Dear T:

You wrote:

> Is there some way one could obtain a list of all the allowable English
> syllables?
> Thank you,
>

Some linguistic texts list different phonemes (distinct sounds) but I am not familiar with the number of syllables. English, unlike some Asian languages for example, is not really syllabic in the sense that syllables provide meaning. Like Samuel Johnson’s attempt to record all the words, I doubt if the distinct syllables could be proscribed.

Having said that, I would take a look at a Rhyming Dictionary (there are several on the market). That would certainly give you an idea of many of the syllables that end words in English.

Now, if you are referring to roots, prefixes, and suffixes, regardless of how many syllables there are in them, then take a look at Word-Part Dictionary from Edicom Systems. This is fairly exhaustive without including specialized roots for science, medicine, and other fields. This is available through English Plus.

I hope this helps a little.