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12. Syllabic structure of English words

**According to J. Kenyon, the syllable is one or more speech sounds, forming a single uninterrupted unit of utterance, which may be a word or a subdivision of a word.**

A syllable can be formed by a vowel (V); by a vowel and a consonant (VC); by a consonant and a sonorant (CS).

**Types of syllables:**

**V** – uncovered open, e.g. *or* [ɔː]

**VC** – uncovered closed, e.g. *at*[æt]

**CVC** – covered closed, e.g. *map*[mæp]

**CV** – covered open, e.g. *car* [kɑː]

**Theories of syllable formation:**

1. **The ancient theory** states that there are as many syllables as there are vowels. This theory is primitive and insufficient since consonants can also form syllables.

2. **The expiratory theory** states that there are as many syllables as there are expiration pulses. This theory is inconsistent because several syllables can be pronounced in one expiration.

3. **The sonority theory** states that there are as many syllables as there are peaks of sonority. Speech sounds differ in inherent prominence.

**Scale of Sonority (from most to least sonorous):**

1. low vowels – [ɑː, ɔː, ɒ, æ]

2. mid vowels – [e, ɜː, ə, ʌ]

3. high vowels – [iː, ɪ, uː, ʊ]

4. semi-vowels – [w, j]

5. sonorants – [l, r, m, n, ŋ]

6. voiced constrictive – [v, z, ʒ, ð]

7. voiced plosive – [b, d, g]

8. voiceless constrictive and affricates – [ʃ, tʃ, dʒ, f, s, h, θ]

9. voiceless plosive – [p, t, k]

**Juncture** is the boundary between syllables. Close juncture and open juncture distinguish meaning: *a name* vs *an aim*, *I scream* vs *ice cream*.