Lecture 5: SYLLABLE

 

Study the attached text on the nature of the basic rhythmic unit, i.e. the syllable.

PRACTICE

• Exercise 1 = identification of the basic structure of a syllable

Now try the following activities (the key is below):

• Exercise 2

       Analyse the structure of the onsets in the following syllables:​   

1. /hju:dʒ /       

2. /kwІk /

3. /smel /

4. /skwi:l /

5./stænd /

 

• Exercise 3

Analyse the codas in the following syllables:

1.   /bʌt/          2.  /bʌst/      3.  /helpt/       4.  /bɒndz/      5.  /twelfθ/

 

 

 

Weak forms

As you may well remember, weak forms are a phenomenon nonexistent e.g. in Czech or Slovak, but extremely important in English. To remind yourself, go over the attached text.

Self-study

English Phonetics and Phonology (1994, 2009)

• the syllable
• weak forms