Comments on: You: In 17 Syllables

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 04:36:05 +0000

Sorry, aanthems, but I have to go with Lauren on this one.

You’re looking at the word “opener”, which is not the word “open”. M-W seems to suggest that opener is two syllables (ie, op-ner), and open is also two syllables: op-en.

The M-W Online shows the following:

O-p&n
Op-n&r

See how the syllable-breaking dash moves in the two examples?

By: aanthems

aanthems — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 01:13:03 +0000

MW indicates their syllables both with a little dash and little dot, like: open·er or ad·jec·tive. They insert no dot for open.

Then again, I don’t know what Chuck’s talking about but he’s forcing me to belive it.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 23:55:46 +0000

Great. Bring in the linguists.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 23:40:27 +0000

Even if you don’t pronounce the schwa (represented by the ampersand in the reply above), I’m afraid the best you’re going to do is say that you have a syllabic [n] in the word — which still gives it two syllables.

If the [n] wasn’t syllabic at all, you either a) couldn’t pronounce the [p] or b) resume voicing for the [n]. Sorry :-P That was more of an answer than you wanted.

Nice quas-hai-ku tho. :)

By: Kim Wells

Kim Wells — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:19:11 +0000

Open indeed has two syllables. If you’re violating the haiku rules, that’s one thing, but I as far as I can tell, Merriam-Webster lists open as having two syllables… like this:
‘O-p&n

that little dash – means a syllable break. :)