divide essay into syllables

Separate into syllables

Learn to separate words into syllables with our simple tool!

Is it hard for you to divide words into syllables to read them easily and pronounce them correctly? Don't worry, here we offer you a solution!

Our tool allows you to separate words into syllables quickly and easily. You just have to write the word you want to divide in the space provided and press the "Separate into syllables" button. Right away, our system will show you the word divided into syllables, so you can read it and pronounce it correctly.

In addition, our tool also offers you the option to listen to how the word is pronounced separated into syllables, so you can check that you're doing it right.

Don't wait any longer and start improving your reading and pronunciation with our hyphenation tool! It is easy, fast and free!

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The importance of learning to separate into syllables

• Separating into syllables helps to pronounce words correctly.
• Dividing a word into syllables can make it easier to understand and its meaning.
• Knowing how to separate into syllables can improve spelling when writing a word.
• Syllable breaking can be a useful tool to identify the position of strong vowels in a word.
• Learning to separate into syllables can help develop reading and writing skills.
• Knowing the syllabic structure of words can be useful to solve games and activities related to reading and writing.
• Hyphenating can also be an important skill in education, as it is often used to teach children to read and write.
• Knowing the syllabic structure of words can also be helpful when learning another language, since words are often divided into syllables in a similar way in different languages.

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Syllable counter.

Free online syllable counter and separator. Calculate the number of syllables in any words or sentence. This syllable counter is a simple and free, and it can be useful for checking syllables while writing or as a tool in learning.

How to count syllables

Enter a word or sentence in the search box above and hit enter. Our syllable counter will count all the syllables and display them swiftly. Our script uses a simple algorithm to calculate the total number of syllables.

Syllabificator

Want to syllabificate more than one word? This syllabificator lets you paste a sentence or even batches of text. If you only want to count the syllables of one word we recommend you to use the search field above, as you will get more detailed information about the word.

What is a syllable?

A syllable is a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word; for example, there are two syllables in water (wa-ter) and three in  inferno (in-fer-no) . A syllable is a single, unbroken sound of a spoken (or written) word.

What is a polysyllabe?

A polysyllable is a word with more than two syllables. One word might just consist of one syllable. In this case it can be useful to count the words with two or more syllables.

Did you know…

…that counting syllables is used as a form of learning? For example, children may be shown how to split the words up into syllables, in order to help them sound them out. For example: if they are shown the word ‘thunder’ and get stuck, a teacher may cover the second half of the word (‘der’) and ask them to just sound out the first syllable. Once they have managed this, they uncover the rest of the word and ask them to sound this out.

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Tool for separating and counting the syllables of a text. The separator generates a division of words into syllables that can make pronunciation easier.

Syllables Separator - dCode

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Answers to Questions (FAQ)

• What is a syllable separator? (Definition)

A syllable separator is a tool that divides words into syllables , making them easier to pronounce and understand.

• How does a syllable separator work?

A syllable splitter analyzes the phonetic structure of a word and applies linguistic rules to determine where to break the word into distinct syllables .

Example: DECODE decomposes DE-CODE (the last E being silent in English)

• Why may separation contain errors?

Syllable separation is a technical challenge that includes many rules specific to language pronunciation, exceptions to the rules, etc.

In addition , proper names and linguistic borrowings from other languages can be poorly managed.

Additionally, syllable separation can sometimes be subjective or ambiguous, with some words having multiple pronunciations.

dCode uses the hyphenation patterns available here

• Why use a syllable separator?

Using a syllable separator can improve/easier reading, writing and pronunciation. It is useful for:

— people with dyslexia or anyone who has difficulty pronouncing sounds or spelling complex words

— learners or beginners in foreign languages

— children learning to read and write (and their teachers)

— poetry writers (poems in alexandrines), song writers

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How to Divide Words Into Syllables

Last Updated: August 4, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 532,071 times.

All words have at least one syllable. A syllable is a vowel sound that's connected or unconnected to consonants that form a unit of pronunciation. For example, the word "banana" is broken up into three parts, or syllables, for each piece of sound you pronounce before you momentarily pause: ba -[pause]- na -[pause]- na . Knowing how to divide words into syllables can greatly help with your spelling and reading skills as well as your ability to pronounce words correctly.

List of Words

The Rhythm Method

• For example, ba (clap) - na (clap) -na (clap). This word has three claps, one for every syllable.
• Words have a natural emphasis when you say them regularly. The word "banana" sounds like ba na na because it stresses the middle syllable. Coordinate your claps with the natural stresses and emphases of a word.
• Start with bigger words that you know have more than one syllable, like "hippopotamus." The more syllables there are, the longer and more rhythmic your beat will be, making it easier to divide the word.

• Try to be silent at the same times the metronome or Newton's cradle is silent. Only say a syllable when you hear a click sound. This will help you split up a word into its smallest audible segments.
• This might be easier than clapping because your focus is mostly on saying words and not so much on creating a rhythm. You can also use your hands to tally the syllables in particularly long words.
• If using a metronome, pick a fast but steady tempo. Most hit songs fall into the 120 beats-per-minute (BPM) range, [2] X Research source suggesting that maybe most people appreciate sound at this speed. Try setting your tempo to 120 bpm and saying words on tempo.

The Visual Method

• Write the word in a blue. You will later be drawing vertical lines to separate syllables, which you can color in red. This will provide visual contrast and help you picture how words are broken up.
• Look at where the vowels fall in your word. Every syllable will have a vowel, but may not always have a consonant. [3] X Research source

• For example, the word "play" is different than the word "replay." "Play" means to show something once; "replay" means to show something again.
• Many prefixes are usually one syllable, for example re wind, pre determine, and post mortem.
• Some prefixes have more than 1 syllable. If your prefix has more than one vowel and the vowels are separated by consonants, it is more than one syllable. For example, "anti" is a prefix with two syllables. "Ant" is one syllable and "i" is the other.
• Prefixes with more than one vowel that are not separated by consonants most likely are only 1 syllable. For example, "eu" in "eulogy" is only 1 syllable.

