Strong and Weak Syllables

Strong and weak syllables
Strong syllables Weak syllables

Louder Not as loud
Possibly longer Shorter
Stressed Snstressed
Can include any vowel sound EXCEPT Limited selection of vowels seen - /ə ,
/ə , i, u/ i, u, /
- diphthong with or without coda
(endʒɔɪ, endʒɔɪd) /I/ = when it has zero coda
- long vowel with or without coda If it has coda = strong syllable
(əpi:r fri:dəm)
- short vowels WITH coda /ɪ, e, æ,
ʌ, ɒ, ʊ/ (kəmpleks, sɪlvər) or no vowel at all (syllabic consonants)
At the end of a word, we may have a weak syllable
ending with a vowel (no coda):
• the vowel /ə/

• /i:/, /I/, but it is symbolized as /i/
• /u:/, /ʊ/, but it is symbolized as /u/
• Why not /i:/ and /u:/?

Why not /i:/ and /u:/?
• “easy” • “i:zi”
• “happy” • “hæpi”
• “thank you” • “θæŋk ju”
*Used when we want the sound, but not the

length or stress
Weak syllables /ə , i, u/
• at the end of a word, zero coda, using /ə , i, u/

– betə (British), hæpi, θæŋkju
• at the end of a word, /ə/ with a coda

– əʊpən
• inside a word, zero coda, using /ə , i, u/

– fəʊtəgræf, reɪdiəʊ, ɪnfluəns
Weak syllables /I/ and Syllabic Consonants
• /I/ : at the start or inside a word, zero coda, using /ɪ/

– ɪnʌf, ɑ:rkɪtekt > weak syllable
– pɪk·tʃər > strong syllable because /pɪk/ has a coda
• Syllabic Consonants : at the end of a word, sometimes

inside a word, with /n, l, r/ with very little vowel sound
(bʌtn̩)
schwa
• NEVER found in strong syllables

• in British pronunciation, end of a word, zero
coda (betə)
• at the end of a word, with a coda (əʊpən)
• inside a word, zero coda (fəʊtəgræf)
• in word ending syllables like –ate (many adjectives
and nouns, NOT verbs), -ment, -ous, -tion
(ækjurət, dʒʌdʒmənt, preʃəs, neɪʃən)
/i/
• Word-final position after a consonant sound when the word ends with
–y or -ey (hæpi, væli)
• In the same type of words, morpheme-final position, before a suffix

beginning with vowel (hæpiəst, hʌriɪŋ)
• Before a suffix such as –ate or –ous (əpri:ʃieɪt, hɪleriəs)
• In prefixes such as re-, pre-, de-, when unstressed and morpheme

begins with a vowel (riækt, diəʊdəraɪz, priəpru:v)
• In function words like he, she, we, me, be, the, when the following
word starts with a vowel (wi entərd ðə ru:m), when unstressed
/u/
• Not as common as /ə/ and /i/
• In you, to, into, do and the next word begins with a
vowel (ɪntu ə cɑ:r, fu:d tu i:t, du evriθɪŋ), when
unstressed
• In through and who, (hu ɪz ɪt, θru ðə wɪndəʊ, θru evri
bʊk, hu eɪt maɪ keɪk)
• Within a word, before a vowel
• for example: ɪnfluenzə
Practice
Transcribe the words below into IPA, show how to divide them into syllable by putting .
between IPA symbols, and the circle the weak syllable or syllables.
Re-open
Envy
Articulate (verb)
Articulate (adj)
Autumn
Water (British)
Chicken
Sharpen
Redirect
Practice
Transcribe the words below into IPA, show how to divide them into syllable by putting .
between IPA symbols, and the circle the weak syllable or syllables.
Re-open r i oʊ p ə n
Envy e n v i
Articulate (verb) ɑ r t ɪ k j ə l eɪ t
Articulate (adj) ɑ r t ɪ k j ə l ə t
Autumn ɑː t ə m
Water (British) w ɔː t ə
Chicken
Sharpen ʃɑrpən ʃ ɑː p ə n
Redirect r iː d ɪ r e k t
Syllables with no vowel
• Sometimes, a syllable can have no vowel,
and it can have only a consonant
• In this case, a consonant, either l, r or a
nasal, stands as the peak of the syllable
instead of the vowel
• We can indicate that a consonant is
syllabic by adding vertical mark (n̩, l,̩ r̩)
beneath the symbol.
Syllables with no vowel
• syllabic l (bɒtl)̩
• syllabic n (bʌtn̩)
• syllabic r (betr̩) (American pronunciation)
Syllabic l
• Always follows another syllable in a word
• Always follows another consonant
• In words that end with consonant + -le
– bɒtl,̩ resl,̩ pʌdl,̩ kʌpl,̩ trʌbl,̩ pɪkl,̩ strʌgl ̩
• In words that end with –al or –el
– pænl,̩ petl,̩ pɑ:rsl ̩
• In many cases, /əl/ is acceptable instead
Syllabic n
• Most common after alveolar plosives and fricatives (/t,

