The syllabic structure of English

The syllabic structure of English

Plan:

1.The definition of syllable.
2. The functions of the syllable.
3.Fhonetic and phonological definitions of the syllable.

What is a Syllable?

• A syllable is one unit of sound in English. Syllables join consonants and vowels to form words.
• Syllables can have more than one letter; however, a syllable cannot have more than one sound.
• Syllables can have more than one consonant and more than one vowel, as well. However, the consonant(s) and vowel(s) that create the syllable cannot make more than one sound.

Syllable performs 3 main functions: constitutive, distinctive & identificatory .

• The constitutive function of the syllable manifests itself in the fact that the syllabic forms higher-level units-words, accentual or rhythmic groups, utterances. On the one hand, the syll. is a unit in which segmental phonemes are realized. L. Bondarko has proved experimentally that the relations between the distinctive feature of the phonemes & their acoustic correlates can be revealed only within the syllable. On the other hand, within a syllable or a sequence of syllables prosodic features of speech are also realized. There are distinctive variations in loudness (stress), in pitch (tone), & in duration (tempo, length). Thus, syllable maybe stressed & unstressed, high, mid or low, rising or falling, long or short. Al these prosodic features are significant for constituting the stress-pattern of a word & the tonal & rhythmic structure of an utterance.

The distinctive feature of the syllable is to differentiate words & word combinations. Phonemes exist & function within the syllable. Therefore words are actually differentiated by the syllable as one articulatory or perceptible unit. E.g. / bi:t / “beat” & “bead” / bi:d / differ not only in their consonant phonemes / t / & / d /, but also in the length of / i:/, which is conditioned by the neighboring fortis and lenis consonants.

• The distinctive feature of the syllable is to differentiate words & word combinations. Phonemes exist & function within the syllable. Therefore words are actually differentiated by the syllable as one articulatory or perceptible unit. E.g. / bi:t / “beat” & “bead” / bi:d / differ not only in their consonant phonemes / t / & / d /, but also in the length of / i:/, which is conditioned by the neighboring fortis and lenis consonants.