Syllable and Syllable Structure
Syllables are often described as the phonological building blocks of words.
Linguistically a syllable is defined as a unit of speech that is made up of a syllable nucleus (usually a vowel) and one or more optional phones.
The syllable has two immediate constituents:
- onset
any consonant(s) that precede the nucleus
- rhyme
the nucleus and any consonant(s) that follow it
The rhyme is further divided into:
- nucleus
the most sonorous element (usually a vowel)
- coda
any consonant(s) that follow the nucleus
