3 Suprasegmentals n n Suprasegmental features are those

3. Suprasegmentals n n Suprasegmental features are those aspects of speech that involve more than single sound segments. The principal suprasegmentals are: 1

3. 1 The syllable structure σ Onset Rime Nucleus k r æ Coda k t 2

n n Open syllable: bar, tie Closed syllable: bard, tied English Syllable: (((C)C)C)V((((C)C) Chinese syllable: (C)V(C) 3

Maximal Onset Principle (MOP) n n When there is a choice as to where to place a consonant, it is put into the onset rather than the coda. Cf. tell and telling – resyllabification q te- + -lling 4

Resyllabification n bottler, calling, cooler, dealer/dealing, falling, felling, feeling, fooling, footballer, fully, girlish, howling, jelly, killer/killing, mailing, pull puling, roller, sealing, selling, whale whaling/whaler, whole wholly, yelling, … 5

Sonority scale n It is interesting to find that in English consonant clusters in onset and coda positions disallow many consonant combinations. q n For example, we can have help, lump, pray, and quick, but not *hepl, *lupm, *rpay, or *wqick. It is found that a sonority scale is at work. The degree of sonority of different classes of sound affects their possible positions in the syllable: 6

n Sonority scale: Most sonorous Least sonorous 5 4 3 2 1 Vowels Approximants Nasals Fricatives Stops 7

8

n In a word such as cracked, the sonority of each sound gradually rises to a peak at the nucleus and then falls at the coda: 5 4 3 2 1 * k * * * r æ k * t 9

n This explains why *rkatk is not allowed: 5 4 * 3 2 1 r * * * k æ * t k 10

Problems with the sonority scale n Consider the case of silk and sickle. They consist of the same sounds, but are arranged in a different order. Whereas silk follows the correct sequence of the sonority scale, sickle does not. q The traditional practice is to take sickle as a disyllabic word so that [kl] forms a syllable of its own, with [l] being considered to be syllabic. 11

n n The case with [s] in the onset position also behaves unusually, in that it can combine with almost any onset to form a cluster of up to three consonants, e. g. [spl -], [spr-], [str-], [skw-]. Two views have been found to explain this. q q One is to take [s] as a separate syllable, i. e. to treat words like stock as disyllabic, but this is however against most native speakers’ intuition. Another view is to take such a segment as an “appendix”. 12

Phonotactics n n The rules that describe possible sequences of sounds forming English words. Language can differ in their phonotactic rules, so that mbotto might be a possible word of Swahili, or psore a possible word of Greek, but they are not possible words in English. 13

n n Phonotactic rule 1: Sequences of repeated consonants are not possible. /sssitttt/ As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, ‘Brazil, here I come…Thanksss, amigo. ’ 14

n Phonotactic rule 2: The glottal fricative /h/ never occurs in the coda of a syllable. n This rules out the possibility of beh. n 15

To rule out flezk and zipb n Other coda rules: q q q If the second consonant in a complex coda is voiced, the first consonant in the coda must also be voiced. When a non-alveolar nasal is in a coda together with a non-alveolar obstruent, they must have the same place of articulation, and the obstruent must be a voiceless stop. Two obstruents in a coda together must have the same voicing. 16

To rule out psore and mbotto n Basic onset rules: q q n /ŋ/ is not a possible onset. Complex onsets may not contain affricates or /h/. Two-consonant complex onsets may contain either: q q A. first consonant: any obstruent other than /s/; second consonant: liquid or glide (l, r, j, w). B. first consonant: /s/; second consonant: nasal, liquid, glide or voiceless obstruent (except / /). 17