• For example, "re | wind." Now you can start to see how your word is made up of smaller chunks of letters.
• For prefixes with more than one vowel, look at the where the vowels fall. If your prefix has more than one vowel and has consonants between them, draw a line after the first consonant that follows your first vowel. For example: "an | ti."
• Many words don't have prefixes. If your word doesn't have a prefix, don't worry about this step.

• For example: "calculate" means something different than "calculat or . Calculate is when you find the amount of something; calculator is a tool for helping you find that amount.
• Like prefixes, suffixes are usually one syllable but can sometimes be more than 1. Common suffixes include "s," "ed," and "ing," as in "computer s ," "comput ed ," and "comput ing ."

• For example: "re | wind | ing."
• If your suffix has more than one vowel, follow the same rule as with prefixes. If vowels have consonants between them, draw a line after the first consonant that follows your first vowel. For example: flex | ib | le .
• Some words don't have prefixes or suffixes. If your word does not have a suffix, do not draw a line.

• For example: "tree | house" or "water | slide."

• For example, "comput | ing" would be broken up into "com | put | ing."

Community Q&A

• Read the word out loud. This will help you syllabicate words on paper as well as say words correctly that you are unfamiliar with when reading. When in doubt on where to split a word into syllables, follow the common practice that an open-ended vowel, or a vowel at the end of a portion of sound, will say its long sound. A vowel that is closed off with a consonant will say its short sound. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 7
• Place the back of your hand under your chin for an easy way to determine syllables. Speak. Every time your jaw moves, it is a new syllable. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 6
• Government, for example, is 3 syllables. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://cliengagefamily.org/syllable-clapping/
• ↑ https://gizmodo.com/the-most-mathematically-perfect-playlist-for-running-u-5906815
• ↑ http://www.howmanysyllables.com/whataresyllables
• ↑ https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/writingsuccess/chapter/4-4-prefixes-and-suffixes/
• ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/suffixes
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/open-and-closed-compound-words/
• http://www.education.com/reference/article/syllabication-rules/

About This Article

Learning how to divide words into syllables can help your spelling and reading skills as well as your ability to pronounce words correctly. To find the syllables in a word, try clapping your hands on each individual sound as you say the word. For example, if you’re working with the word “banana,” you’d clap on “ba,” “na,” and “na.” If you’re more of a visual learner, try writing the word down and drawing verticle lines to separate the syllables. Another way to identify syllables is to identify compound words and draw a line separating them. For instance, for the word "treehouse," draw a line between "tree" and "house." To learn how to use vowels to find syllable breaks, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Keeping CALM: When distributed consistency is easy

Intel: new core ultra processors deliver breakthrough performance, telugu cinema icon akkineni nageswara rao’s centenary to be celebrated with film festival (exclusive), nyt connections today: see hints and answers for september 4, target drops exclusive ‘wednesday’ ya novel inspired by hit netflix show, openai and anthropic agree to send models to us government for safety evaluation, interviewing tim sweeney and neal stephenson, daniel craig offers himself up completely to the shimmering sensuality of queer, why i self host my servers (and what i’ve recently learned), show hn: i’m making an ai scraper called fetchfox, 3 ways to divide words into syllables.

Introduction:

Dividing words into syllables is an essential skill for reading, writing, and pronunciation. Understanding how to break down complex words makes them easier to read and spell. In this article, we’ll explore three methods for dividing words into syllables to improve your language skills.

Method 1 – Syllable Counting Based on Vowel Sounds

One way to divide words into syllables is by focusing on the vowel sounds in the word. Each syllable contains at least one vowel sound (which can consist of a single vowel or a combination of vowels). Here’s how to do it:

1. Identify all vowel sounds in the word.

2. Count the number of vowel sounds.

3. The word will have as many syllables as there are vowel sounds.

Example: Consider the word “entertainment”:

– There are five vowel sounds: e, e, ai, e, and e.

– The word is divided into five syllables: en-ter-tain-ment.

Method 2 – Breaking Words Based on Prefixes and Suffixes

Another way to divide words into syllables is by identifying prefixes and suffixes in the word. Both prefixes and suffixes can affect how a word is divided into syllables. Here’s how to use this method:

1. Recognize common prefixes or suffixes within the word.

2. Separate the prefix or suffix from the rest of the word.

3. Break the remaining part of the word into syllables using other methods.

Example: Consider the word “unbelievable”:

– The prefix “un-” and the suffix “-able” are identifiable.

– Remove these affixes, leaving us with “believ”.

– Divide the remaining part using method 1: be-liev

– Reassemble with affixes: un-be-liev-able

Method 3 – Syllable Breaks Based on Consonant Clusters

Consonant clusters are groups of two or more consonants that appear together in a word without any vowel sounds between them. When dividing words into syllables, these clusters can help you determine where to split the word. Here’s how:

1. Identify consonant clusters in the word.

2. Divide the word such that most of the consonants remain with the preceding syllable unless it affects pronunciation.

3. If pronunciation is affected, experiment with different divisions to maintain the flow of speech.

Example : Consider the word “strength”:

– The consonant cluster here is “ngth”.

– Dividing before the cluster results in two syllables: stren-gth, which causes pronunciation issues.

– By splitting in-between the cluster, we have three syllables: stre-ng-th.

Conclusion:

Dividing words into syllables can improve your reading fluency, spelling accuracy, and pronunciation skills. By employing these three methods — counting vowel sounds, breaking words based on prefixes and suffixes, and utilizing consonant clusters — you’ll effectively divide words into their correct syllabic structure.

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Syllable Division: How to Divide Words into Syllables

Updated: Jul 30

Syllable division is a fundamental aspect of phonetics and phonology, essential for understanding pronunciation and spelling in various languages. A syllable is a unit of sound that contains a single vowel sound and can be combined with consonants to form words. 

Dividing words into syllables is crucial for proper pronunciation, word recognition, and decoding unfamiliar words in reading and spelling. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to syllable division, exploring different rules and strategies for accurately dividing words into syllables.

Understanding Syllables

Before delving into syllable division rules, it's essential to understand the concept of syllables. A syllable typically consists of a vowel sound or a vowel sound with one or more consonant sounds. For example, in the word "cat," there is one syllable ("cat"), whereas in the word "elephant," there are three syllables ("el-e-phant"). Understanding syllables helps in breaking down words into manageable units for pronunciation and spelling purposes.

