Understanding Syllables: Consonants, Vowels, and Phonetic Structure
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Syllabic Consonants
A syllabic consonant occurs when a consonant, typically l, r, or a nasal, functions as the nucleus of a syllable instead of a vowel. This is often indicated with a small vertical mark (ˌ) beneath the consonant. For example, the word 'cattle' can be transcribed as /kaetlˌ/.
Strong and Weak Syllables
Weak syllables differ from strong syllables in vowel characteristics. Vowels in weak syllables tend to be shorter, of lower intensity, and qualitatively different. For example, in the word 'father,' the second syllable is weaker than the first; it is shorter, less loud, and contains a vowel that typically does not occur in strong syllables. Weak syllables can also occur in word-final position with a coda, such as in the word 'open'... Continue reading "Understanding Syllables: Consonants, Vowels, and Phonetic Structure" »