1. The syllabic structure in English LECTURE 5

2. Outline The notion of syllable
Theories on syllable formation and division
The structure of syllables in English
Types of syllables
Syllable division in English

3. What is a syllable? Vowel +Consonant? Consonant + Vowel?
Consonant+Vowel+Consonant?
Some other combinations?

4. “extra” – divide into syllables?
[e.kstrə]? [ekstr.ə]?
[ek.strə]? [eks.trə]?
[ekst.rə]?
a problem?
Do you know anything about the structure of syllable?

5. What are the rules of syllable formation and division?
The Expiratory theory
The Sonority theory
Theory of muscular tension
The Loudness theory

6. There are as many syllables as there are vowels. Drawbacks?
Point of view
There are as many syllables as there are vowels. Drawbacks?

7. The expiratory (chest pulse or pressure) theory by R.H. Stetson.
Raymond Herbert Stetson ( ) was Professor of Psychology at Oberlin College.
Expiration – pulsating process
Each syllable – a single expiration

8. The sonority theory OTTO JESPERSEN
, Danish linguist with French as his principal subject and Latin and English as his minor subjects, Professor of English Language and Literature at Copenhagen University

9. <the least sonorous>
voiceless plosives → voiced plosives →voiceless fricatives → voiced fricatives → sonorants → close vowels → open vowels < the most sonorous>
ptk bdg fθsʃ vðzʒ mnŋ lɹjw iu aɔ
“melt” - how many syllables?
“metal” – how many syllables?

10. sudden
ʌ n
S d

11. (1880 –1944) Russian linguist specializing in phonetics and phonology.
The theory of muscular tension or “Arc of articulatory tension” theory by L.V. Shcherba
(1880 –1944) Russian linguist specializing in phonetics and phonology.

12. The center of the syllable – vowel or sonorant; Marginal phonemes follow or precede it – they constitute an arc. a a a

13. What’s the difference?
an aim vs a name an ice house vs a nice house I saw the meat vs I saw them eat

14. an aim vs a name Finally strong Finally weak Double peaked
Types of consonants characterized by different distribution of muscular tension.
Finally strong
Finally weak
Double peaked
an aim vs a name

15. The loudness theory by N.I. Zhinkin
Николай Иванович Жинкин ( ) — советский лингвист и психолог. Занимался исследованиями психологических и психофизиологических механизмов порождения речевых высказываний, процессов восприятия, понимания и порождения текста как целостного психолингвистического явления. Разрабатывал психологические проблемы речевой коммуникации, понимания текста, развития речи учащихся. Заложил основы отечественной психолингвистики.

16. The loudness theory by N.I. Zhinkin
The arc of loudness
the pharyngeal passage
the narrowing of the passage →
Thus, 1) a syllable – the arc of loudness which correlates with the arc of articulatory effort.
2) A syllable – a phonetic unit pronounced by one articulatory effort accompanied by one muscular contraction, which results acoustically and auditory in one uninterrupted arc of loudness.

17. mistake

18. Approaches to define a syllable
Syllable – reveals linguistic function.
Features of the Syllable:
Syllable – purely articulatory unit.
Boundaries of syllables do not coincide with those of morphemes.
e.g. [seil -ə] – morphological structure
[ sei - lə] – phonetic structure

19. The structure of syllable in English
The syllable onset – me, so
Nucleus
The syllable coda – cat, jump
Rhyme – the combination of nucleus and coda.

20. dog
Ó onset rhyme nucleus coda d o g

21. sprint
Ó onset rhyme s p r nucleus coda I n t

22. Types of syllable V (8%) – uncovered open, e.g. I, oh
VC (15%) – uncovered closed, e.g. all
CVC (34%) – covered closed, e.g. man
CV (30%) – covered open, e.g. be
V type – fully open, e.g. be
CVC – fully closed.
CV – initially covered
VC – fully covered
CVCC (6%)

23. Syllabic structures CS type – 40 combinations – garden [ga:dn]
CSC type – 90 combinations – opens [əupnz]
CSCC type – 15 combinations – innocents [inəs(ə)nts]
CCSCC – 1 combination – emigrants [emigrənts]

24. Types of syllables Heavy syllables – bee, bay, bag
Light syllables - beloved

25. Syllable division
Maximum CC in stressed syllable – window [wind-əu]; lady [leid-i]
Maximum onset principle –
-[win-dəu]; [lei-di]

27. Maximum onset principle
extreme
[ikstr. i:m] or [i. kstri:m]?
coda? onset?
Maximum onset principle
[ik. stri:m]
Ó Ó
Onset rhyme onset rhyme
nucleus coda nucleus coda
I k s t r i: m

28. Syllabification in English
Apple epic
[æ. pl] [ e. pik]
Native speakers
Ap. pl ep.pic
Ó Ó
Onset rhyme onset rhyme
nucleus coda nucleus coda
e p I k

29. Resyllabification have it [ hæ. vit] Ó Ó onset rhyme onset rhyme
Ó Ó
onset rhyme onset rhyme
nucleus coda nucleus coda
h æ v I t

30. Resyllabification Peter and Mary [pi:. tə. rənd. mæ. ri] Ó Ó Ó Ó
Ó Ó Ó Ó
onset rhyme onset rhyme onset rhyme onset rhyme
nucleus coda nucleus coda nucleus coda
p i: t ə r ə nd m æ

31. Rules of syllable division based on the electroacoustic analysis.
e.g. dis-place;
CVCV e.g. [fa:-mə];
CVCV e.g. city [sit-ti];
CSCV e.g. inner [in-ə];
Diphthongs are unisyllabic, triphthongs – disyllabic;
In multisyllable words – principle of max.onset – approve [ə-pru:v]

32. Thank you for attention