Syllable Division Rules

There are several rules and guidelines for dividing words into syllables. While these rules are helpful, it's important to note that there may be exceptions, and context plays a significant role in determining syllable division. Below are some commonly used syllable division rules:

VC/CV Pattern: One of the most basic and widely used rules for syllable division is the VC/CV pattern. In this pattern, a syllable usually ends with a consonant and begins with a vowel. 

For example:

Mon-ey (mon/ey)

Ba-sic (ba/sic)

Re-sult (re/sult)

V/CV Pattern: Another common pattern is the V/CV pattern, where a syllable starts with a vowel and is followed by a consonant. 

A-pril (A/pril)

O-pen (O/pen)

I-tem (I/tem)

VC/V Pattern: This pattern occurs when a syllable ends with a consonant followed by a single vowel. 

Ba-sin (ba/sin)

Mo-tor (mo/tor)

Le-mon (le/mon)

V/V Pattern: In words with consecutive vowels, the syllable division typically occurs between the vowels. 

De-li-cious (de/li/cious)

Pa-tri-ot (pa/tri/ot)

Beau-ti-ful (beau/ti/ful)

Prefixes and Suffixes: Prefixes and suffixes are typically considered as separate syllables. 

Un-hap-py (un/hap/py)

Care-less-ness (care/less/ness)

Help-ing (help/ing)

Consonant Blends and Digraphs: Consonant blends and digraphs are typically kept together within the same syllable. 

Sprout (sprout)

Shrimp (shrimp)

Blend (blend)

Strategies for Syllable Division

In addition to following specific rules, there are some strategies that can help with syllable division:

The VCCV pattern refers to a specific structure of syllables within a word. In the VCCV pattern, a word is divided into two syllables, with the first syllable containing a vowel followed by a consonant, and the second syllable containing a consonant followed by a vowel. This pattern is characterized by the arrangement of vowels and consonants within the word, where the consonant cluster appears in the middle of the word, between two vowels.

Examples of words following the VCCV pattern include:

"rab-bit" (rab/bit)

"hop-per" (hop/per)

"kit-ten" (kit/ten)

"hat-red" (hat/red)

In each of these examples, the word is divided into two syllables, with the first syllable containing a vowel followed by a consonant (VC), and the second syllable containing a consonant followed by a vowel (CV), adhering to the VCCV pattern. This pattern is commonly found in English words and is used to facilitate pronunciation and syllable recognition.

Clapping Method:  Pronounce the word slowly and clap your hands for each syllable. This physical act can help in identifying the syllables in a word.

Vowel Sounds:  Pay attention to vowel sounds and their positions within the word. This can guide you in determining syllable boundaries.

Use of Dictionaries:  Refer to dictionaries or online resources that provide syllable divisions for words. This can be particularly helpful for unfamiliar or complex words.

Practice with Phonics:  Engage in phonics exercises and activities to reinforce syllable division skills. Reading aloud and spelling practice can also improve proficiency in syllable division.

Why Is Syllabal Division Important to Learn for People with Dyslexia?

Syllable division is crucial for individuals with dyslexia due to its role in improving decoding skills, enhancing word recognition, and facilitating accurate spelling. Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties can significantly impact reading comprehension and overall academic performance.

Here are several reasons why syllable division is important to learn for individuals with dyslexia:

Decoding Skills: Dyslexia often involves challenges in decoding, which refers to the ability to translate written words into spoken language. By learning syllable division rules and patterns, individuals with dyslexia can break down words into smaller, more manageable units, making it easier to decode and pronounce unfamiliar words. This process helps in building phonological awareness, a key component of reading proficiency.

Word Recognition: Syllable division assists individuals with dyslexia in recognizing familiar words more efficiently. By understanding how to divide words into syllables, they can identify recognizable word parts and use them to infer the meaning of the entire word. This strategy enhances word recognition skills and promotes fluency in reading.

Spelling Accuracy: Dyslexia often involves difficulties with spelling, as individuals may struggle to segment words into their constituent sounds and letters. Learning syllable division rules provides a systematic approach to spelling, enabling individuals with dyslexia to break words into syllables and apply spelling rules to each syllable. This method enhances spelling accuracy and reduces reliance on rote memorization.

Building Confidence: Mastering syllable division can boost the confidence of individuals with dyslexia in their reading and spelling abilities. As they gain proficiency in breaking down words into syllables and decoding unfamiliar words, they become more confident in their literacy skills. This increased confidence fosters a positive attitude towards reading and learning, leading to greater academic success.

Structured Approach: Syllable division offers a structured and systematic approach to reading and spelling, which is beneficial for individuals with dyslexia who may struggle with processing language in a linear manner. By following established rules and patterns for syllable division, individuals with dyslexia can develop a clear framework for understanding and manipulating words, leading to improved literacy outcomes.

In summary, syllable division is essential for individuals with dyslexia as it enhances decoding skills, improves word recognition, promotes spelling accuracy, builds confidence, and provides a structured approach to reading and spelling. By mastering syllable division, individuals with dyslexia can overcome challenges associated with reading and spelling difficulties, ultimately achieving greater success in academics and beyond.

What Programs Help With Teaching Syllable Division?

Wilson Reading System: This structured literacy program includes explicit instruction in syllable division rules as part of its multisensory approach to teaching reading.

Orton-Gillingham Approach: Many Orton-Gillingham based programs, such as the Barton Reading & Spelling System or the Slingerland Approach, incorporate syllable division rules into their curriculum.

Words Their Way: This word study program provides activities and resources for teaching phonics, spelling, and vocabulary, including instruction on syllable division.

SPIRE (Sequential, Phonics, Instruction, Remediation, and Enrichment): SPIRE is a research-based reading intervention program that includes systematic instruction in syllable division as part of its comprehensive approach.

Reading Horizons: This program offers materials and strategies for teaching reading, including syllable division rules and activities.

Syllables Learning Center: This online resource provides interactive activities and games for teaching syllable division and other phonics skills.

Phonics Hero: An online platform that offers interactive games and activities to teach phonics, including syllable division.

Explode the Code: This series of workbooks includes exercises and activities for phonics and syllable division practice.

