How Many Syllables In Onomatopoeia?
6syllables
Onomatopoeia has 6 syllables, on-o-mat-o-po-eia. It is a polysyllabic word.
onomatopoeia
/ˌɒn.ə.mæt.əˈpiː.ə/ UK /ˌɑː.nə.mæt.əˈpiː.ə/ US
Stress
The main stress falls on the fifth syllable, po.
Syllable Structure
VC/V/CVC/V/CV/V
Division By Sound
/ɒn.ə.mæt.ə.piː.ə/
Division By Letters
on-o-mat-o-po-eia
A spelling guide that follows the sound division.
Tree Diagram Of Onomatopoeia
S syllable, O onset, R rime, P peak, C coda, Ø no coda.
Parts Of Each Syllable
| Syllable | Onset | Peak | Coda | Pattern | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 secondary stress | – | ɒ | n | VC | closed |
| 2 | – | ə | – | V | open |
| 3 | m | æ | t | CVC | closed |
| 4 | – | ə | – | V | open |
| 5 primary stress | p | iː | – | CV | open |
| 6 | – | ə | – | V | open |
Why Onomatopoeia Divides Here
- Syllable 1 is stressed and has the short vowel /ɒ/, so it keeps a coda /n/.
- Between syllables 2 and 3, /m/ goes to the right, following the Maximal Onsets Principle.
- Syllable 3 ends in /t/ because the next syllable cannot take it as an onset here.
- Between syllables 4 and 5, /p/ goes to the right, following the Maximal Onsets Principle.
- Two vowels meet between syllables 5 and 6, so syllable 6 has no onset.
Questions Students Ask
How many syllables are in onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia has 6 syllables, on-o-mat-o-po-eia. In British English it is transcribed /ˌɒn.ə.mæt.əˈpiː.ə/.
Which syllable is stressed in onomatopoeia?
The fifth syllable, po, carries the main stress.
What is the syllable structure of onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia has the structure VC/V/CVC/V/CV/V, where C is a consonant sound and V is a vowel sound.
How do you divide onomatopoeia into syllables?
By sound, ɒn.ə.mæt.ə.piː.ə. By letters, as a spelling guide, on-o-mat-o-po-eia.
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