Syllables and their types in English

We will describe Types of Syllables in this article. Each English word is holistic, but at the same time unique mosaic, which was assembled from separate, tiny pieces called syllables. A syllable can be a letter, and sometimes a whole group of consonants and vowels, which the English pronounce in different ways. But, despite the varied reading, there are only four main types of syllables in English: open and closed, syllables such as “vowel + r” and “vowel + r + vowel”. Well, let’s discuss them in more detail. Let’s do this! In this article, we will discuss the Syllables and their types in English with an explanation and description.

Types of Syllables

1-The first type of syllable is an open syllable 

i.e. a syllable ending in a vowel. The stressed vowel is read here as it is called in the alphabet. This is usually a long vowel or diphthong. The first type of syllable has two varieties:

1) an absolutely open syllable

the graphic image of which coincides with the phonetic one, i.e. with its sound, for example: me [mi:], no [nǝʊ];

2) a conditionally open syllable

is graphically open, and phonetically closed. Words such as note [nəʊt], Pete [pi: t] historically go back to disyllabic words in which the first syllable was open. In modern English, these are monosyllabic words, since the final letter e is not pronounced in words of this type. It is only a conditional indicator that the syllable is open here and its vowel should be read in the same way as in a completely open syllable.

2-The second type of syllable is closed

In this type of syllable, a stressed vowel is followed by one or more consonants (any other than the letter r ). A vowel letter in a closed syllable conveys a short vowel sound.

The consonants in front of a vowel do not in most cases affect the reading of the vowel. Thus, the letter e in a closed stressed syllable conveys a short vowel sound [e], regardless of how many consonants are in front of it: en [en], pen [pen], spend [spend].

Combinations er, or in an unstressed syllable convey the sound [ə]: better, doctor.

The letter o before the combination of consonants ld reads [əʊ]: old, bold .

3-The third type of syllable is considered to be the one in which the stressed vowel is followed by the letter r ,

which is not readable, but only indicates that the preceding vowel has a long reading.

4-The fourth type of syllable graphically resembles the first conditionally open syllable.

The difference between them is that in the last type of syllable between a stressed vowel and a dumb e there is not any consonant, but the letter r : more, hare.

Sounds with Examples.

1-Sounds [i:] / [ɪ]

In writing, the sound [ɪ] is conveyed by the letters Ii , Yy in a closed syllable ( big , gym ), the sound [ i: ] by the letter Ee in an open syllable ( these, Pete ) and letter combinations ea , ee , ei , ie ( veal, need, ceil, field ). Exception: key [ki:].

Letter ( combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
ee	See	[si:]
ee	agree	[ə’gri:]
ea	eat	[i: t]
ea	seat	[si: t]
ea	team	[ti: m]
ie	field	[fi: ld]
ie	piece	[pi: s]
e	these	[ði: z]
e	meter	[‘mi: tə]
e	secret	[‘si: krət]
e	evening	[‘i: vniŋ]
e	equal	[‘iːkwəl]
e	peter	[‘pi: tə]
e	museum	[mjuː’ziːəm]
e	european	[ˌJuərə’piːən]
e	chinese	[‘ʧaɪ’niːz]
e	japanese	[ˌʤæp (ə) ‘niːz]
e	complete	[kəm’pliːt]
ey	key	[ki:]
i	ski	[ski:]
i	kilo	[‘kiːləu]
i	liter	[‘liːtə]
i	pizza	[‘piːtsə]
i	police	[pə’liːs]
i	machine	[mə’ʃiːn]
i	magazine	[ˌMægə’ziːn]
eo	people	[pi: pl]

2-Sounds [u:] / [ ʊ ] 

A short sound [ ʊ ] in a letter is conveyed by the combination of letters oo + k, p , f , t ( book, hoop , boot , roof ).

The letter combination oo before the call of the consonant reads as [u:]: soon, mood, room, school, choose. Exceptions: good [gʊd], wood [wʊd], hood [hʊd], wool [wul], flood [flɅd], blood [blɅd].

The letter u , as a rule, after the consonants p , b is read as a short sound [ ʊ ] ( put, pull, push, bush ).