These programs vary in their approach and target audience, so it's important to choose one that aligns with the needs and learning style of your students. Additionally, many educational publishers offer supplemental materials and resources specifically focused on syllable division instruction.

Syllable division is a fundamental skill in phonetics and literacy, essential for proper pronunciation and spelling. Understanding the rules and patterns of syllable division enables individuals to decode unfamiliar words, improve reading fluency, and enhance spelling accuracy. By following the guidelines outlined in this article and practicing syllable division strategies, learners can develop proficiency in this crucial aspect of language processing. Continued practice and exposure to words of varying complexities further strengthen syllable division skills, facilitating effective communication and language comprehension. Reach out to us with your needs and we can try our best to help!

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Syllable Division Rules: Dividing Words Into Syllables – FREE Charts

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Are you confused about how to divide words into syllables? Or maybe you’re not sure exactly how to teach your students the syllable division rules. It can be tricky, but with a few simple rules, you’ll be able to do it like a pro. In this blog post, we will discuss the most common ways to divide words into syllables, as well as provide some tips for making the process easier. So if you’re ready to learn more about breaking words into syllables, keep reading!

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Why Syllable Division Is Helpful

By knowing how to split words into syllables, students can chunk up bigger words into more manageable pieces. This helps them read longer and more difficult words, as well as unfamiliar words.

Dividing words into syllables also helps you figure out what the vowel sound will be. When students come across unfamiliar words, breaking them up into syllables can help them predict what the vowel sound will be based on the patterns they see in the words.

Syllabication Rules

There are several rules, or better yet patterns since there are always some exceptions, that can help with syllable division. Remember that there are 6 syllable types, but some words are only 1 syllable. Refer to my guide on the 6 syllable types for more on each.

The main thing to keep in mind when dividing words into syllables is that every syllable must have a vowel sound! We hear a vowel sound in every syllable, and sometimes it takes more than one vowel to make a vowel sound.

Here are the different rules to break words into syllables:

Rule 1: VC/CV – Split 2 consonants that are between vowels.

Whenever 2 consonants come together in a word, divide between them: VC/CV

The exceptions to this are to keep consonant digraphs (i.e. ch, ph, ck) and consonant blends (i.e. bl, st, fr) together.

Check out my VCCV Syllable Division Worksheets if you’re looking for a ready made teaching resource.

Rule 2: C+le – The ending -le usually takes the consonant before it to make one syllable.

When a word ends with a consonant and -le, divide it before the consonant so that the last syllable is C+le.

The silent e in C+le words helps add that vowel sound we need in every consonant. It’s one of the many jobs of silent e .

Check out my C+le Syllable Division Worksheets if you’re looking for a ready made teaching resource.

Rule 3: V/CV & VC/V – Split before or after a consonant that comes between 2 vowels.

When only one consonant comes between vowels, divide after the first vowel: V/CV. This makes the first syllable an open syllable , and it will have a long sound.

Pronounce the word with an open syllable. If this doesn’t make a word that sounds familiar, then divide after the consonant: VC/V. This makes the first syllable closed, so the vowel will say its short sound.

Because this one is not as predictable I teach it after VCCV and C+le. I typically start with V/CV only, then I teach VC/V. After this, I mix them up and teach students to be flexible, showing them how to try it as V/Cv first, then VC/V after.

Check out my VC-V and V-CV syllable division worksheets if you’re looking for ready made teaching resources.

Rule 4: V/V – Split 2 vowels next to each other that do not work as a team.

If a vowel combination is in reverse, divide between the vowels: V/V. In this case, each vowel will have a sound.

It’s so important for students to know common vowel teams so they don’t split those up! If students are still learning basic vowel teams, wait to teach this syllable division pattern. Words like “beach” and “boat” have vowel teams that do not get split. These vowel teams work together to represent one vowel sound.

Rule 5: VC/CCV & VCC/CV – Split before or after the second consonant when 3 consonants come together.

When three consonants come together, divide after the first consonant: VC/CCV. If this doesn’t make a word that sounds familiar, divide after the second constant: VCC/CV.

These words often contain blends and digraphs, which if you recall, do not get broken up. When you see 3 or more consonants together, look for blends and digraphs to help determine where to split the word.

Rule 6: Divide after a prefix and before a suffix.

When you see a prefix, divide the word right after it. When you see a suffix, divide right before it. There are a few exceptions to suffixes creating their own syllable, but this will be apparent after the student has split up the word and tried to pronounce it.

The exception to this rule is the suffix -ed. Sometimes this does not create an extra vowel sound, such as in the words jumped and sailed . Regardless, once the suffix is identified and the word is pronounced, you’ll know if it’s a syllable or not.

Strategies To Teach Syllabication Rules

Teach students to use vowels to identify syllables.

Since one vowel sound = one syllable, the first thing students should do is identify the vowels. I always have my students draw a dot above each vowel. After that, I have them label every vowel and consonant by writing a V or C under each letter. Then they have to check if it’s a vowel team or silent e. At this point, they know exactly how many syllables a word has, even if they’re not sure where to split it yet.

Below is an example using the word student .

Teach students to look for patterns

At this point, students can look for patterns in the consonant and vowels. Students should look for vowel teams and magic e’s, digraphs and blends, then look for syllable patterns: VC, CV, VCCV, VCe, C+le, VCV, VV, Vr.

Teach base word families, prefixes, and suffixes

Students should also check for any base words, prefixes, and/or suffixes. Each base word or affix usually is its own syllable, but in some cases, they are not. Students can split these and try reading the word.

Teaching affixes daily and working with word family groups is a great way to address this area. Through consistent exposure and practice, students internalize these word parts and more quickly divide words into syllables.

Teach the different spelling patterns for each sound

It’s helpful if students know the options for spelling certain sounds, such as all the ways to pronounce the suffix -ed. This way when they are breaking up the word into syllable and sounding it out, they can accurately read a word.

A sound wall is a great way to teach all the spelling patterns for each sound. You can display each spelling pattern as students learn it and keep it up all year long as a reference. Read more about sound walls here.

Syllable Activities For Teaching Syllable Separation

Start off with teaching the 6 syllable types, one at a time. I created a bundle of all my syllable division worksheets which you can check out below.

You can also download these syllable types reference posters by signing up for my email list below.

