ABSTRACT
In a paper entitled ‘Vowel, consonant, and syllable – a phonological definition’ O’Connor and Trim write: ‘Generally, however, there is a choice of syllable division. In the word /ekstrə/, for instance, only the possibilities /elkstrə/and /ekstrlə/are excluded. The divisions /eklstrə/, /eksltrə/, /ekstlrə/ all yield a permitted final + a permitted initial combination’ (1953/73: 257). They summarise their analysis of English syllable structure by suggesting that:
the syllable may be defined as a minimal pattern of phoneme combination with a vowel unit as nucleus, preceded and followed by a consonant unit or permitted consonant combination. All longer sequences are to be analysed as a succession of syllables, the relative frequency of occurrence of various syllable-initial and syllable-final consonant combinations furnishing a basis for determining the point of syllable division.
(O'Connor and Trim 1953/73: 259)