The syllable (s)

1
The syllable (s)

• Its a useful analytic unit
• Its a cognitive unit
• An argot popular among young ruffians contains
  forms like fan-fuckin-tastic, abso-bloody-lutely,
  Phila-fuckin-delphia, and Kalama-fuckin-zoo. In
  this lingo they are placed inside a single word,
  always in front of a stressed syllable. The rule
  is followed religiously Philadel-fuckin-phia
  would get you laughed out of the pool hall. -
  Steven Pinker

2
Syllable structure

• A syllable consists of an onset (optional) and a
  rhyme (required)
• A rhyme consists of a nucleus (required) and a
  coda (optional)

3
Two rules

• Sonority Sequencing Principle (SSP)
• Low vowels
• High vowels
• Laterals
• Approximants
• Nasals
• Fricatives
• Affricates
• Plosives

High sonority
Low sonority
4
Two rules

• Maximum Onset Principle (MOP)
• VCCV will be syllabified as V.CCV, not VC.CV or
  VCC.V (provided that CC is an acceptable onset)
• Practice aspect, picnic, stranded