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
oo	too	[tu:]
ou	group	[gruːp]
oe	shoe	[ʃuː]
ue	blue	[bluː]
u	music	[‘mjuːzɪk]
ew	few	[fju:]
wo	two	[tu:]
ui	fruit	[fruːt]
ui	juice	[ʤuːs]

3-Sounds [ɑ:] / [ʌ] / [ə]

In writing, the sound [ʌ] is conveyed by the letter Uu in a closed syllable ( cup , luck ), as well as o before n, v, th ( love , month , nothing );

sound [ a : ] is transmitted by a combination of letters a + r ( park , car , dark , lark , art , jar ), letter a is also read as [ a : ] before f , nt , th ( raft , after , father , bath , plant ), in combination a + s + consonant ( class , ask, grass ). Exception: aunt .

the sound [ ə ] is conveyed by a combination of letters or , er , ar at the end of a word and pronounced without stress ( paper , letter , better , doctor , dollar ), the letter a in an unstressed position at the beginning and at the end of a word also conveys the sound [ ə ] ( delta , again , attend ).

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
a	after	[‘ɑːftə]
a	afternoon	[ˌⱭːftə’nuːn]
a	ask	[ɑːsk]
a	dance	[dɑːns]
a	bath	[bɑːθ]
a	bathroom	[‘bɑːθruːm]
a	can’t	[kɑːnt]
a	glass	[glɑːs]
a	answer	[‘ɑːnsə]
a	fast	[fɑːst]
a	father	[‘fɑːðə]
a	pass	[pɑːs]
a	raft	[rɑːft]
a	tomato	[tə’mɑːtəu]
ar	car	[kɑː]
ar	far	[fɑː]
ar	park	[pɑːk]
ar	star	[stɑː]
ar	start	[stɑːt]
au	aunt	[ɑːnt]
au	laugh	[lɑːf]
ear	heart	[hɑːt]
al	half	[hɑːf]

4-Sounds [ ɔ: ] / [ɒ] 

In writing, the sound [ ɒ ] is conveyed by the letter O o , if after it there is one or more consonants ( got , soft , odd , often ); the sound [ ɒ: ] is conveyed by the letter O o if it is followed by the letter r ( horn , lord ); al + consonant ( call , talk ), and the consonant l is not readable; letter combinations aw ( law ); au ( autumn). Exception: aunt [a: nt]. 

Letter ( combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
o	box	[bᴐks]
o	chocolate	[‘ʧɔklət]
o	coffee	[‘kɔfɪ]
o	copy	[‘kɔpɪ]
o	cross	[krɔs]
o	dog	[dᴐg]
o	holiday	[‘hɔlədeɪ]
o	hospital	[‘hɔspɪt (ə) l]
o	job	[ʤᴐb]
o	lock	[lᴐk]
o	long	[lɔŋ]
o	off	[ᴐf]
o	often	[‘ɔf (t) (ə) n]
o	possible	[‘pɔsəbl]
o	shop	[ʃɔp]
o	song	[sɔŋ]
o	sorry	[‘sɔrɪ]
o	wrong	[rɔŋ]
a	quality	[‘kwɔlətɪ]
a	want	[wᴐnt]
a	wash	[wɔʃ]
a	watch	[wɔʧ]
a	what	[wɔt]

5-Sounds [e] / [æ] 

On the letter, the sound [ ? ] is conveyed by the letter A a in a closed syllable ( map, plan, cat, sand, Ann ), the sound [ e ] – by the letter Ee in a closed syllable ( pen, bed, tent, egg, desk, end ).

Letter ( combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
e	better	[‘betə]
e	check	[ʧek]
e	leg	[leg]
e	letter	[‘letə]
e	red	[red]
e	sentence	[‘sentəns]
ea	bread	[bred]
ea	head	[hed]
ea	read	[red]
ie	friend	[frend]
a	any	[‘enɪ]
a	many	[‘menɪ]
ai	again	[ə’gen]
ai	said	[sed]

 

6-Sound [ə:] 

In writing, the sound [ ə: ] is conveyed by the vowels e , i , u , y , if they are followed by the letter r ( verb, girl, turn ); as well as the combination of letters ear + consonant ( early, earth ).

