STRONG AND
WEAK
SYLLABLES
REVIEW MIDTERM TEST (10 QUESTIONS)
The quadrilateral of cardinal vowels
We use the quadrilateral of cardinal vowels to describe the English
short and long vowels
Front Central Back
i u
Close • iː • uː
•ɪ •ʊ
Close - mid e o
• ɔː
•ə
•e
ɜː •
Open - mid ɛ ɔ
•ʌ
•æ •ɒ
• ɑː
Open a ɑ
Unround Rounded
Strong vs. Weak Syllables
Strong syllable: a strong vowel (central) (except /ə/)
Strong syllable stressed syllable
Weak syllable unstressed syllable /ə/, [i], [u], /ɪ/, /ʊ/
The differences between strong and weak syllables:
Length: Strong syllables are longer than weak syllables.
Loudness: Strong syllables are louder than weak syllables.
Feature: Strong syllables have vowels the differ in quality from the vowels of
weak syllables.
The syllable is weak when it has the short vowel /ə/ (Schwa).
Example: better /betə/ - The second syllable is weak.
The syllable is weak when it has the close front unrounded vowel /i/.
Example: city /sɪti/ - The second syllable is weak.
The syllable is weak when it has the close back rounded vowel /u/.
Example: thank you /θæŋk ju/ - The second syllable is weak.
The syllable is weak when it has a syllabic consonant /m̩ , n,̩ ŋ,̩ l,̩ r̩/.
Example: couple /kʌpl/̩ - The second syllable is weak.
The syllable is weak when it ends with the short vowel /ɪ/ and the next
syllable starts with a consonant.
Example: design /dɪzaɪn/ - The first syllable is weak.
STRONG SYLLABLES
The syllable is strong when it has a long vowel or
diphthong. ‘see’ /si:/
The syllable is strong when it has a short vowel (i, e, æ, ʌ,
ɒ, ʊ), followed by at least a consonant. ‘bat’ /bæt/
An open syllable has no consonant at the end of it.
A closed syllable has a consonant at the end of it.
• /ə/ is the weakest vowel in English and
the most frequently occurring one.
• Only five consonants can be syllabic
consonant in English: /m̩ , n̩, ŋ,̩ l,̩ r̩/.
List of important words with syllabic consonants:
cattle wrestle bottle muddle
trouble knuckle panel kernel
pedal threaten eaten happen
often uppermost preference Hungary
veteran garden rhythm bottom
literal visionary couple struggle
blossom Handle parcel Petal
national history seven Heaven
How many syllables are there in the following words? Which one is strong?
1. allow
2. happy
3. carelessness
4. remember
5. standard
6. allow /əˈlaʊ/
7. happy /ˈhæpi/
8. carelessness /ˈkeələsnəs/
9. remember / rɪˈmembə/
10. standard /ˈstændəd/
The schwa /Ə/
Stressed syllable Unstressed syllable
- Strong vowel - - Weak vowel -
Every easy to hear Difficult to hear
The schwa /Ə/
/ə/ (“schwa”):
• only in unstressed syllables
• main weak vowel of English
Many strong vowels lose their distinct analyze /ˈænəlaɪz/ - analysis /əˈnæləsɪs/
quality and are replaced by schwa when
they lose stress.
In unstressed syllables, schwa is often orange /ˈɒrɪnʤ/ or /ˈɒrənʤ/
interchangeable with either /ɪ/ or /ʊ/.
neutralization
[i] distribution - unstressed syllable only
If a syllable containing /i:/ or /ɪ/ follows these
situations, it must contain /i/
“y” or “ey”
(final position) happy /ˈhæpi/, valley /ˈvæli/
/u/ distribution not common
In “you, to, into, do, through, who (unstressed)”
QUIZ 7
DEADLINE: FRIDAY at 10 p.m.
Quiz 1: Choose the correct answer a, b, c, or d.
1. The first step to decide if a syllable is weak or 3. Strong syllables are:
strong is:
a. Unstressed
a. Knowing the difference between them
b. Stressed
b. Looking at stress
c. Vowel phonemes (or a triphthong) are the peak
c. Looking at transcription
d. b and c are correct.
d. Knowing the similarity between them
4. The close front vowels are:
2. Weak syllables are:
a. i u:
a. Unstressed
b. u: i:
b. Stressed
c. i: i
c. Vowel tends to be longer.
d. u u:
d. Vowel phonemes (or a triphthong) are the
peak.
5. Which word has the 1st syllable that's 7. There is no strong syllables with a short vowel
considered as a weak syllable? and no .....
a. father a. coda
b. react b. onset
c. treasure c. nuclear
d. baby d. rhyme
6. Which 'a' in the following words is strong 8. A syllable peak which is a long vowel or
syllable? diphthong or a short vowel but always followed
by at least one consonant is:
a. sofa
a. schwa
b. extra
b. coda
c. lazy
c. weak syllables
d. photography
d. strong syllables
9. In ……….. syllables, schwa is often
interchangeable with either /ɪ/ or /ʊ/.
a. stressed
b. strong
c. unstressed
d. the first
10. A syllabic consonant is a syllable that
contains:
a. a consonant and a vowel
b. only a consonant
c. at least one vowel
d. two vowels
REMINDER
1. REVIEW WEEK 1,2,3,4,5
2. STUDY WEEK 7
3. DO QUIZ 7
4. GROUP PROJECT WEEK 8
