What is a syllable nucleus?

• A. The center of a syllable, typically a vowel (or a syllabic consonant like [n̩]).
• B. The initial consonant cluster at the start.
• C. The final consonant in a syllable.
• D. A silent boundary between syllables.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the nucleus is the center of a syllable—the peak where the syllable’s voice is most sonorous. In most languages this peak is a vowel, which is why the nucleus is described as typically a vowel. Some languages or contexts allow a syllabic consonant to take that central role, such as a consonant like [n̩] acting as the nucleus when there isn’t a vowel carrying the syllable’s peak. This nucleus sits after the onset (the initial consonant(s)) and before the coda (the final consonant(s)); it isn’t the onset or the trailing consonant itself. A silent boundary isn’t a part of the syllable’s internal structure, but rather a perceptual or prosodic separation between syllables.