Words are compsed of one or more syllables. A syllable ia a phonological unit that is composed of one or more phonemes. Every syllable has a nucleus, usually a vowel (but it may be a syllabic liquid or nasal). The nucleus may be preceded by one or more phonemes called the syllable onset and followed by one or more segments called coda. From a very early age, children learn that certain words rhyme. In rhyming words, the nucleus and coda of the final syllable are identical, as in the following jingle.
Jack
and Jill
Went
up the hill
To
fetch a pail of water
Jack
fell down
And
broke his crown
And
Jill came tumbling after.
For
this reason, the nucleus+coda constitute the subsyllabic unit called a rhyme. A
syllable thus has a hierarchical structure. Using the Greek letter sigma o as
the symbol for the phonological unit syllable, the hierarchical structure of
the monosyllabic word splints can be shown.
