Syllable as a synchronization mechanism that makes human speech possible

Speech is a communication system that transmits information by using aerodynamics of articulatory movements to generate sequences of alternating sounds. For this system to work, the articulators need to shift their state frequently and rapidly in order to encode as much information as possible in a given period of time, and the many articulators involved need to be coordinated so as to make the central control of their rapid movements possible. These demands are met by the syllable, a temporal coordination mechanism whose main function is to synchronize multiple articulatory movements so as to make speaking possible. This coordination involves three basic mechanisms: target approximation, edge synchronization and tactile anchoring. With target approximation, articulatory movements successively approach non-overlapping underlying targets. With edge synchronization, multiple articulatory movements are aligned by their onsets and offsets. And with tactile anchoring, contact sensations during segments with relatively tight closure provide alignment references for the synchronization. This synchronization mechanism is the source of many speech phenomena, from segmental coarticulation to tonal alignment, and from normal adult production to child acquisition and speech disorders. It is also what links speech to motor movements in general.