What does onset refer to in a syllable?

What does onset refer to in a syllable?

• A. The end consonants
• B. The vowel
• C. The beginning consonant or consonant cluster
• D. The entire syllable

Answer: (C)

Onset is the beginning part of a syllable—the consonants that come before the vowel. It can be a single consonant or a group of consonants that start the syllable. For example, in cat, the onset is the sound just before the vowel, which is the letter c. In street, the onset is the cluster str that comes before the vowel. Some syllables start with no consonants at all, like in the word and, where the onset is empty. The vowel that follows is the nucleus of the syllable, and any consonants after the vowel form the coda. So the beginning consonant or consonant cluster describes the onset, the end consonants describe the coda, the vowel is the nucleus, and the entire syllable includes onset, nucleus, and coda.

Onset is the beginning part of a syllable—the consonants that come before the vowel. It can be a single consonant or a group of consonants that start the syllable. For example, in cat, the onset is the sound just before the vowel, which is the letter c. In street, the onset is the cluster str that comes before the vowel. Some syllables start with no consonants at all, like in the word and, where the onset is empty. The vowel that follows is the nucleus of the syllable, and any consonants after the vowel form the coda. So the beginning consonant or consonant cluster describes the onset, the end consonants describe the coda, the vowel is the nucleus, and the entire syllable includes onset, nucleus, and coda.