Syllables, Segments, and Sequences: Phonological Patterns in the Words of Young Children Acquiring American English

The syllable plays a key role in MacNeilage’s Frame/Content theory of the

development of speech in children and in his concept of the evolution of

language in humans. MacNeilage proposes that the basic consonant-vowel

syllable type developed from the closing (for consonant production) and opening

(for vowels) mandibular movements associated with chewing and sucking.