Syllable nucleus
- Syllable nucleus
In
phonetics andphonology , the nucleus (sometimes called peak) is the central part of thesyllable , most commonly avowel . In addition to a nucleus, a syllable may begin with an onset and end with a coda, but in most languages the only part of a syllable that is mandatory is the nucleus. The nucleus and coda form the rime of the syllable.Diphthong s andtriphthong s can also serve as the nucleus. Syllables withshort vowel s as nuclei are sometimes referred to as "light syllables" while syllables withlong vowel s, diphthongs, or triphthongs as nuclei are referred to as "heavy syllables"; see "Syllable weight " for more discussion.Sonorant consonants such as liquids (such as IPA| [r] and IPA| [l] ) and nasals (such as IPA| [m] and IPA| [n] ) can serve as the nucleus if there is novowel . The nucleus of the last syllable in the final example at right is an example of a sonorant nucleus.In a small number of languages, the onset may also be mandatory, so that vowel-initial syllables are not found. There are also a few languages such as Nuxalk and some dialects of Berber, which have some
obstruent -only words. It is difficult to divide such words into syllables using conventions from other languages; it may be that the concept of 'syllable' doesn't apply, or that syllabic nuclei are optional in these languages.
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