SYLLABLE STRUCTURE AND PATTERNING IN IKA

This study examines the syllable structure and patterning in Ika, spoken in southern Nigeria. It's objectives were to investigate the Language's syllable structure and identify it's Syllable patterns. The study employs synchronic data from Ika native speakers in it's consideration of syllable structure and patterns of the language. The data collection involved 8 Ika speakers aged between 45 and 60 years in Agbor. A University of Benin 200 word-list of lexical basic items was used to collect the primary data, and participants' voices were recorded as they provide the Ika equivalent of each word from the list. The research adopts a descriptive method in it's analysis utilizing the Onset- Rhyme framework to analyze syllable structure and patterns. The study identified that (1) Ika primarily employs open syllables with no coda and was three basic syllable structures: V-syllable, CV-syllable, CVV-syllable, (2) the Sonority hierarchy plays a significant role in shaping these structures,(3) the language exhibits syllable patterns such as v.cv, v.cv.cv, cv.cv and v.cv.cv. This study also observed that syllablic nasals are present in Ika. The research concludes, therefore, that Ika has a simple and light syllable