Extra syllables

[tenderlion]

Hello,
I want to know if the words ending in -sion or -tion form an extra syllable? I read an article on stress which says they do not , but the Daniel Jone dictionary of pronunciation says they do.
Thank you for enlighting me

 

[Tdol]

To me they do:
act (one syllable) action (two)

 

[BobK]

As Tdol says, they do. Perhaps your original source meant by 'extra' a single syllable and not two. They surely can't have meant 'there is a suffix that changes the meaning of a word but it's impossible to hear'?

The sound made is usually /ə/; occasionally - usually for comic effect, and sometimes when necessary for metre in songs or verse - it has two syllables. As I remember, Ka in The Jungle Book uses this over-pronunciation; W. S. Gilbert often used it.

Incidentally, Daniel Jones knew a great deal about Br English pronunciation at the time when he was writing. In this case, I agree with what he says; but his characterization of RP is dated; when he was writing, for example, "taxes" rhymed with "taxis". So beware. ;-)

b

 

[tenderlion]

Thanks so much for your help

 

[Clark]

All vowels and sonorants are syllable-making.