 

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
ir	bird	[bɜːd]
ir	circle	[‘sɜːkl]
ir	thirty	[‘θɜ: tɪ]
or	word	[w ?? d]
or	work	[wɜːk]
or	world	[wɜːld]
or	worse	[wɜːs]
ur	turn	[tɜːn]
ur	Thursday	[‘θɜːzdɪ]
our	journey	[‘ʤɜːnɪ]
ear	early	[‘ɜːlɪ]
ear	earth	[ɜːθ]
ear	heard	[hɜːd]
ear	learn	[lɜːn]
er	service	[‘sɜːvɪs]
er	Germany	[‘ʤɜːmənɪ]
er	prefer	[prɪ’fɜː]
er	dessert	[dɪ’zɜːt]
er	verb	[vɜːb]
er	university	[ˌJuːnɪ’vɜːsətɪ]

 

7-Sounds [iə] / [ɛə]

In writing, the sound [ iə ] is conveyed by the letter e followed by the letter r + vowel ( here , severe , period ), by the letter combination ear ( appear , clear , weary , dear ), by the letter combination eer ( engineer , sheer ).

The sound [ ɛə ] is conveyed by letter combinations air ( staircase, hair ), eir ( their ), letters a + r + e ( care, pare, fare, stare, parents ). Exception: where, there.

 

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
ea	real	[rɪəl]
ear	ear	[ɪə]
ear	beard	[bɪəd]
ear	clear	[klɪə]
ear	hear	[hɪə]
ear	nearly	[‘nɪəlɪ]
ear	year	[jɪə]
eer	beer	[bɪə]
eer	cheers	[ʧɪə]
ere	here	[hɪə]

 

8-Sounds [eɪ] / [aɪ] / [ᴐɪ]

In writing, the sound [ ei ] is denoted by the letter Aa in an open syllable ( gate, tape, late, stal e), by the letter combination ey ( gray, they ). Exception: key [ki:].

The sound [ ai ] is designated by the letters Ii , Yy in an open syllable ( like , type ), the letter combination igh ( r ight, night ). The sound [ ɔi ] is conveyed by letter combinations oi (noise, coin, poison), oy ( boy, toy, enjoy).

 

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
a	age	[eɪʤ]
a	came	[keɪm]
a	plane	[pleɪn]
a	table	[teɪbl]
ai	rain	[reɪn]
ai	wait	[weɪt]
ay	day	[deɪ]
ay	play	[pleɪ]
ay	say	[seɪ]
ey	gray	[greɪ]
ea	break	[breɪk]
ea	great	[greɪt]
eigh	eight	[eɪt]
eigh	weight	[weɪt]

 

9-Sounds [əʊ] / [aʊ] 

In writing, the sound [ a ʊ ] is conveyed by letter combinations ou ( house , cloud , about ), about w ( town , how , brown , drown , down ). Exception: country [ k ʌ ntri ], cousin [ k ʌ zn ].

The sound [ ə ʊ ] is conveyed by combinations of letters ow , oa , oe ( toe , boat , low ), the letter Oo in an open syllable ( close , no ). Exception: post , cold .

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
o	cold	[kəʊld]
o	post	[pəʊst]
o	close	[kləʊz]
o	home	[həʊm]
o	phone	[fəʊn]
ow	know	[nəʊ]
ow	low	[ləʊ]
ow	show	[ʃəʊ]
oa	boat	[bəʊt]
oe	toe	[təʊ]

 

10-Sounds [ʊə], [ɛə]

The sound [ ʊ ə ] is conveyed by the letter combination oor ( poor ), so the letter u is also read after the sounds [ ʃ, l ] ( sure, plural );

The sound [ ɛə ] is conveyed by the letter combinations air ( staircase, hair ), eir ( their ); letters a + r + e ( care, pare, fare, stare, parents ). Exception: where , there .

Letter (combination of letters)	Example	Transcription
oor	boor	[bʊə]
oor	moor	[mʊə]
oor	poor	[puə]
ure	sure	[ʃuə]
ue	cruel	[kruəl]
ure	cure	[kjuə]
ure	pure	[pjuə]
eu	europe	[‘juərəp]
u	usually	[‘ju: ʒuəli]
u	mural	[`mjuərəl]
u	plural	[‘pluərəl]
ure	surely	[‘ʃuəli]

Conclusion

Although learning the types of syllables in English will take some time, simple reading rules will subsequently help improve not only phonetics but also spelling. In addition, it will allow you to expand your vocabulary and use new knowledge during live communication with people.