Syllable

 A syllable is a phonological unit that is composed of one or more morphemes. It is a single, unbroken sound of a spoken or written word. It is a unit of pronunciation that contains one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants.

Phonologically, a syllable is defined by how vowels and consonants combine to construct various sequences. That is, the structure of a syllable is “consonant (s) plus vowel (s) plus consonant (s). A vowel is a compulsory element that can alone form a syllable, whereas a consonant is an optional element.

 Typically, a syllable contains: a vowel sound (central element) and optional consonants before (called onset) and /or after (coda).

Structure of a Syllable:

A syllable has three main parts:

Part	Description	Example (in ‘bed’)
Onset	The initial consonant (s) sound (if any)	“b”
Nucleus	The core vowel sound (always present)	“e”
coda	The ending consonant (s) sound (if any)	“d”

 More examples of syllable breakdown :

Word	Syllables	Breakdown
dog	1	Dog
apple	2	Ap-ple
banana	3	Ba-na-na
elephant	3	El-e-phant

 A minimal syllable in the English language may be a single vowel in isolation:

Are [a:]

Or [ɔ:]

Err [ ʒ:]

Some other English syllables could have no onset but a termination:

Am [ æ m]

Ought [ ɔ:t]

Ease [ i: z]

Finally, some English syllables could have both onset and termination:

Run [ r Λ n]

Sat [ s æ t]

Fill [ f I l]            

Importance of Syllable:

1. Syllables help in correctly pronouncing words.

2. Dividing words into syllables can help in spelling.

3. Syllables are key to understanding stress and intonation.