Syllable Structure and Cluster
Syllable Structure and Consonant Clusters
Marla Yoshida University of California Irvine Extension International Programs Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate Program
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Thursday, March 1, 12
What are syllables?
• A syllable is a rhythmic unit. It’s a unit of sound that gets one “beat” in a word. • A syllable has a vowel. It might also have one or more consonants before the vowel and one or more consonants after it. • A syllable can also have a syllabic consonant instead of a vowel. A syllabic consonant is a consonant that is stretched out and acts as a vowel. For example, the last syllable in button [b "/n] or middle [mId.`l ] is usually ! . ` pronounced as a syllabic consonant.
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Thursday, March 1, 12
For example...
• Eye has one syllable (just one vowel sound: /ay/) • Bee has one syllable (one consonant and one vowel: /b iy / • Strength also has one syllable (three consonants, one vowel, two consonants: /st r ENT/)
@ • Potato has three syllables: po-ta-to /p ´teytow/
• Pronunciation has five syllables: pro-nun-ci-a-tion /p r´n´nsi yeyS´n / @
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Thursday, March 1, 12
Consonant clusters
• When two or more consonants occur together, they are called a consonant cluster. (“Cluster” means “group.”) • There are restrictions on how many consonants can occur in a particular position, and which consonants can occur together. • For example, in English, /sk/, /pl/, and /spl/ are possible combinations at the beginning of a word, but /sd/, /fp/, and /zpr/ are not. • These sound like they could be possible English words, even though they’re not real words: skeb, plore, splib. • These are not possible words in English: sdeb, fpore, zprib.
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Thursday, March 1, 12
Possible clusters in syllable-initial position
• It is possible to have one, two, or three consonant sounds at the beginning of a syllable, but not more. • Here are some words that illustrate common twoconsonant clusters at
Marla Yoshida University of California Irvine Extension International Programs Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate Program
Back
Next
Thursday, March 1, 12
What are syllables?
• A syllable is a rhythmic unit. It’s a unit of sound that gets one “beat” in a word. • A syllable has a vowel. It might also have one or more consonants before the vowel and one or more consonants after it. • A syllable can also have a syllabic consonant instead of a vowel. A syllabic consonant is a consonant that is stretched out and acts as a vowel. For example, the last syllable in button [b "/n] or middle [mId.`l ] is usually ! . ` pronounced as a syllabic consonant.
Back
Next
Thursday, March 1, 12
For example...
• Eye has one syllable (just one vowel sound: /ay/) • Bee has one syllable (one consonant and one vowel: /b iy / • Strength also has one syllable (three consonants, one vowel, two consonants: /st r ENT/)
@ • Potato has three syllables: po-ta-to /p ´teytow/
• Pronunciation has five syllables: pro-nun-ci-a-tion /p r´n´nsi yeyS´n / @
Back
Next
Thursday, March 1, 12
Consonant clusters
• When two or more consonants occur together, they are called a consonant cluster. (“Cluster” means “group.”) • There are restrictions on how many consonants can occur in a particular position, and which consonants can occur together. • For example, in English, /sk/, /pl/, and /spl/ are possible combinations at the beginning of a word, but /sd/, /fp/, and /zpr/ are not. • These sound like they could be possible English words, even though they’re not real words: skeb, plore, splib. • These are not possible words in English: sdeb, fpore, zprib.
Back Next
Thursday, March 1, 12
Possible clusters in syllable-initial position
• It is possible to have one, two, or three consonant sounds at the beginning of a syllable, but not more. • Here are some words that illustrate common twoconsonant clusters at