# 2.2. 辅音（Consonants）
地球上的所有语言都一样，在自然语流中，**辅音**不会单独存在。单独的**元音**，可以构成**音节**，也可以构成或者表达意义。比如，*ah* ɑː, *oh* oʊ，或者 *Uh-Oh* ˈʌoʊ。但，绝大多数**辅音**必须依附于**元音**才能构成**音节**[^1]，并且，单独的辅音也不能构成意义。
All languages on Earth follow a similar pattern: in the flow of natural speech, consonants *never* stand alone. Isolated vowels, however, can form syllables and convey meaning. For instance, you have sounds like *ah* ɑː, *oh* oʊ, or *O'Oh* ˈɑoʊ. But consonants almost always need to be attached to vowels to form *syllables*, and alone, they don't carry meaning.
注意：有三个辅音，l, m, n，被称作 “音节辅音”，因为它们自带 ə 的音色。比如，*bottle* ˈbɑːtl, *bottom* ˈbɑːtm, button ˈbʌtn。有些词典会用 ᵊ，比如写成：
*bottle* ˈbɑːtᵊl, *bottom* ˈbɑːtᵊm, button ˈbʌtᵊn。剑桥词典的标注方式是：*bottle* ˈbɑːt̬əl, *bottom* ˈbɑːt̬əm, *button* ˈbʌtən……
Please note, in English, there are three consonants — l, m, and n — that can act as "syllabic consonants." This means they carry a vocalic quality similar to the schwa sound ə. For instance, in words like *bottle* ˈbɑːtl, *bottom* ˈbɑːtm, and *button* ˈbʌtn, you can hear this quality. Some dictionaries use the symbol ᵊ to indicate this sound, rendering the words as follows: *bottle* ˈbɑːtᵊl, *bottom* ˈbɑːtᵊm, *button* ˈbʌtᵊn. The Cambridge Dictionary, however, uses a slightly different notation: *bottle* ˈbɑːt̬əl, *bottom* ˈbɑːt̬əm, *button* ˈbʌtən.