Segments(syllable&morpheme)

[Asena Karatekin]

Is a syllable a larger or a smaller unit than a morpheme?

(a)The syllable is in general the smaller unit of speech( because it does not have a meaning ).

(b)The morpheme is larger in comparison to the syllable, because it is the meaning-bearing unit of speech.

For example : together

(a)syllable(phonological structure): (to-geth-er)-> /təˈ. ɡɛð. ər/<-(as you see three syllables, just focus on the pronunciation)

(b)morphological structure: {təˈɡɛðər}(can not be splitted because of the meaning, it is just one morpheme)

 

For example: grandfathers

(a)syllable (phonological structure):(grand-fa-thers)->/ˈɡræn(d) .ˌfɑ: .ðəz/<-(three syllables)

(b)morphological structure: {ˈɡræn(d)}  , {fɑ:ðə}  , {s/z} <- (three morphemes)

[Wiebke Beuster]

I‘m a bit confused – what exactly does the “large“ and “small“ refer to? If the existence of meaning is the criteria, then Asena is right of course. However; I took  it a bit more literal and therefore my answer was, that none is generally bigger or smaller than the other, for a morpheme can consist of a single phoneme and so can a syllable. Likewise; a morpheme can be a whole word, but so can a syllable. Could someone please clarify this for me? 🙂

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