Onset

What are the rules to the onset of a syllable? Define onset and illustrate the examples.

Define Onset,

When we are describing a syllable, the consonants preceding the rhyme is known is the onset. It is optional.
The vowels and the consonants after the onset is known as the rhyme.

for eg: eat /i:t/
key /ki:/
it is okay to have an empty onset but no syllable should be without rhyme.

3 rules.

Similar to the coda of the syllable, there are 3 rules governing the structure of the onset of the syllable.
However, the 3 rules are different.

For coda, the 3 rules are 1) voicing rule 2) nasal rule 3)final rule.
For onset, a syllable can only have up to 3 consonants

Rule 1 - 1 consonant

all except /n/<-looking like g and /3/ <- looking like g can occur alone in the onset
except for the word genre /3(inverted a)nr(schwa)/ - allow /3/ to occur alone

Rule 2 - 2 consonants

1st consonant must start with /s/
OR
2nd consonant must be an approximant /r/ /l/ /j/ /w/
eg : smack /smaek/ - first consonant s
cute /kju:t/

Rule 3 - 3 consonants

if there are more than 2 consonants,
the first consonant must be /s/,
the second consonant a voiceless plosive /p/ /t/ /k/
the 3rd consonant must be an approximant /r/ /l/ /w// j/

eg : split /split/ square /skwe(schwa)/