Closed and open syllables

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Are these words multisyllable words with only ''baby'' being open syllable and the rest close syllable?
ba by -open syllable
e ven-closed syllable
pa per -closed syllable
mu sic-closed syllable

 

[GoesStation]

I suppose I could Google this, but I wonder if you could tell me how you understand the terms "open" and "closed syllable". They mean nothing to me.

 

[Tarheel]

Hello.

Are these words multisyllable words with only ''baby'' being open syllable and the rest closed syllable?
ba by -open syllable
e ven-closed syllable
pa per -closed syllable
mu sic-closed syllable

No. They are all open syllable words. In fact, the way you divide the words into syllables illustrates that.

 

[Tarheel]

I suppose I could Google this, but I wonder if you could tell me how you understand the terms "open" and "closed syllable". They mean nothing to me.

The website that explained them to me uses the same examples as Rachel.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Ba by -is an open syllable, isn't it?

 

[jutfrank]

Ba by -is an open syllable, isn't it?

From what you've learned about syllables, how many syllables do you think baby has? Are they open or closed?

 

[Rachel Adams]

Do they mean that the words they listed are all open syllable words? ''Ba'' is followed by ''by'' but they are both counted separately, so even though ''ba'' is followed by a ''b'' (''by''), ''ba'' is not a closed syllable, right? I thought I should pay attention to the word ending only, if there is a vowel at the end of the word. To decide whether a multisyllable word is open or closed syllable word I must pay attention to its ending only, right?


There aren’t many one-syllable words that contain open syllables, but there are many multisyllable words that do. For example, look at the first syllables in these words:
ba by
e ven
pa per
mu sic

 

[jutfrank]

To decide whether a multisyllable word is open or closed syllable word I must pay attention to its ending only, right?

It's the syllable that is either open or closed, not the word. That means that a multisyllabic word can consist of some closed and some open ones.

 

[teechar]

On a Russian website I read that open-syllable words are pronounced alphabetically as in 'baby' and ''music'' the vowels 'a' in ''baby'' and ''u'' in 'music' beɪbi ˈmjuːzɪk so they teach to pay attention if the word has a vowel at the end. But ''music'' doesn't have a vowel at the end, and it is still pronounced ''alphabetically. Rabbit and napkin are closed syllables like music :-?. Paper is a closed syllable but the a is pronounced 'ei' as it is usually pronounced in open syllables. I am lost!

Rachel was unable to post the above.

See this thread.

 

[teechar]

I suppose I could Google this, but I wonder if you could tell me how you understand the terms "open" and "closed syllable". They mean nothing to me.

The whole thing is a complete waste of time, if you ask me.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I can post! It seems to me that rule doesn't always work. Ra -open syllable bbit-closed, paper-pa-open syllable, per closed. If the teach to pay attention to the ending of the word then both words have consonants at their ends, in paper, pa is pronounced alphabetically but in rabbit, the ra is not, since it's ˈræ' not 'rei'.

It says these words are open syllable- words [FONT=&quot]to-tal, ri-val that's why they are pronounced alphabetically, like 'rabbit' these words end with consonants, but unlike them the word 'rabbit' is pronounced as [/FONT]ræbit not as reibit.

 

[GoesStation]

I can post! It seems to me that rule doesn't always work. Ra -open syllable bbit-closed, paper-pa-open syllable, per closed. If the teach to pay attention to the ending of the word then both words have consonants at their ends, in paper, pa is pronounced alphabetically but in rabbit, the ra is not, since it's ˈræ' not 'rei'.

It says these words are open syllable- words [FONT=&quot]to-tal, ri-val that's why they are pronounced alphabetically, like 'rabbit' these words end with consonants, but unlike them the word 'rabbit' is pronounced as [/FONT]ræbit not as reibit.

I couldn't help myself and looked up the meanings of the terms. Rabbit begins with a closed syllable — the first syllable ends with a consonant, and its vowel is not pronounced like the name of the letter.

 

[Tarheel]

I've just been introduced to this concept, and I am not sure it's worth paying attention to.

 

[Tdol]

It does seem to be a hair-splitting concepts that muddies the waters- I can't really see how this makes learning more efficient.

 

[Tarheel]

There are numerous exceptions. What about short "closed syllable" words that you add an "e" to thus changing the pronunciation? (I could make a list of some, but what would be the point?) Those words are still one syllable words.

 

[GoesStation]

U doesn't fit well in this rule, at least not in American English. It's usually pronounced in open syllables, rather than [ju], as its name is pronounced.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Ba na na is an open syllable- word but 'ba' is not pronounced like the name of the letter either.

 

[Rachel Adams]

''Rabbit begins with a closed syllable — the first syllable ends with a consonant, and its vowel is not pronounced like the name of the letter''.-I read only in open syllables the vowels are pronounced like the names of the letters.

What do you think about the 'ba' 'na' 'na' example? An example of an open-syllable word which is not pronounced as it should accroding to the rule they suggest.

 

[GoesStation]

What do you think about the 'ba' 'na' 'na' example? An example of an open-syllable word which is not pronounced as it should according to the rule they suggest.

It's one of many words that demonstrate that the "rule" is at best a guideline.