak second syllable contains no vowel at all, but consists entirely of the
consonant. We call this a syllabic consonant. The following are the main
characteristics of strong and weak syllables;
a. Strong syllables are stressed and weak syllables unstressed.
b. Strong syllable will have as its peak one of the vowel phonemes, but not /a, i,
u/.
c. Weak syllables can only have one of a very small number of possible peaks or
vowels /a, i, u/.
 Summary of Chapters 8 & 9
The Syllable & Strong and Weak syllables

4. The ә vowel (“schwa”)

The most frequently occurring vowel in English is /ә/, which is always

associated with weak syllables. In quality it is mid (i.e. halfway between close
and open) and central (i.e. halfway between front and back). It is generally
described as lax - that is, not articulated with much energy. For example;

about / әbaut/
teacher /ti:t∫ ә/

5. Syllabic Consonants

A syllabic consonant is a consonant that forms a syllable on its own without

the presence of vowel. Syllabic consonants are /m, n , ƞ , l/ in English. For
example,
‘cattle’ kaetl ‘bottle’ botl