The Syllable
Today, the syllable is well established as a phonological unit. It is represented by the Greek letter Sigma and is made up of a segment of high sonority flanked by elements of lower sonority. Each syllable consists of:
- an optional onset
- an obligatory rhyme
The rhyme comprises the obligatory peak or nucleus and an optional coda. Since the peak is normally represented by a vowel and the onset and the coda by a consonant, phonologists often use a shorthand notation (the CVC notation, see above).