Diagram multisyllabic words

Whenever I am teaching syllabication, students must always follow the same procedure to diagram each word:

• Spot and dot the vowels
• Label the consonants and vowels underneath
• Look for patterns, affixes, and base words
• Split according to the rules
• Mark the vowels as long or short
• Read the word aloud

Below is an example, the same picture I used above to show how to mark the vowels. You can see the student placed a dot above both vowels, labeled each consonant and vowel, found blends, found where to split the word, then marked the vowels as long and short.

Cut words into syllables

The very first activity after teaching the syllable division pattern is to cut words up because the visual really helps struggling learners. I write a few words on index cards, have students diagram the words, then cut them along the division line. We later use these to sort syllables.

Sort syllables

There are tons of syllable sorting activities you can download and prepare, but I like to use the cut up syllables from the previous activity to sort syllables. You can sort into all the syllables types or just choose 2 to focus on as pictured below.

I also use a syllable and vowel pattern chart to sort syllables as I teach them. Each student has their own copy of this and fills it in as we learn each syllable.

Syllable search

This is an easy activity you can do with any text, but a targeted decodable text is ideal. Simply ask students to read a passage and highlight all the words that have the target syllable. From here, students can create a list of the words they found and split them.

Syllable division rules help readers break words into smaller parts making reading the word easier on their brains. This means that they don’t have to work as hard when trying to figure out what word you’re saying or spelling because each syllable has its own meaning and breaks up the task of decoding letters in order one at a time for your brain. Try these activities next time you teach syllable division.

• How To Teach Spelling by Laura Toby Rudginsky and Elizabeth C. Haskell
• Phonics and Spelling Through Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping by Katheryn E. S. Grace
• Structured Literacy Interventions: Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties, Grades K-6 by Louise Spear-Swerling
• Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teache rs by Louisa Cook Moats

Want to remember this? Save  Syllable Division Rules: How To Divide Words Into Syllables  to your favorite Pinterest board!

Delilah Orpi is the founder of Thrive Literacy Corner. She has a Bachelor's degree in Special Education, a Master's degree in TESOL, and is a member of the International Dyslexia Association. She is an experienced educator and literacy specialist trained in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell. Delilah creates literacy resources for educators and parents and writes to create awareness about dyslexia and effective literacy instruction based on the science of reading.

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Hi, I am trying to get the free Vowel Pattern and Syllable Chart and I can’t access it. Can you help me? Thank you, Ginette Coffey

Hi Ginette. Sorry about that. I just fixed the link so it should work now.

Thank you for this post.

Very good Subject

How you divide >decade ? de-cade or dec-ade…?? (and what says the Oxford Dictionary..?)

dec-ade Dec is a prefix in this word.

Thank you, you have given me many new ideas. I am very grateful.

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How to Teach Students to Divide Words into Syllables

• March 2, 2019

Did you know that dividing words into syllables is one of the most powerful decoding strategies out there?

If your students are ready to read words with more than one syllable, then it’s time to start teaching syllable division rules!

When readers know the syllable division rules, it A) helps them successfully decode multisyllabic words and B) provides them with clues about the vowel sounds in multisyllabic words!

Knowing how to divide words into syllables gives your kids POWER to attack those longer words!

In today’s post, I’ll explain how to teach students to divide words into syllables!

…And I also have something to confess:

Despite being an English speaker, teacher, and avid reader, I did not know these rules until I’d already been teaching for years.

So if these rules are new to you, don’t sweat it! We’re all learning! All the time!

The 6 Syllable Types

Do you know the 6 syllable types? They are:

• Vowel-Consonant-E (also known as Magic E or Silent E)
• R-Controlled
• Consonant-L-E

If you haven’t read my post that goes in-depth on these syllable types, you may want to read that first, and then come back to this post. My 6 syllable types post can be found HERE !

(And yes – there are a lot of terms and rules to remember when you’re teaching phonics. If you’d like a free PDF that has many different terms and rules in one place, grab this freebie !)

Finding the Number of Syllables in a Word

An important first step in dividing up a word into its syllables is knowing how many syllables the word has.

You may already know that 1 vowel sound = 1 syllable. If a word has 3 vowel sounds, for example, then it has 3 syllables.

(Notice that I’m saying vowel sounds, not actual vowels. The word “cupcake,” for example, technically has 3 vowels. But the e is silent. It only has two syllables because the vowel sounds we hear are the short u and the long a, 2 total vowel sounds.)

Syllable Division Patterns

There are only 6 syllable types, and there are even fewer syllable division patterns!

The syllable division patterns are as follows (V = vowel; C = consonant):

If you have two consonant sounds between two vowel sounds, divide the word between the consonant sounds.

In the word “sunset,” the vowel sounds are the short u and the short e. The two consonants in the middle, n and s, get divided up.

In the word “bathtub,” the vowel sounds are the short a and the short u. The two consonant SOUNDS in the middle are /th/ and /t/. The word gets divided up between the h and the second t.

If there are 3 consonants between the vowels, rather than 2, there’s going to be a blend in there. The sounds that get blended together stay together in one syllable.

For example, in the word “complex,” we divide between the m and the p.

Moving on…sometimes there’s just one consonant sound between the vowels, rather than 2.

If this is the case, the first syllable division rule that we try is V/CV (dividing up the word BEFORE the consonant).

For example, in the word “robot,” we divide up the word before the b. This creates an open syllable, “ro,” that ends in a vowel. As a result, the o in that syllable is a long o.

However, sometimes the V/CV division rule doesn’t work. This is where it gets a little tricky.

If we try the V/CV rule but discover that it creates an open first syllable that should NOT be open (aka it should not have a long vowel sound), then we have to revert to the VC/V pattern.

For example, let’s think about the word “comet.” It’s pronounced with a short o at the beginning, right? It’s not CO-met. But if we were to apply the V/CV division pattern, that would make the o sound long. Instead, we have to revert to VC/V in order to reflect the fact that the o has the short o sound.

Another example is the word “seven:”

Last but not least, we have the V/V syllable division rule! When there are two vowels next to each other that do NOT work as a team, then we divide the word between those two separate vowel sounds.

