Syllable formation and syllable division rules appear to be a matter of great practical value to the language learner. They are especially important when it is necessary to know the numbeT of syllables for the purpose of picturing a word or a sentence on Lhe staves, or for finding a convenient place to put a stress mark in phonetic transcription. One must know the rules to define the syllable boundaries to make correct syllable division at the junction of words, as wrong syllabic division may cause misunder standing, eg a nice house [a 'nais 'haos]; an ice house [an 'ais 'hausj.
When the first sequence is pronounced with the syllabJe boundary between the sounds (nj and [aij a phonological mistake is made as in this case the meaning is different.
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It is not difficult to count how many syllables a word contains by noticing the peaks or the most prominent sounds in it (vowels and the sonorants [I, n, mj), but it is not generally easy to determine precisely the syllable boundary.
Sometimes the beginning of a syllable is marked by a stress, eg create [kn'eitj; concern [k3n's3:nj.
In other cases the transition from one vowel sound to another indicates the separation of syllables, eg seeing I'si:in); bluish ['blu:tf.
But there are cases when4it is almost impossible to determine the syllable boundary, eg extra ('ekstra). It is quite evident that there are two syllables in the word as there are two peaks (the vowels [e] and [ý]) in it. But the syllable division may be marked like this: j'ek-stra] or ['eks-traj.
In most general terms syllable division rules can be defined as follows:
(1) An intervocalic consonant tends to belong to the follow
ing syllabic sound, eg about [ý-'baut]; writing ['rai-tin].
This rule holds true for cases when a consonant is preceded by a long vowel or a diphthong, as they are always free at the end and there is no need to close the syllable, eg music ['mju:-zik]; skating fskei-tin].
But in case of a short stressed vowel followed by a consonant there are three viewpoints concerning the syllable boundary:
(a) the intervocalic consonant belongs to the short vowel preceding it (to make the short vowel checked), eg pity ['pit-ij. coffee I'kDf-i], better fbet-ý);
(b) the intervocalic consonant belongs to the vowel following it, eg ('pi-tij, ['ko-fi|, ('be-taj;
(c) the syllable boundary goes through the consonant, eg ['piti), ['kofij. ['beta].
In this case the sounds [t] and [f] belong structurally both to 'he preceding and the following vowels. The last point of view eems to be more convenient for pedagogical expedience as a tressed vowel being covered by a consonant becomes checked.
(2) Intervocalic combinations of consonants belong to the fol-
owing syllabic sound, if such combinations are typical of Eng-
;sh. eg naturally ['naetf-re-li].
It is reasonable to admit that the syllable boundary is placed n this word between [tf] and [r] as [setf] and [ãç] possible word inal and initial sequences, while the word final [aej and initial , |ãý] do not occur in English, eg latch [laetf], extra ['ekstra].
Recommendations.1. Make vowels in stressed syllables checked by passing over to the articulation of the following consonant as quickly as possible.
2. See that you make correct syllable division at the junction ' of words, cf:
TTiey lived in an ice house. [5ei Mivd in ýï 'ais thaus). j
They lived m a nice house. [dci Vhvd in ý 'nais ,haus].
Comparison with Russian. 1.In Russian as well as in English a syllable is formed by a vowel sound, eg ÿ — 1, àêò — act; Ñèòè — city, ôàìèëèÿ — family.
But a sonorant with a preceding consonant is never syllabic in Russian, cf:
rhythm ['ndm] but ðèòì.(one syllable) eagle |'tg|) but èãë (one syllable) channel ['tfaenj] but ÷¸ëí (one syllable)
2. In Russian an intervocalic consonant always belongs to the following vowel, cf sit-ter — cu-mo.
3. If the symbols V and Ñ represent a vowel and a consonant respectively the syllable structure both in English and in Russian can be shown by different rather numerous combinations of sounds which could be grouped into four types of syllables. This division is based on the principle of what sound (vowel or consonant) the syllable begins and ends with. The four types of syllables are as follows: (a) fully open; (b) fully closed; (c) covered at the beginning; (d) covered at the end."
(a) A fully open syllable consists of one vowel sound (V), eg ore, or, a, u.
(b) A fully closed syllable has a vowel between consonants (CVC, CVCC, CCVC. etc), eg bit, left, place; ñîí, ãîðí, ñëîí.
(c) One consonant or a sequence of consonants precede a vowel in a syllable covered at the beginning (CV, CCV, CCCV), eg too, spy, straw, íà, ñòî, ìçäà.
(d) A syllable covered at the end is completed by one or more consonants (VC, VCC, VCCC), eg on, act, acts; îí, àêò, èñêð (ðîä. ïàä. ìí. ÷.).
Do not mix up this classification of syllables with the one reading rules are based on.
The four types can be brought together in a single generalized formula (Q V (C) where the brackets indicate the optional presence of a consonant.