parent needing help

Today my child came home with an paper that asked for the amount of syllables in several words. Some examples of them are: that's, you'll, she's, and we'd to name a few I personally think that they all have one and in the dictonary it look to be one also but the teacher says that it is two. Can you please help me?



Signed,
a confused parent

[RonBee]

You could show the dictionary to the teacher. You could explain to him or her what a syllable is. Other than that, I don't know. Each of the "words" you mentioned has one syllable. (They are contractions.)

:)

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by blindian

The number of syllables in several words. Some examples of them are: that's, you'll, she's, and we'd

Usually vowel sounds ([a], [e], [i], [o], [u] etc) indicate the number of syllables in a word, but some consonants function as syllables, too, especially sonorants, like [m], [n], [l], and dental [s], and especially if they are part of a contracted word:

[that] [s] = 2 syllables

[you] [l] = 2 syllables

[she] [s] = 2 syllables

:D



:D

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Usually vowel sounds ([a], [e], [i], [o], [u] etc) indicate the number of syllables in a word, but some consonants function as syllables, too, especially sonorants, like [m], [n], [l], and dental [s], and especially if they are part of a contracted word:

[that] [s] = 2 syllables

[you] [l] = 2 syllables

[she] [s] = 2 syllables

:D



:D

That is one interpretation, I suppose, but I disagree. That is is two syllables. That's is one syllable. There would hardly be any point in calling that's a contraction if it were two syllables. And the dictionary agrees with me.

it's
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=it%27s

she's
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=she%27s

:wink:

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by RonBee

That is one interpretation, I suppose, but I disagree. That is is two syllables. That's is one syllable. There would hardly be any point in calling that's a contraction if it were two syllables. And the dictionary agrees with me.

it's
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=it%27s

she's
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=she%27s

:wink:

In the field of linguistics (phonology), [s] is viewed as a syllabic element. I forget the term. Sorry. It's on the tip of my tongue, though :D

Contracted forms omit vowels on the surface level; underlyingly, though, those vowels remain in place and are counted as syllables for that reason. :D

In terms of poetics, I'm not sure, given that I am rhymingly challenged :D , whether contracted forms are counted as disyllabics or not. Help.
:D

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

In the field of linguistics (phonology), [s] is viewed as a syllabic element. I forget the term. Sorry. It's on the tip of my tongue, though :D

Contracted forms omit vowels on the surface level; underlyingly, though, those vowels remain in place and are counted as syllables for that reason. :D

In terms of poetics, I'm not sure, given that I am rhymingly challenged :D , whether contracted forms are counted as disyllabics or not. Help.
:D

Well, I'm not a linguist. I am only going by the way I pronounce the words. Also, the poster said "my child", so I am guessing that they don't talk about syllable elements in her class.

Sometimes the 's is pronounced as a separate syllable. Examples: Cas's, Bess's, Jess's. Some contractions, of course, are pronounced as two syllables: it'll. that'll, there'll.

(I rather like that word sonorant. )

:)