Chapter 3
The Syllable
1. What is a syllable?
2. How many syllables are there in each of the following words:
a) important
b) nice
c) very
d) village
e) police
f) tomato
g) potato
h) introductory
3. Summarize the structure of the English syllable diagrammatically.
4. Describe the ONSET of the English syllable. Give illustrations.
5. Describe the CODA of the English syllable. Give illustrations.
6. Indicate if each word is: (a) a word with zero coda, (b) a word with
coda of one final consonant, or (c) a word with a coda of final
consonant cluster.
a) debt h) neigh o) bar
b) crisps i) bake p) vow
c) owl j) care q) child
d) box k) carve r) crown
e) chew l) toe s) comb
f) lamb m)owe t) laugh
g) edge n) sink
7. Give five examples for the following cases:
a. a minimal syllable
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English Phonetics and Phonology [Type here] The Syllable
b. a syllable with zero onset.
c. a syllable with an onset of two-consonant cluster
d. a syllable with an onset of three-consonant cluster
e. a syllable with a coda of two-consonant cluster
f. a syllable with a coda of three-consonant cluster
g. a syllable with a coda of four-consonant cluster
8. Transcribe the following English words and underline the transcription
symbol which corresponds to each syllabic sound in the words.
E.g. least /liːst/
a) sand
b) height
c) cow
d) key
e) oak
f) port
g) ooze
h) court
i) floor
j) caught
k) back
l) fail
9. Using the analysis of the word ‘sprouts’ given below as a model, analyze the
structure of the following mono-syllabic English words.
Word Onset Nucleus Coda
a) sprout spr: three-consonant aƱ ts: two-consonant
cluster cluster
b) cramped
c) splashed
d) twelfths
e) squeaked
Tôn Nữ Mỹ Nhật (2024) [Type here] [Type here]
10. Analyze the structure of the following words. The first one has been
done as an example.
Pre- Initial Post- N Pre- Final Post - Post -
initial initial final final 1 final 2
a) slept s l e p t
b) rubbed
c) quite
d) facts
e) screws
f) twice
g) risked
h) fields
i) jumps
j) lapsed
11. Analyze the structure of the following words. The first word has been
analyzed as an example.
ONSET N CODA
Pre- Initial Post- Pre- Final Post- Post- Post-
initial initial final final final final
1 2 3
a) smile s m aɪ l d
b) throat
c) banks
d) sprained
e) twelfths
f) hours
g) sixths
12. Divide the following words into syllables and show the point of syllable
division in each of them by putting a bar between the syllable, based on
maximal onsets principle.
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English Phonetics and Phonology [Type here] The Syllable
E.g. /ˈteɪbl/ - /ˈteɪ | bl/
a) /ˈtiːtʃə(r)/ f) /əˈraɪv/
b) /ˈiːtn/ g) /ˈkæptɪn/
c) /ˈfænsi/ h) /ˈkɪdni/
d) /ˈdeɪdriːm/ i) /ˈekstrə/
e) /ˈdʒaɪənt/ j) /ˈnju:trəlaɪz/
13. Transcribe the following English words and show the point of syllable
division in each of them by putting a bar between the syllables.
E.g. table /ˈteɪ | bl/
a) nature f) hurried
b) colonial g) picturesque
c) marriage h) discovered
d) follower i) language
e) another j) finished
14. What is a weak syllable?
15. Transcribe the following words and indicate the weak syllables.
a) agency i) photographer
b) assignment j) piano
c) assimilate k) recall
d) category l) reconnect
e) coda m) redo
f) luxurious n) reevaluate
g) phonetics o) prearrange
h) photograph
Tôn Nữ Mỹ Nhật (2024) [Type here] [Type here]
16. Transcribe the following words and indicate the possibilities of syllabic
consonants by providing both the transcriptions with a schwa + consonant and
with a syllabic consonant - [l̩ ], [n̩ ], [m̩ ], or [ŋ̩ ].
a) academy j) ribbon
b) approval k) sharpening
c) beauty l) talented
d) cushion m) total
e) hidden n) tunnel
f) listen o) variety
g) lucky p) various
h) motion q) without
i) presentation r) woolen
