Syllable division

Unit 11

Syllable formation

Unit 10

Main Theoretical Concepts:

Syllable - is one or more speech sounds forming a single uninterrupted unit of utterance which may be a whole word, e.g. lamp; or a part of it, e.g. second.

1. In English the syllable is formed:

a) by any vowel (a monophthong or a diphthong) alone or in combination with one or more consonants e.g. are [a:] = vowel (+ consonant)

b) by a word - final sonorant (lateral or nasal) immediately preceded by a consonant e.g. bottle = bo - ttle [bo-tl] - consonant + sonorant. But if sonorants in word - final position are preceded by a vowel sound they are not syllabic

syllabicnon - syllabic

sadden sand

doesn't don't

2. [w, j] are never syllabic, they are always syllable initial.

The syllabic consonants are [n, l]. There are few words with the syllabic [m]. The syllabic [n] occurs as a result of progressive assimilation of the forelingual consonant [ n] to the preceding back lingual consonant [k, g] e.g. [beI - kэn] → [beI - kn]

3. Many English words are pronounced with a neutral vowel before the final sonorant. The sonorant becomes non – syllabic e.g. radical [ræ-dIkl] or [ræ-dI-kэl]

4. Many English words are spelt with a vowel letter before the final sonorant and have only one pronunciation with a syllabic final consonant e.g. garden [ga:dn], season [si:zn]

5. The sonorant [n] is always syllabic in the contracted negative forms of auxiliary and modal verbs

E.g. isn't couldn't mightn't

wasn't hasn't oughtn't

haven't wouldn't

6. The sound may lose their syllabic character when they occur in the middle of a word before a vowel belonging to a suffix

7. syllabicnon - syllabic

listen [li-sn] listening [lis-nin]

drizzle [dri-zl] drizzling [driz-lin]

8. Every syllable has a definite structure of form depending on the kind of speech sound it ends in.

There are two types of syllable distinguished from this point of view.

a) a syllable which ends in a vowel sound (an open syllable)

b) a syllable which ends in a consonant sound (a closed syllable)

Practical Tasks:

Sound [eı]

No pains no gains.

To call a spade a spade.

Graphic equivalents of the sound [eı]

[eı] is pronounced when spelt

a take [teık]

ai wait [weıt]

ay say [seı]

ei vein [veın]

ey they [ðeı]

ea great [greıt]

Divide the words into syllables: needless, Britain, huddle, possibly, suppose, boundary, temporary, reasonable, parliament.

Main Theoretical Concepts:

I. Syllable division is effected by an increase in the force of utterance including an increase in muscular tension and in the force of exhalation or the onset of a fresh breath pulse at the beginning of a syllable. E.g. without

1) [wIðαut] An increase of the force of utterance takes place at the beginning of the consonant [ð]. The point of syllable division is between the vowel [I] and the consonant [ð]

2) [wIð-αut] - an increase of the force of utterance takes place at the beginning of the diphthong [αu]

II. Correct syllable division at the junction of words may be of great importance because the wrong syllable division may lead to the confusion or to a mistake

E.g. She saw them eat [∫I so: ð∂m i:t]

She saw the meat [∫I so: ð∂ mi:t]

III. Phonetic syllables do not coincide with the graphic ones: writ-ing [rαI-tIŋ], bet-ter [be-t∂], mak-er [meI-k∂]

IV. The division of English words into syllables is governed by the following principle rules.

V. Functions of syllables:

1. constructive - syllables form words, phrases, sentences

2. distinctive: a nice house[∂ nαıs hαus]

an ice house [∂n αıs hαus]

I scream [αI skri:m]

ice - cream ['αIskri:m]

an ocean [∂n '∂u∫n]

a notion [∂ 'n∂u∫n]

Practical Tasks:

Sound [αı]

The kite went higher and higher into the bright blue sky.

There was a young lady of Niger who smiled as she rode on a tiger. By the end of the ride was a lady inside and smile - on the face of the tiger.

Graphic equivalent of the sound [αı]

[αı] is pronounced when spelt

i time [tαım]

igh night [nαıt]

eigh height [hαıt]

y my [mαı]

buy [bαı]

guide [gαıd]

eye [αı]

Sound [ ɔɪ ]

Boys often talk at the top of voices

Graphical equivalent of the sound [ɔɪ]

[ ı] is pronounced when spelt

oi point [pɔɪnt]

boil [bɔɪl]

oy boy [bɔɪl]

joy [dɔɪl]

Sound [αu]

Do not burn your house to get rid of the mouse

Out of sight out of mind

Graphic equivalent of the sound [αu]

[αu] is pronounced when spelt

ou house [hαus]

ough plough [plαu]

ow how [hαu]

Sound [ ǝʊ ]

Don't go home alone because nobody knows how lonely the road is

Sound [ ɪǝ ]

By the end of the year he left fearfully weary

Sound [ eǝ ]

The square was carefully prepared for the parade

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