Minimal word constraint

The minimal word constraint sets a minimum for the size of lexical words. In English, for example, a lexical word cannot be shorter than two moras: either a heavy syllable, that is, either a syllable with a long vowel (like eye [aI], go [goU], far [fA:]), or a closed syllable (like cat [kat], ate [Et], met [mEt]); or two light syllables (like letter [lEt@], city [sIti]). (Function words may be shorter than two moras, though in English this only occurs with their reduced forms: for [fO:]/[f@], she [Si:]/[Si]).