Syllabic Structure of English Words

The Syllabic Structure of English Words
The syllable one or several speech sounds, forming a
single uninterpreted unit of utterance,
which may be a word, or a commonly
recognized subdivision of a word.
Points of syllable analysis:
• Acoustic
• Auditory
• Articulatory
• Functional
Acoustic and auditory characteristics:
Force of utterance
Pitch of the voice
Degree of loudness and length
Syllable is the smallest unit of perception (first we hear the
whole syllable, then identify the sounds contained)
Syllable is the smallest unit of pronunciation (formation: V,
V+C, C+S)
Functions of syllable:
1. Constitutive (building up the larger structures of
language.)
2. Distinctive (ability of the syllable to differentiate
meaning)
3. Identificatory (speech perception and recognition)
Syllable division
Words can be divided into syllables according to:
 Syllable structure (e.g: un-kind-li-ness)
 Meaning (e.g: spot-light)