Week 1

Question 1

Define syllable

Answer 1

Most people agree that feeling the rhythm of a word defines a syllable, or dividing it into beats.

However, in an academic sense we can define the syllable as a unit containing an obligatory centre part which is a sonorant.

Question 2

What does a syllable have to contain, and what is optional?

Answer 2

All syllables contain a single vowel, but the syllables may or may not contain consonants on either side of that vowel.

Question 3

Nucleus

Answer 3

A syllable consists of only a vowel (orange, aquamarine). A diphthong counts as a single vowel.

Question 4

Onset

Answer 4

The part of a syllable that contains consonants before the nucleus.

E.g. d in duck.

Question 5

Coda

Answer 5

The part of a syllable that contains consonants after the nucleus.

E.g. /n/ in phone.

Question 6

Empty onset

Answer 6

Syllable starts with a vowel.

E.g. /eve/ has no onset (empty onset), a nucleus /i/ and one consonant in the coda /v/.

Question 7

How can the stressed syllable be indicated in transcription?

Answer 7

By using a ‘ before the onset of that syllable.

Question 8

Closed syllable

Answer 8

Syllable with coda.

Question 9

Open syllable

Answer 9

Ending in a diphthong or any of the long monoghthongs.

Question 10

Minimal words (smallest words)

Answer 10

The smallest words consist of one syllable: mad, lie.

Question 11

Syllable structure Japanese

Answer 11

(1). Japanese has a limited set of consonants, so English ones are estimated to the closest English equivalent.

(2). English vowels may be adapted to fit Japanese vowel sounds.

Question 12

What suggests that syllables have internal structure?

Answer 12

Speakers cannot only manipulate syllables, but also units within the syllable itself (rhyme, alliteration, assonance).

Question 13

Rhyme

Answer 13

The nucleus and coda combined

Question 14

Minimal words rules

Answer 14

1. A minimal word has at least two timing positions dominated by the rhyme.
2. The monophthongs /i 3 a c u/ count as long; they have two timing positions.
3. The monophthongs /I E æ ^ hoef schwa/ count as short, so one timing position.

Question 15

Heavy syllables

Answer 15

A syllable is considered heavy if it contains a long vowel, a final consonant, or a diphthong (two timing positions in the rhyme).

/i 3 a c u/.

Question 16

Light syllables

Answer 16

A light syllable is one that ends in a single short vowel, so one timing position in the rhyme.

/I E æ ^ hoef schwa/.

Question 17

Cross-linguistic evidence shows that CV syllables have a special status:

Answer 17

1. All languages have CV syllables and some have only these.
2. Language-acquiring children initially produce only CV syllables. This suggests that onsets are more basic than codas;

/klar/ ‘klaar’ [ka]
/oto/ ‘auto’ [toto]

Question 18

Maximal Onset Principle

Answer 18

Base-final consonants undergo resyllabification when a vowel-initial suffix is added.
• Syllables prefer to have onsets.
• Consonants prefer to be in onsets.

For example, “walking” /wakɪŋ/ in English is syllabified as wa.kɪŋ, even though wak is a valid syllable, because the k prefers to be in an onset.

Question 19

Sonority peaks

Answer 19

From high to low:
1. Vowels
2. Approximants
3. Nasals
4. Fricatives
5. Stops

Question 20

Distribution

Answer 20

What phonetic environments each allophone appears in.

Question 21

Syllabic consonants

Answer 21

The nucleus of syllables are usually vowels. However, it is possible in some instances for the nucleus slot to be filled by a syllabic consonant. Typically, only nasals and the /l/ occur as syllabic consonants.

Some consonants, like /n/ and /l/, can form a nucleus instead of a vowel.
• /and/

Question 22

Ambisyllabic

Answer 22

Consonants that belong to both syllables at the same time.

Question 23

Lexical stress vs. rhythmic stress

Answer 23

Lexical stress is the stress pattern of words when pronounced in isolation. Rhythmic stress is the stress pattern of syllables in sentences.

Question 24

Assonance and alliteration

Answer 24

Assonance occurs when there is repeated use of the same vowel in words in a sentence; Westering, questioning settles the sun (nucleus).

Alliteration occurs when words in a sentence start with the same consonant (onset).

Question 25

Which type of syllable is too small?

Answer 25

An open syllable containing any of /ɪ ɛ æ ʌ ʊ ə/ and orange.

Question 26

Hard attack

Answer 26

An empty onset position can be optionally filled by a glottal stop (most common in Dutch and German).

Ome Arie eet altijd aardappelen.

Question 27

What are speakers actually counting when counting syllables?

Answer 27

It has been suggested that they’re counting sonority peaks. The idea is that sounds differ in their sonority (loudness), with the loudest sounds being the most vowel-like.