Phonetic syllabification

Phonetic syllabification

1. Phonetic Syllabification Presented by : Rodolfo Turney

2. Introduction In some languages, the spoken syllables are also the basis of Syllabication in writing. However, possibly due to the weak correspondence between sounds and letters in the spelling of modern English, written Syllabication in English is based mostly on etymological or morphological instead of phonetic principles.

3. Definition Syllabification: is the art of forming or dividing words into syllables. Syllables: are single speech parts that are made up of a vowel sound with or without a closely combined consonant sound.

4. RULES FOR SYLLABIFICATION Rule # 1 Every syllable has one vowel sound. Rule # 2 The number of vowel sounds in a word equals the number of syllables. home /ˈ hoʊm / = 1 sub·ject /ˈ sʌb-ʤɪkt / = 2 pub·lish·ing /ˈ pʌ-blɪ-ʃɪŋ / = 3

5. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 3 A one syllable word is never divided. stop /ˈ stɑ:p / feet /ˈ fi:t / bell /ˈ bɛl / Rule # 4 Consonant blends and digraphs are never separated. rest·ing /ˈ rɛs-tɪŋ / * bush·el /ˈ bʊ-ʃəl / * reach·ing /ˈ ri :- tʃɪŋ / *

6. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 5 When a word has a "ck" or an "x" in it, the word is usually divided after the "ck" or "x". nick·el /ˈ nɪ-kəl / * tax·is /ˈ tæk-siz / ** Rule # 6 A compound word is divided between the two words that make the compound word. in·side / ɪn -ˈ saɪd / or /ˈ ɪn -ˌ saɪd / foot·ball /ˈ fʊt -ˌ bɑ:l / tooth·brush /ˈtu: θ-ˌ brʌʃ /

7. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 7 When two or more consonants come between two vowels in a word, it is usually divided between the first two consonants. sis·ter /ˈ sɪs-tɚ / but·ter /ˈ bʌ-tɚ / hun·gry /ˈ hʌŋ -gri/ Rule # 8 When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, it is usually divided after the consonant if the vowel is short. drag·on /ˈ dræ-gən / * can·is·ter /ˈ kæ-nəs-tɚ / * hab·it /ˈ hæ-bət / *

8. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 9 When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, it is usually divided before the consonant if the vowel is long. ba·sin /ˈ beɪ-sṇ   .n/ fe·ver /ˈfi:- vɚ / ma·jor /ˈ meɪ-ʤɚ / Rule # 10 When two vowels come together in a word, and are sounded separately, divided the word between the two vowels. di·as·po·ra / daɪ -ˈ æs-pə-rə / di·et /ˈ daj-ət / pro·nun·ci·a·tion / prə -ˌ nʌn -si-ˈ eɪ-ʃən /

9. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 11 When a vowel is sound alone in a word, it forms a syllable itself. grad·u·ate /ˈ græ-ʤə -ˌ weɪt / * ed·u·ca·tion /ˌɛ- ʤə -ˈ keɪ-ʃən / * hi·a·tus / haɪ -ˈ eɪ-təs / Rule # 12 A word that has a prefix is divided between the root word and the prefix. dis·count /ˈ dɪs -ˌ kaʊnt / mis·fit /ˈ mɪs -ˌ fɪt / un·tie /ˌ ʌn -ˈ taɪ /

10. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 13 When  be ,  de ,  ex  and  re  are at the beginning of a word, they make a syllable of their own be·come / bɪ ˈ- kʌm / de·fend / dɪ -ˈ fɛnd / ex·hale / eks -ˈ heɪl / re·main / rɪ -ˈ meɪn / Rule # 14 A world that has a suffix is divided between the root word and the suffix. kind·ness /ˈ kaɪnd-nəs / thank·ful /ˈ θ æŋk-fəl / stuff·ing /ˈ stʌ-fɪŋ /

11. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 15 When a word ends in  le , preceded by a consonant, the word is divided before that consonant. pur·ple /ˈ pɚ-pəl / fum·ble /ˈ fʌm-bəl / mid·dle /ˈ mɪ-dḷ   .l/ Rule # 16 When  -ed  comes at the end of a word, it forms a syllable only when preceded by "d" or "t". fund·ed /ˈ fʌn-dəd / * start·ed /ˈ stɑɚ-təd / *

12. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 17 When a word or syllable ends in  al  or  el , these letters usually form the last syllable. usu·al /ˈju:- ʒə-wəl / or /ˈ ju:ʒəl / or /ˈ ju:ʒ-wəl / lev·el /ˈ lɛ-vəl / Rule # 18 When  ture  and  tion  are at the end of a word, they make their own syllable. pos·ture /ˈ pɑ:s-tʃɚ / lo·tion /ˈ loʊ-ʃən /

13. Rules for Syllabification Rule # 19 When a word ends in  ly , divide the word before the ending es·pe·cial·ly / ɪs -ˈ pɛ-ʃə-li / rough·ly /ˈ rʌ -fli/ Rule # 20 When a word ends in the noun suffix  ant  preceded by a consonant or digraph, divide the word before that consonant or digraph. as·sis·tant /ə-ˈ sɪs-tənt / * at·ten·dant /ə-ˈ tɛn-dənt / * im·mi·grant /ˈɪ- mə - grənt / *

14. Conclusion   English written syllabification therefore deals with a concept of "syllable" that does not correspond to the linguistic concept of a phonological (as opposed to morphological) unit. As a result, even most native English speakers are unable to syllabify words according to established rules without consulting a dictionary or using a word processor.