Final answer:
Consonants such as stops and fricatives typically cannot serve as the nucleus of a syllable on their own.So, the correct answer is: C) Only sonorants
Step-by-step explanation:
The consonants that can become the nucleus of a syllable are typically sonorants. Sonorants are a class of sounds in speech that are produced by allowing the airflow to move freely through the mouth or nose, and they include vowels, nasals, liquids, and glides.
These sounds can often act as the peak of a syllable in the absence of a vowel, which is common in many languages. Options like stops, fricatives, and affricates usually do not serve as syllable nuclei because they create more obstruction in the airflow, making them less likely to be able to carry the syllable on their own
For example, in English, the l in the word 'bottle' (bɒt.l) or the m in the word 'rhythm' (ˌrɪθ.m) can serve as the nucleus of a syllable. Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'What kind of consonants can become the nucleus of the syllable?' is C) Only sonorants.