d, s, z/)
• (kɒtn̩, lɪsn̩, sʌdn̩, prɪzn̩)
• Not usually found after /l, tʃ, dʒ/ (NO SYLLABIC n) (we
use /ən/ instead.)
• (kəʊlən, kɪtʃən, pɪdʒən)
• After /f, v/, syllabic n is more common than /ən/

(sevn̩, ɒfn̩)
Syllabic n
• If velar consonants (/k/ and /g/) are followed by “an” or “on”
= /ən/ is used. (NO SYLLABIC n)
• (Wagon = wægən, American əmerɪkən)
• But, If velar consonants (/k/ and /g/) are followed by “en” =

syllabic n is used
• (Chicken = tʃɪkn̩)
*(but /ən/ is also acceptable)
• After bilabial consonants, both syllabic n and /ən/ are equally

acceptable (hæpn̩, hæpən, rɪbn̩, rɪbən, lemn̩, lemən)
Syllabic r
• More common in American than British
pronunciation
• May occur in the first syllable, within the word, or in
the last syllable (pr̩tɪkjəlr,̩ prefr̩əns)
• In American pronunciation, most words that end in
unstressed –er can be transcribed with syllabic r
(bɪgr,̩ betr,̩ fæstr,̩ strɒŋgr̩),
*(but /ər/ is always acceptable.)
Transcribe the words below into IPA, show how to divide them into
syllable by putting . between IPA symbols. Decide which words have
a syllabic consonant
Pelican
Double
Clever
Dragon
Eleven
Broken
Richen
Carbon
Transcribe the words below into IPA, show how to divide them into
syllable by putting . between IPA symbols. Decide which words have
a syllabic consonant
Pelican pel.ə.kən
Double dʌb.l
Clever klev·r
Dragon dræg.ən
Eleven ɪ.lev·n
Broken broʊ·kn
Richen rɪtʃ. ən
Carbon kɑr·bən / kɑr·bn

Strong and Weak Syllables

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Strong and Weak Syllables

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Strong and Weak Syllables

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What are strong and weak syllables?

What are strong and weak syllables?

What vowels can be found in weak syllables?

What vowels can be found in weak syllables?

Strong and weak syllables

Strong syllables Weak syllables

Possibly longer Shorter

• the vowel /ə/

• Why not /i:/ and /u:/?

*Used when we want the sound, but not the

• at the end of a word, zero coda, using /ə , i, u/

• at the end of a word, /ə/ with a coda

• inside a word, zero coda, using /ə , i, u/

• /I/ : at the start or inside a word, zero coda, using /ɪ/

• Syllabic Consonants : at the end of a word, sometimes

• NEVER found in strong syllables

• In the same type of words, morpheme-final position, before a suffix

• Before a suffix such as –ate or –ous (əpri:ʃieɪt, hɪleriəs)

• In prefixes such as re-, pre-, de-, when unstressed and morpheme

• Most common after alveolar plosives and fricatives (/t,

• After /f, v/, syllabic n is more common than /ən/

• But, If velar consonants (/k/ and /g/) are followed by “en” =

*(but /ən/ is also acceptable)

• After bilabial consonants, both syllabic n and /ən/ are equally

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