This document defines syllables and discusses their structure. It notes that a syllable contains a nucleus which is usually a vowel or diphthong. Syllables can also have an onset of initial consonants and a coda of final consonants. It provides examples of different syllable types such as open, closed, and consonant-cluster syllables. Students are asked to practice drawing syllable tree diagrams to represent the onset, nucleus, and coda of both monosyllabic and multisyllabic words. Homework involves drawing diagrams for additional words.

1. SKBE1013
ORAL COMMUNICATION
Semester 1
2023/24

2. Syllable
• Definition
• The structure of a Syllable:
Onset, Rhyme, Peak and Coda

3. Defining Syllable
• When we say a word, the sounds we create naturally divide
the word into parts.
For example:
The word “machine” has two parts: ma-chine.
• The word “important” has three parts: im-por-tant.
• We call these parts “syllables.
• the process of dividing words into syllables = Syllabification

4. • A syllable is a part of a word that is composed of one or more
speech sounds e.g are /a:/ or guard /ɡɑːd/
• A syllable must contain a vowel or vowel-like sound, including
diphthongs e.g. guard /ɡɑːd/ or bye /baɪ/
“consists of a centre which has little or no obstruction to the airflow
and which sounds comparatively loud; before and after this centre,
there will be greater obstruction to the airflow and/or less sound”
(Roach, 2009:56)
What is a syllable?

5. • Every English word consists of at least 1 syllable e.g. ‘cat’ / kæt /,
‘dog’ / dɒg /
• Many English words have 2,3,4 or more syllables;
• 2 syllables - mother, limit, heaven
• 3 syllables - photograph, limited, heavenly
• ? syllables - photographer, dictionary, anybody
• ? syllables – unbelievable, university, organization
• ? - reconsideration, revolutionary

6. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
/ˌsuːpəkalɪfradʒɪlɪstɪkˌɛkspɪalɪˈdəʊʃəs/
Adjective informal
extraordinarily good; wonderful.
How many syllables?
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/

7. • A syllable can have as many as three parts: onset, nucleus, and coda.
• The nucleus (obligatory) forms the core of the syllable; it is most often a
vowel e.g. ‘far’ /fɑ:/ ; or a diphthong e.g. ‘bye’ /baɪ/.
• The onset (optional) are consonant/s, that appear at the beginning of a
syllable e.g. ‘bar’ /ba:/
• the coda (optional) are consonant/s, that appear the end of a syllable
e.g. ‘am’ /æm/ , bark /bɑːk/
Syllable Structure

8. • Syllable structure is represented
graphically by means of a “tree
diagram”.
• In phonology, σ (lowercase
sigma) is used to represent
syllables.
• The rhyme or rime of a syllable
consists of a nucleus and an
optional coda.
C V C

9. Syllable Structure
For the word “bed”
1) first transcribe the word - /bed/
2) Next draw the syllable tree
3) Find the nucleus - /e/ (always a vowel or diphthong)
4) then the onset - /b/ (optional) (if there is none, write ∅)
5) followed by the coda /d/ (optional).

10. Try this…
Another example of a monosyllabic word ‘pain’
1) transcribe = /peɪn/
2) Next draw the syllable tree
3) identify the nucleus
4) then the onset and coda

11. Syllable Structure
• Minimum unit of a syllable = Nucleus (without
onset or coda)
• E.g. ‘are’ /ɑ:/ ‘or’ /ɔ:/ ‘err’ /3:/
• The most common syllable structures in human
languages are
1. CV e.g. bar /bɑː/
2. CVC e.g. bat /bæt/

12. Let’s Practice !
Draw syllable tree diagram for these monosyllabic words
1. Fin
2. Sun
3. Charm
4. Nice
5. Buzz
Remember: Transcribe the word first. Next, find the nucleus. Then the
onset and coda.

13. • What about multisyllabic words?
• Funny / fʌni /
• Pumpkin / pʌmpkɪn /
• Consistent / kənsɪstənt /

14. Syllable Structure for ‘pumpkin’

15. Let’s Practice !
• Draw syllable tree diagram for these
bisyllabic words
1. secret
2. mother
3. trumpet
Remember: Transcribe the words first. Divide the word
into syllables. Next, find the nucleus for each syllable.
Then the onset and coda.

16. Let’s Practice !
• Draw syllable tree diagram for these
multisyllabic words
1. bananas
2. company
3. holiday
Remember: Transcribe the words first. Divide the word
into syllables. Next, find the nucleus for each syllable.
Then the onset and coda.

17. NUCLEUS
• The core of a syllable
• Normally , a VOWEL (or dipthong or tripthong), e.g. ‘am’
[æm ] , bark [bɑːk ] bye [baɪ] fire [ˈfaɪə]
• also possible for a consonant to act as a nucleus in English
language e.g. syllabic consonant i.e. l̩, r̩ , m̩ , n̩ or ŋ,
indicated by a small vertical mark ( ̩) beneath the symbol
• A syllabic consonant normally replaces the vowel [ə] and
forms a syllable on its own
E.g. prison / prɪzṇ / or cattle /kaetl̩/
2 syllables / prɪ / and / zn̩/ /kae/ and /tl̩/
syllabic nasal / n̩ / syllabic alveolar lateral /l̩/

18. ONSET
• Consonant/s at the beginning of a syllable
• If syllable starts with a vowel [æm ] = zero onset ∅
• If begins with one consonant = initial - can be any
consonant except /ŋ/ and /ʒ/ (rare)
‘ought’ / ɔːt / = ∅ onset
saw - / sɔː / = initial consonant
• 2-consonant onset e.g. sport /spɔːt/, stuck /stʌk/ play
/pleɪ/, clear /klɪə/, muse /mjuːz/
• 3-consonant onset e.g. strike /straɪk/, scream /skriːm/,
squeak /skwiːk/

19. Let’s Practice !
• Draw syllable tree diagram for these words
with 2 and 3 consonants onset
1. Blot
2. Play
3. Squeeze
Remember: Transcribe the words first. Divide the word
into syllables. Next, find the nucleus for each syllable.
Then the onset and coda.

20. Coda - Final part
• Up to 4 consonants
• No final consonant e.g. [ba:] = ∅ coda
• One consonant e.g. [ɑːt] = final consonant
• Any consonant may be a final except /h/ /r/ /w/ /j/
• 2-consonant coda e.g. bump /bʌmp/, bank /bæŋk/
• 3-consonant coda e.g. bumps /bʌmps/, bank
/bæŋks/ banked /bæŋkt/, lapsed /læpst/
• 4 consonants e.g. twelfths / twelfθs /
prompts /prɒmpts /

21. Let’s Practice !
• Draw syllable tree diagram for the words with
2, 3, 4 consonants coda
1. fast
2. shrimps
3. prompts
Remember: Transcribe the words first. Next, find the
nucleus for each syllable. Then the onset and coda.

22. Homework: Syllable structure
Draw syllable tree diagram for the following words
1. Gray
2. Sphinx
3. Define
4. Dictionary
5. Reference
6. Entertain
Post your syllable diagrams in the homework folder in Teams
Class notebook.