In phonetics, a coda refers to the consonant or consonant cluster that follows the nucleus (usually a vowel) of a syllable. The coda is part of the syllable structure, which also includes the onset (the consonant or consonant cluster before the nucleus) and the nucleus itself.
For example, in the word cat, the nucleus is the vowel a, and the coda is the consonant t. In the word stand, the nucleus is the vowel a, and the coda is the consonant cluster nd.
The presence or absence of a coda can affect the syllable’s weight and stress patterns in a language. Syllables with a coda are often referred to as closed syllables, while those without a coda are called open syllables.