Syllable Count for Apparent Monosyllabic Words
3
How many syllables are there in "child," "wild," and field"? If we look at the dictionary, it will tell us that these are monosyllabic words. There appear, however, to be diphthongs in each of these that lengthen the vowels to make them sound as though there are two. What do our experts say?
single-word-requests pronunciation vocabulary syllables
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
|
show 11 more comments
3
How many syllables are there in "child," "wild," and field"? If we look at the dictionary, it will tell us that these are monosyllabic words. There appear, however, to be diphthongs in each of these that lengthen the vowels to make them sound as though there are two. What do our experts say?
single-word-requests pronunciation vocabulary syllables
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
2
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
1
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
2
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
2
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
2
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33
|
show 11 more comments
3
3
3
0
How many syllables are there in "child," "wild," and field"? If we look at the dictionary, it will tell us that these are monosyllabic words. There appear, however, to be diphthongs in each of these that lengthen the vowels to make them sound as though there are two. What do our experts say?
single-word-requests pronunciation vocabulary syllables
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
How many syllables are there in "child," "wild," and field"? If we look at the dictionary, it will tell us that these are monosyllabic words. There appear, however, to be diphthongs in each of these that lengthen the vowels to make them sound as though there are two. What do our experts say?
single-word-requests pronunciation vocabulary syllables
single-word-requests pronunciation vocabulary syllables
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
edited Nov 28 '14 at 19:23
tchrist♦
110k30295475
110k30295475
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
asked Feb 4 '13 at 22:55
Patrick T. RandolphPatrick T. Randolph
1,27911223
1,27911223
2
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
1
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
2
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
2
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
2
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33
|
show 11 more comments
2
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
1
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
2
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
2
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
2
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33
2
2
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
1
1
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
2
2
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
2
2
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
2
2
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33
|
show 11 more comments
1 Answer
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The words are indeed Monosyllabic. The diphthongs only show that both vowels are pronounced as two non-identical letters, but in a gliding sense, so as to not lengthen the actual word. The words continue to hold only one syllable.
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
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The words are indeed Monosyllabic. The diphthongs only show that both vowels are pronounced as two non-identical letters, but in a gliding sense, so as to not lengthen the actual word. The words continue to hold only one syllable.
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
add a comment |
1
The words are indeed Monosyllabic. The diphthongs only show that both vowels are pronounced as two non-identical letters, but in a gliding sense, so as to not lengthen the actual word. The words continue to hold only one syllable.
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
add a comment |
1
1
1
The words are indeed Monosyllabic. The diphthongs only show that both vowels are pronounced as two non-identical letters, but in a gliding sense, so as to not lengthen the actual word. The words continue to hold only one syllable.
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
The words are indeed Monosyllabic. The diphthongs only show that both vowels are pronounced as two non-identical letters, but in a gliding sense, so as to not lengthen the actual word. The words continue to hold only one syllable.
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
answered Feb 5 '13 at 0:35
Jonathon BrownJonathon Brown
1007
1007
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add a comment |
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2
Diphthongs by themselves aren't two syllables. But the liquid l or r after a diphthing might in some dialects.
– Mitch
Feb 5 '13 at 0:09
1
@Mitch What, are you speaking French? Il n’y a pas de /y/ dans ce mot là, tu sais, comme nous avons dans ‹tu›, qui est /ty/.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:46
2
@Mitch Pretty sure English has no phonemic /ij/ diphthong, and even if [ij] occurs phonetically, it is a mere allophone. That said, try sounding out the syllable counts in the titular tune of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, and I think you will come up with eight not seven. Curious.
– tchrist♦
Feb 5 '13 at 0:52
2
I've heard these pronounced like /ˈwaɪˌəld/ or /ˈwaɪˌɛld/ and so on, which I had thought might be a local thing and another effect of the Irish an guta cúnta ("helping vowel") that leads us to give film two syllables. It only occurs to me now that Irish doesn't do that between L and D, so it can't be the cause (directly anyway), and logically I may also have been incorrect in thinking it only local to here. (Of course, I'm now over-thinking these and can't think how I normally pronounce those words myself!)
– Jon Hanna
Feb 5 '13 at 1:03
2
@JonHanna I think what is happening there is how the liquid consonants L and R in the syllable code following a falling diphthong have a tendency to become syllabic consonants and form syllabic nuclei of their own, because the glide at the end becomes a consonant pivot between two syllables: /'majəld/ for mild and miled. The /l/ certainly becomes a very dark version there, which may help. But this is the same thing we see in hire and higher, and how a person chooses to perceive those ambisyllabic pivots may owe more to metrical demands than a sonogram might suggest.
– tchrist♦
Nov 28 '14 at 19:33