N. V. Tatsenko introduction to theoretical phonetics of english

the vowel [a] ("schwa");

a close front unrounded vowel in the general area of [i:], [i], symbolised [i];

a close back rounded vowel in the general area of [u:], [o], symbolised [u].

Examples would be:

1. 
   'better [beta];
   
2. 
   'happy [h^pi];
   
3. 
   'thankyou' [9ждкju];
   

We also find weak syllables in word-final position with a coda if the vowel is [a]. For example:
'open' [aopan]
'sharpen' [fa:pan]
Inside a word, we can find the above vowels acting as peaks without codas in weak syllables; for example, look at the second syllable in each of these words:
'photograph' [faotagra:f]
'radio' [reidiao]
'influence [influans]
In addition, the vowel i can act as a peak without a coda if the following syllable begins with a consonant:
'architect' [a:kitekt]
Phonetic (spoken) syllables must not be confused with orthographic (written) syllables. An orthgraphic syllable is a group of letters in spelling. Syllables in writing are also called syllabographs. When a word is split across two lines of writing, it should be broken at an orthographic syllable boundary. Parts of phonetic and orthographic syllables do not always coincide:
Worker ['w3:k.a] CVC-V = two phonetic syllables and one syllabograph
A most general rule claims that division of words into syllables in writing is passed on the morphological principle which demands that the part of a word which is separated should be either a prefix, or a suffix or a root (morphograph), e.g. pic-ture ['pik tja].