Chapter 9: Strong and Weak Syllables

Some English syllables are strong .Many English syllables are weak. Strong syllables can be
distinguished from weak syllables in that
1.Strong syllables may contain a short vowel plus a coda of one or more consonants. Better
/ˈbet ∂/ , trust/ˈtrᴧst/
2.Strong syllables may contain a long vowel with or without a coda. true /ˈtru:/
truth / ˈtru:θ /
3.Strong syllables may contain a diphthong or a triphthong optionally followed by a coda of one
or more consonants /ˈdeɪ tə/ , /ˈdeɪts/
Weak syllables MAY contain:
1. The vowel schwa ∂ about /∂ ˈbaʊt /
2. The neutralized vowel i ( it's not the long i: nor the short i) me /mi/
3. The neutralized vowel u (it's not the long u: nor the short ʊ)you/ju/
4. Syllabic consonant
5.The short vowel /ɪ/
 Strength ladder
1- Diphthongs (except əʊ) and triphthongs and long vowels

2- Short vowels (ʌ,ɔ, ʊ, e, æ )

3- The diphthong / əʊ/ and the short vowel /ɪ/

4- ə, syllabic consonants, and neutralized vowels

Schwa :the most frequently occurring vowel in English which is always associated with weak syllables. In quality
it is mid(halfway between close and open) ,and central ( halfway between front and back). It is called lax
because it is not articulated with much energy.

Where can we find schwa?

1. Spelt with “ a”:
attend” /ətend/ “character” /kærəktə/ ago /∂g∂ʊ/
around/∂raund/ data/deit∂/ a /∂/ balloon /b∂lu:n/
2. Spelt with «ar»:
pɑrticular” /pə ˈtɪk jə lə / “monɑrchy” /ˈmɒn ə ki /
3. Adjectives endings spelt “ ate” are pronounced /∂t/
“ intimɑte” /ɪntɪmət/ “accurɑte” /ækjərət/ “desolɑte” /desələt/
(although there are exceptions to this):
“private” is usually pronounced with/ɪt/ /praɪvɪt/)
4. Spelt with “o”
“tomorrow” /təmɒrəʊ/ “potato” /pəteɪtəʊ/ “carrot” /kærət/
position / p∂ziʃn / Connect /k∂nekt/ Control/k∂ntr∂ʊl/
Correct/k∂rekt/ tonight/t∂naɪt/ occur/∂ k3:/ continue, continuous
5. Spelt with “or”:
forget/fəget/ ambassador/æmbæsədə/ opportunity /ɒpətʃu:nəti/
comfort/kᴧmf∂t/ emperor/emp∂r∂/ 'actor'/ˈᴂk t∂/
6. Spelt with ''e''
settlement/setəlmənt/ violet/vaɪələt/ “postmen”/pəʊstmən/
7. Spelt with “er”:
“perhaps”/pəhæps/ “superman” /su:pəmæn/ Perfection/p∂fekʃn/
8. Spelt with “u”:
“autumn” /ɔ:təm/ “support” / səpɔ:t/ “halibut”/hælɪbət/
9. Spelt with “ous” is pronounced as /∂s/
“gracious” /greɪʃəs/ fabulous/fᴂbj∂l∂s/ marvelous/ma:v∂l∂s/ courageous/k∂reɪdʒ∂s/
10.Spelt with “ough”: “thorough” /θʌrə/ “borough” /bʌrə/
Where can we find /u/?
1. It is found in the words ‘you’, ‘to’, ‘into’, ‘do’ , when they are unstressed and are not
immediatly preceding a consonant.
2. in the words ‘through’ and 'who' when they are unstressed
3. it is found before another vowel within a word : evacuation / ɪvᴂkjueɪʃn̩̩ / influenza
/ɪnfluenzә/

Where can we find /i/?

1. Words end with “y” or “ey '' <happy> hᴂpi and when such words have suffixes
beginning with vowels er, est happier happiest
2. In the prefix such as those spelt ‘re’, ‘pre’, ‘de’; if it precedes a vowel and is unstressed.
<react> riᴂkt create / krieɪt /
3. In the suffixes :‘iate’, ‘ious’, when they have two syllables appreciate /әpri:ʃieɪ t/ ,
hilarious /hɪˈleə.ri.əs/
4. In the following words when they are unstressed: ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘we’, ‘me’, ‘be’ and the
word ‘the’ when it precedes a vowel/ði/
Syllabic Consonants: They are the consonants which take the place of a vowel in
a syllable and then become the centre of that syllable. Only 5 consonants can be
syllabic m, n, ŋ,l,r .
e.g. little /lɪt∂l/ /lɪtl/̩ hidden/hɪd∂n/ /hɪdn̩ /

Syllabic l ̩ : we can find syllabic ᴉ in spelling as 'le','el', 'al',

with alveolar consonant preceding: cattle/kætᴉ/ bottle /bɒtᴉ/ wrestle/resᴉ/
muddle/mʌdᴉ/ , pedal /pedᴉ/ , parcel /pa:sᴉ/, castle/ˈkɑː.sl ̩/
with non-alveolar consonant preceding: couple /k ʌpᴉ/ , trouble /trʌbᴉ/
knuckle /nʌkᴉ/ struggle /strʌgᴉ/
Lateral release: the release of the consonant that precedes the syllabic /l/ in which air goes out
through the sided of the tongue. E.g. /t/ in /botl /
NOTE : in some London accents ( and the Estuary English ) syllabic ᴉ is
sometimes replaced by /u/ (e.g. 'bottle’ bɒtu).
Syllabic ṇ: it is widespread medially and finally but not initially.
Where can we find it?
1-Don’t use ṇ when you have (initial plosive or fricative +∂n= ∂n NOT ṇ) e.g. We
can find words like:

2 . Don’t use ṇ when you have the sounds l , t ʃ ,dᴣ + +∂n= ∂n NOT ṇ e.g.
Sullen/sᴧl∂n/ Christian /krɪstʃ∂n/ pigeon/pɪdᴣ∂n/

3-In all other cases you can either pronounce it with ṇ or ∂n :

Happen- Thicken- ribbon- often- seven (either 'en' or 'on' in spelling)/d/ in

Nasal release :the release of the consonant that precedes the syllabic n in which air
goes out through the nose e.g. /d/ in /hɪdn̩ /
Syllabic m̩ can occur only as a result of assimilation and elision:
Happen/hᴂp∂n - hᴂpm̩/ , uppermost/ᴧp∂m∂ʊst - ᴧpm∂ʊst/

Syllabic r̩ : is very common in rhotic accents: 'particular' /pr̩tɪk∂lr/.BBC

speakers pronounce it as /p∂tɪkj∂l∂/.

Combination of syllabic consonants: National/naʃṇᴉ/ Literal / lɪtrᴉ/

Visionary/ vɪʒṇri/ Veteran/vetrṇ/