On the Syllabic Consonants in Present-Day English

  • Published : 2000.07.01

Abstract

/$t{\partial}n$/, /$d{\partial}n$/, /$t{\partial}l$/ and /d{\partial}l$/, on the one hand, are the typical phonemes of syllabic consonants. On the other hand, /${\int}{\partial}n$/ most plausibly gives rise to the syllabic consonants. /$t{\partial}r$/ and /$d{\partial}r/ can he syllabic. However, because lip-rounded consonants strengthen the character of consonantal phonemes, they are not so appropriate. Apart from phonemes, some familiar words also could be almost always syllabic. From the historical perspective, we can say that the position of syllabic consonants is typically the second syllables of two-syllabic words and 1.hat the underlying schwa does not always exist. In terms of the syllable structure, the syllables which include syllabic consonants are totally different from both stressed syllables and the other unstressed syllables.

Keywords