For example, we divide the word “diet” between the i and the e:

However, in a word like “coat,” we do NOT divide between the o and the a. There is only one vowel sound, the long o. Therefore, it’s a one-syllable word, and the o and the a work together to make a single sound. They cannot be divided up.

Tips for Teaching Syllable Division Rules to Students

Okay, so….that’s not too bad, right? Once you understand the four syllable division patterns, then you can teach them to your students!

As you probably noticed from the photos in this post, I have my students circle and label the vowels with red, underline and label the consonants with blue, and then cut or draw a line to divide the words. (Scroll back up through the photos in this post and have a closer look at what I did, if that helps.)

Here’s the procedure:

• Look at the word. Circle the vowel sounds with red.
• Underline the consonants BETWEEN the vowels (don’t worry about the other consonants).
• Determine which syllable division rule (VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, or V/V) applies. (Students may have to attempt to read the word to choose between V/CV and VC/V.)
• Cut or mark the word accordingly.
• Read the word.

You can also have students code the syllable types after Step #3 (closed, open, VCE, vowel team, r-controlled, or CLE—read more about the syllable types HERE !)

When we’re learning about syllable division and syllable types, we use strips of paper. Students can copy a word I write on the board (or I prepare the word strips for them ahead of time).

I don’t read the word to them, because the purpose of the division exercise is to get them to break up the word and read it.

Once they’ve copied the word, then we go through Steps 1-5 listed above, and students can cut the word in half.

The ultimate goal of this exercise is to get students to break up multisyllabic words as they read. So, as a bridge between this activity and reading, we use whiteboards or sticky notes to divide up tricky words they encounter in texts.

If I’m working one-on-one with a student and he/she comes to a tricky word, we can write it on a small whiteboard and then break it up.

If students are working on their own, they can write a tricky word on a sticky note, divide it up, read it, and then continue reading.

This does slow down the reading process a little, but I’m telling you…kids feel SO powerful when they can break up words and determine what types of syllables they have. This process also makes it easier for students to figure out the vowel sounds in a word too.

When to Teach This Stuff

You might be wondering, “When should I teach these rules? At what developmental stage or grade level are these appropriate?”

When to teach the VC/CV rule:

Whenever kids have mastered CVC words, they can read 2-syllable words!

Simple compound words are a great place to start. You’ll want to use words like “sunset” and “pigpen” that are 2 CVC words “put together.” At this point, you can teach students the VC/CV rule. You can also explain that both of the syllables in those words are closed and have short vowels.

I don’t normally teach this in Kindergarten, but if I have more advanced students who are truly proficient with CVC words, then it makes sense to give them “access” to these simple 2-syllable words.

Of course, if you give students words with consonant digraphs or blends in between, then it becomes a little more complicated—early first grade may be a better time for those more complicated VC/CV words.

When to teach the V/CV and VC/V rules:

I teach the V/CV rule first, because we always try the V/CV pattern before reverting to VC/V.

You can teach this rule once students know about the long vowel sounds.

They don’t need to have completely mastered long vowels and all their spelling patterns. But they at least need to understand the concepts of open and closed syllables (and how short and long vowels relate to open and closed syllables).

When we’re working on the V/CV rule, I intentionally only give them practice words that follow that rule.

After they understand the V/CV rule, then I explain that sometimes we have to use the VC/V rule instead.

I then give them VC/V words to practice.

Finally, I give them mixed sets of words where they have to choose between V/CV and VC/V.

When to teach the V/V rules:

I wait to teach V/V until students really understand vowel teams and diphthongs.

If students don’t understand vowel teams, then they may try to divide up words like “train” into two syllables, between the a and the i. If they don’t understand diphthongs, they may try to divide up words like “loud” into two syllables.

Once they know the vowel teams and diphthongs, however, they’re more likely to recognize that words like “fluent” have two vowel sounds, not one, and we divide up the word accordingly (flu/ent).

Conclusions

This was a lot of info, right?! And it’s a lot to figure out and teach on your own – if you don’t have lesson plans and materials for it. Because unfortunately, many phonics and reading programs don’t cover this stuff!

If you’d like to make teaching this EASY and FUN for you and your students, check out my step-by-step guide to teaching all the syllable division rules and syllable types.

I designed this resource to fit perfectly into any phonics program. (However, if you’re using my phonics program, From Sounds to Spelling , you won’t need this resource because we cover this info within the program.)

You set the pace for how quickly you progress through these lessons! 1st grade teachers may spread them out throughout the entire school year, while 2nd grade and up may progress more quickly. Here’s page 1 of the table of contents (this is only half of the lessons):

Here’s what a lesson plan looks like:

Also included are words to practice dividing, plus lots of hands-on games!

Everything is done for you, so you won’t have to invest time or energy in figuring all this out on your own and creating lessons!

However, if you already feel confident in teaching syllable division and have plenty of materials for it, you may just need a few practice activities for your students. If that’s the case, my digital practice games might be a better fit.

These activities give your students practice with dividing words up into syllables AND identifying syllable types. The games include audio directions that explain the syllable types and division rules!

I hope these resources are helpful to you! You can also pin this blog post to your Pinterest account so you can come back to it later:

Happy teaching!

Related Posts:

This is a fantastic blog post. I knew about these syllable patterns but wasn’t confident in how to teach my first graders about them. This has helped. I am looking forward to the webinar.

Do you have words and/or activities we can use with our students? I have a group ready to learn this now. Thanks!

Hi Deb! I don’t have anything available right now, but in about 2 weeks, I’ll be releasing some digital word work bundles that will include syllabication activities. 🙂

I was going to ask this as well. I will be interested to see this when you have it out!

Do you have any lesson plans in TpT for teaching this? I can’t wait for your webinar.

Hi Cindy! I have a couple of lesson plans with the basics, but they’re part of my shared reading series (which focuses on much much more than just syllables): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Learning-At-The-Primary-Pond-Alison/Category/Shared-Reading-336174

HEY DEAR, your post is amazing! but the only problem i found is with the example you have given ie. Diet. here ie is a long vowel (i) sound. so its a single syllable word. so we cannot divide it between i and e. its a single sound that is long vowel ‘i’ sound. And so is a single syllable word. like your other example ‘coat’ here its ‘oa’ is a long vowel ‘o’ sound so we cannot divide it between ‘o’ and ‘a’ and says it a single syllable word. may be i’m wrong but if i am then …  Read more »

Hey! The difference with these example is that the “oa” in “coat” is actually a vowel team. This means that the vowels are working together to make ONE vowel pattern/sound. The word “coat” is only one syllable. With “diet,” the “ie” is NOT a vowel team. So the “i” and “e” make separate vowel sounds. “Diet” is a 2 syllable word. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Very useful!!

