Syllabic consonants /m/, /l/ and /n/

Pronouncing syllabic consonants better than ever before!

A syllabic consonant or vocalic consonant is a consonant that forms a syllable on its own, like the m, n and l in the English words rhythm, button and bottle.

Ideally, a syllable should contain a vowel. A syllable that has no vowel, therefore, will invariably have a syllabic consonant. This means that syllabic consonants do not necessarily need a vowel to exist. Simply put, A syllabic consonant is a consonant that replaces a vowel in a syllable.

There is always an optional schwa /ə/ in that syllable.

Let’s consider some words with syllabic consonant /l/

• metal /ˈmɛt(ə)l/, terrible /ˈtɛrɪb(ə)l/, wonderful /wʌndəf(ə)/, channel /’tʃan(ə)l/, panel /ˈpan(ə)l/, sandal /ˈsand(ə)l/ etc

  It is interesting to note that the essence of studying syllabic consonants is to prescribe some rules guiding the correct pronunciation of these words that have syllabic consonants. For example, in the examples above, you will realize that the endings -ble, -tal, -ful, -nel, and -dal are syllabic consonants which are not pronounced as an ordinary Nigerian or person would. Check the embedded audio again for how the endings are pronounced.

• fatal /ˈfeɪt(ə)l/, castle /ˈkɑːs(ə)l/, playful /pleɪf(ə)l/, social /ˈsəʊʃ(ə)l/ etc.

Other words are model, total, bottle, local, little, people, couple, hospital, title, struggle etc.

Can you pronounce these words above? Try them out first before clicking on the embedded audio below.

Let’s consider some words with syllabic consonant /n/

• sudden, spoken, listen, reason, garden, certain, fasten, button, person, written

• For the syllabic consonant /n/, we have endings like -ken, -den, -ten, -ton, and -tain.

Other words are threaten, heaven, kitten, student, even, seven, election, Britain etc

Can you pronounce these words above? Try them out first before clicking on the embedded audio below.

Let’s consider some words with syllabic consonant /m/

• feudalism /ˈfju:dəˌlɪz(ə)m/, heroism /ˈhɛrəʊɪz(ə)m/, Journalism /ˈdʒəːn(ə)lɪz(ə)m/, from /frɒm, frəm/, etc

It is important to note here that any syllable that carries a schwa sound cannot be stressed. Schwa /ə/ is never stressed, yet it’s almost everywhere. It’s just a great guy! No stress!

Let me round up round off this newsletter by writing that the study of syllabic consonants is essential (I believe you can pronounce this word better now) for us not to have BU in terrible, KUN in spoken, TAL in fatal, NEL in channel, panel or colonel /ˈkəːn(ə)l/, TU in kettle or bottle, DEL in model and DENT in student. I hope you get what I’m driving at here.

I’m sure you really took some time to improve your spoken English in this newsletter. I must say that I’m sooooo proud of you. Please share with your friends whom you’d like to read this for them to get better at their spoken English, too. Till I write to you again, don’t forget to drink enough water and continue minding your own business. Ciao!

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With love and everything English,

Francis