An Analytical Study of English Syllabic Structure by EFL Learners

Abstract

Learning English pronunciation without learning the sounds of the language is as impossible as accomplishing a herculean task(Ahmadi, 2011). Segmental study of words satiates the need of seeking the rubrics of syllables. A syllable is a basic unit of pronunciation(Lasi, 2020). The present study aimed at exploring English Syllable and syllabic Structure to have a predominant comprehension of English pronunciation. The analysis of the present study was conducted on twenty-six words in alphabetical order and was taken from Soanes’ Compact Oxford Dictionary of Current English (2008). The study investigated words with ambiguous syllabic boundaries through the lens of conceptual theories of the Optimal Onset Principle and Phonotactic constraints. The process of syllabification provided evidence that set rules are, sometimes violated to split the words into appropriate constituents. The correct syllabification produces correct pronunciation. Otherwise, words might be been mispronounced, hence meaningless, and sometimes preposterous.