Thank you so much!

I’m a teacher (a Learning Support Coordinator more like) in Singapore, teaching primary school students (7 – 12 years old ~ I teach mainly 7 and 8 year olds) and I really like your posts. It gives me some ideas that I can try out. As a Learning Support Coordinator, I get children who have poor phonemic awareness and have issues blending the phonemes to read and segment words to spell. Syllabication is something that I teach to my 8~year~olds and I’ve almost completed everything you’ve put up on this post. If I had read your post earlier, I would …  Read more »

That’s awesome, Michelle! Thanks for sharing this – the vowels trick really does make it easier! 🙂

Where is there any research to support splitting words into syllables, as an aid to teaching reading or spelling? Thanks

Hey Emma! I’m not sure that I’ve read a specific article or study – I do know that there’s research to support the Orton Gillingham method of instruction (which includes breaking up words into syllables), specifically with students who have reading difficulties.

Wonderful article, well explained. Thanks ! It will help me to teach my 1st grader.

Shared this post with a Wilson Reading Support Group on Facebook. I like your simple, clear explanations … credited your blog and linked to this page. I’m hoping that was okay. If not, please let me know. I have found your blog to be wonderful!

Totally okay! Thanks for sharing, Susan! 🙂

This is extremely helpful! Thank you for writing this.

Thank you so much for this tutorial! This has given me so much insight as a 1st and 2nd grade teacher. I had so many questions about how to teach dividing words into syllables, but now I don’t. Again, thanks for sharing!

I’m so glad this was helpful to you!! 🙂

This is such a great blog! I’ve already bookmarked this page. When will you add a word list or activities?

Hi Mary – thank you! You can check out my complete phonics program (FromSoundstoSpelling.com), available as of September 1, to get word lists and syllabication practice activities.

Very helpful, thank you! 🙂 Taught it to my intervention group today, a student who is in year 6 and reading at year 1 level, read the work ‘fantastic’ all on her own. First time she has read a word larger than 5 letters without support.

Woohoo!That’s awesome!

Hi, Alison. I’m now stuck at how to sound the syllables out, like the word: melon. The two syllables are mel on, but how should I sound the two syllables out for children? The first syllable is OK, it’s mel. How about the second one: on? Do I sound it “uhn” as it is unstressed or “on” like it is a stressed word “on”?

Hi there! There might be a more technical explanation for this that I’m not aware of, but I think it’s the schwa sound sneaking in. The schwa is closer to the short u sound. Check out this post to learn more about schwa: https://www.phonicshero.com/schwa/%22

Very helpful overview. I have been teaching for over 30 years and used the “Schmerler” phonics system when I taught in a brick and mortar. Your overview was very similar to hers and I appreciate the way you broke it down. I am now teaching for a virtual school and am working with special needs high schoolers. This was a good refresher for me!

So glad you found it helpful! 🙂

We ( Learners ) love you guys.You are. Just the best Teachig all your knowledges.Thanks a lot.GOD Bess you all 👍

Aw, thank you! 🙂

Dear Mam, How to break the word ” sculptor “

Hello! The word sculptor would be broken into two syllables (sculp/tor). I hope that helps! 🙂

Ok so I am a parent that is (ashamed to say this but) because of covid19 finding out how far behind my daughter is in school . And it’s very frustrating but I need to get her excited about reading . She just started the sixth grade and gets really frustrated with her work and seems to shut down before she gets started . She reads I say on 1st or 2nd grade level so reading aloud embarrasses her and I wasn’t a good student my self and am a far worse teacher . Tardy not absent Better late than …  Read more »

Hi Marc! I commend you for researching ways that you can assist your daughter in her reading journey! My blog has a TON of resources that I hope you will be able to find useful when looking to implement various strategies. If there is any other way that I can better assist you, please let me know! 🙂

Thank you for your lesson here. It is very interesting, and I find it very helpful in my teaching work in the pacific.

Hope to have more.

You’re welcome! I am so glad that you found the information useful!😄

Hi Alison, I was just watching a FB live video about teaching student to identify the syllables in a word and you had a great anchor chart that identified the steps for them. Could you tell me where I could find that. This was the blog that was closest to the topic. Thanks so much.

Hi Francine! That poster is from Level 2, Unit 2 of my ‘From Sounds to Spelling’ program (Level 1 also has similar ones).You can find more information about that program here: https://www.fromsoundstospelling.com/ . Please let me know if you have any more questions! 🙂

Thank you for this post! I’m trying to help my second grader with this right now (remote learning). I was totally confused as to the rules until now. Thank you!

Hey there, Beth! I’m so glad that this information was useful to you, especially during remote learning! 🙂

Thanks for the help😉

You’re so welcome, Lindy! 🙂

Hello!! My first language is spanish and Im so confused that how I can divide the syllable: caller?? Can I divide: call – er or I have to divide: cal – ler ? Please, someone that help me??

Hey Jan! The word caller would be divided into two syllables call/er. I hope that helps! 🙂

Hi, thank you for the post which is quite helpful to new learners of syllable division. As to v/cv and vc/v pattern, how can we know which one we should take? Normally, we divide syllables to help us pronounce, rather than pronounce a word first and then divide syllables. Like seven, comet, figure, and the like. Why we don’t divide the words as v/cv, and pronounce the long vowels? It has confused me a lot. Would you reply via my email?

I am so glad you found the post helpful. I agree that the rules can be at times tricky. As to V/CV and VC/V, we usually try V/CV first. BUT, if it doesn’t sound right we move to VC/V. Experimenting with words is the best way to feel less confused and more confident!☺️ Try out V/CV and VC/V rules on words you encounter.

it is very usefull because we use it at class so congratulations 🙂

Thank you! I am so glad it is useful for you!

