Universidad de Concepción

Dpto. Idiomas Extranjeros

733278 Fonética segmental

THE SYLLABLE
CHAPTER 8

Roach, P. (2007). English Phonetics and Phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (70-80).
 THE SYLLABLE

perception/
production
Phonetics
CCC+V+CCCC
onset-center-coda
Syllable
Different
Phonology distributions
(combinations)
 THE SYLLABLE
PHONETICALLY

Minimum syllable, preceded and followed by a A single vowel

silence Are /ɑ:/, or /ɔ:/, err /ɜ:/
(zero onset)
With onset Bar /bɑ:/ more /mɔ:/ car /kɑ:/
Any consonant but /η//ʒ/
Without onset but coda Am / æm/ ought /ɔ:t/ ease /i:z/

With onset and with coda Pet run seat

/pet/ /rʌn/ /si:t/
Phonotactics: study of the possible phoneme combinations
Consonant cluster: two or more consonants together
 SYLLABLE ONSETS
• INITIAL TWO-CONSONANT CLUSTERS:
• A) PRE-INITIAL CONSONANT  “S”+C (C) – : STAY , SMOKE,
• B) INITIAL CONSONANT  “S”+C (C) : STAY, SMOKE
• C) POST-INITIAL CONSONANT  “S”+C (C) : SPRAY

“s” pre-initial consonant Initial consonant Post-initial Rest of the word…

consonant
/s/ /p/ /r/ -ay (spray)
/s/ /t/ /r/ -ing
/s/ /p/ -ew
/s/ /k/ /l/ -erosis
/t/ /r/ -y (try)
/w/, /m/ Also : /w//j/
See Table 2 p. 72 for more examples
 FINAL CONSONANT CLUSTERS
• A) ZERO CODA  NO FINAL CONSONANT
• B) 1 CONSONANT ONLY  FINAL CONSONANT (ANY EXCEPT/h//r//w//j/)
**
• C) 2 TYPES OF 2 CONSONANT FINAL CLUSTER
• PRECEDED BY PRE-FINAL CONSONANTS:
• FOLLOWED BY POST-FINAL CONSONANTS

Pre-final consonants Final Post-final consonants

/m/,/n/,/η/,/l/,/s/ any except ** /s/, /z/, /t/, /d/, /ɵ/
*often in a separate
morpheme
Bump, bent, belt, ask Bets, beds, backed,
bagged,
***1st plosive in plosive+plosive cluster :
without plosion, almost inaudible.
 THREE CONSONANT CLUSTER
Pre-final Final Post-final
Helped /l/ /p/ /t/
Banks
Bonds
twelfth
Pre-final Final Post-final 1 Post-final 2

Fifth ----- /f/ /ɵ/ /s/

Next -----
Lapsed -----

FOUR CONSONAT CLUSTER

Pre-final Final Post-final 1 Post-final 2

Twelfths /l/ /f/ /ɵ/ /s/

Prompts /m/ /p/ /t/ /s/
 CLUSTER WITH 3 POST-FINAL CONSONANTS
Pre-final Final Post-final 1 Post-final 2 Post-final 3
Sixths -----
Texts ----
Write the phonemes for the final consonant sounds in the slots

Pre-final/final/post-final1/post-final2
Pre-initial/initial/post-initial vowel /post-final3

Onset Centre Coda

 GENERAL INFORMATION
• A VOWEL IS NEEDED AS THE CENTRE OF THE SYLLABLE
• BUT…SYLLABIC CONSONANTS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE (CHAPTER 9)
• TO BEAR IN MIND … STUDENTS
/ˈstjuː.dənts/