Very useful. Thank you.

I’m so glad you found it helpful! 🙂

Thank you!! 🙂

This blog is great.. Thanks a ton for the help!!!!

You’re welcome!!

I am not able to sign up for the webinar. Is there another link I can click to sign up for it?

Sometimes the link button can be sticky – sorry about that! Try this: Phonics Webinar Link

Let me tell you what bothers me: I’ve noticed this especially in people in their early 20’s where they break words into syllables at the wrong place. Like they say “mount-ain” or “cert-ain”. It just sounds silly and I think people are being taught incorrectly these days.

Please help! I’m confused. I’m trying to divide the word “abomination”. I naturally want to divide it a-bo-mi-na-tion. But I’m finding online that it is supposed to be a-bom-i-na-tion. I don’t understand why the i is by itself. Since it’s a short i shouldn’t it include the first vowel after? And what is the rule that mean the A at the beginning is also alone. I know it sounds right but I don’t know why.

Hi Diana! Thanks for your question. The letter “a” is often by itself at the beginning of a multisyllabic word, especially when it takes the schwa sound like in “abomination.” The “i” is by itself because “o” is short in the syllable “bom.” Something that I emphasize with my students is that we just do the best we can in dividing up a word and pronouncing it, but we know that sometimes the rules don’t all apply perfectly. Hope this helps!

Thanks dear

i have clear all my doubts related to syllables after reading this wonderfull article thnks for providing a simple understanding article on syllable counter

Thanks for sharing!

The syllable practice is very helpful

So glad to hear that, Alana!!

I will be starting with the vowel consonant e pattern tomorrow. Using syllable types has made a great difference in the way my first graders read words. Looking forward to reading more of your blogs.

Wonderful to hear that you’ve noticed the effects of this practice with your students, Denise!

I like what you are doing. We do not use the term ‘silent e’. Usually the ‘e’ belongs to what we call a ‘split vowel’. eg, a_e as in the word cake. The ‘e’ is part of the vowel spelling – it is just split. There is actually history as to why this happened. In traditional old english texts, the a and the e were actually joined making one letter. The ‘scribes’ were paid by the letter. So the letter that was ‘ae’ was cut in half and the ‘e’ part of the letter was put at the end of …  Read more »

How interesting, thanks for sharing!

I am glad to come across this blog. Your article helped me in teaching my pupils syllabication with ease. This is very helpful indeed for the pupils as well as i,(teacher). May God Almighty reward you.

how would I divide the words: elated and champion?

e/la/ted and /cham/pi/on/

I downloaded your Writer Folder Tools Freebie (which is awesome, thank you!), but I would like to make a couple changes to it (for example, giving some more examples that don’t start with “One…” for the “Telling When” section) but the password protection won’t let me make any alterations or add a text box or anything along those lines. While I understand and respect that, would you be willing to share the password with me so I can simply add a couple more examples to your list?

Hey Nicole! Could you give me a bit more specifics – which page numbers are you referring to in the Writing Folder Tools Freebie?

This is a great help. I have just one question, the word “comet”, is /kɒmɪt/, the sound /ɒ/ is considered a short vowel sound, right?

Hello teacher, I was able to understand how syllables are separated in English. Thank you so much and good luck.

So glad to hear it was helpful!

I’m Alison, a literacy specialist. I love getting kids excited about reading and writing – and sharing teaching ideas with other teachers!

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How to Use Word Division Dots and Syllable Hyphens

What to Know Within a dictionary entry, the dots that break up a word are known as end-of-line division dots. These dots indicate where the word can be broken if it doesn't fit on a line of text. These dots do not indicate the possible syllable breaks of the word; syllable breaks are shown with hyphens in the pronunciation.

While looking up a definition of a word or perusing our many language resources and articles on Merriam-Webster.com, you may have noticed that the centered dots in headwords do not always match the placement of the hyphens in their pronunciations. As a company, we have dealt with decades of correspondence concerning these suspected incongruities and feel that an explanation on the uses of what are commonly called end-of-line division dots or points and syllabic hyphens would be of interest to you, dear website visitor.

Dictionary secrets, revealed!

End-of-Line Dots vs. Phonetic Hyphens

No, the conventions for dividing a word at the end of a line of text and the conventions for dividing a word into phonetic syllables are not the same, and as a result a headword and its pronunciation may show different divisions. The centered dots/points in a headword—which are chiefly determined by considerations of morphology (the study of word formation, as by inflection, derivation, and compounding) and of pronunciation—indicate the places where it can be broken if all of the letters will not fit at the end of a line. They do not necessarily show syllable division (which is the common misconception); they are simply potential points of end-of-line division. Syllabication of a word is indicated by the hyphens found in the word's pronunciation, where they exist as aids to the pedagogical command of "sound it out."

Example of Word Divisions

Take, for example, the word dictionary .

At the head of its dictionary entry, it is divided as dic·tio·nary . This means that it can be broken at the end of a line as dic-tionary or as dictio-nary . It could not, however, be divided as d-ictionary , di-ctionary , or dicti-onary , mainly because it would make the word difficult to read. Note, also, that there is not a dot before the final y in the headword, even though there are four syllables in the word, as shown in the pronunciation \ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē\.

This is because having a single letter divided from a word, at the end or beginning, can impede the reader's decoding. Another example is the simple but multipurpose about . Although one might be tempted to divide it after a , as shown in its pronunciation \ə-ˈbau̇t\, leaving the letter stranded on a line is wrong.

Poker is an elucidating example of word division. There are two noun entries for the word: one for a metal rod for stirring a fire and one for various card games. The homographs of poker are pronounced the same, as \ˈpō-kər\. Yet, for the "rod" entry, the orthographic word division is pok·er , and for the "game" one, the division is po·ker . The reason for this is that the first homograph (the rod) is made up of two parts (or morphemes ): the stem poke and the suffix -er . English spelling division rules require words to be divided between different morphemes so we get the division pok·er . However, the second poker (the game) does not have two parts. It consists of one morpheme (it is a modification of the French poque ) so it gets divided as po·ker .

Example of Syllable Breaks

Taking a break from end-of-line division, there is the hyphen in pronunciations that we need to address, which indicates a syllable break that is based on technical phonetic principles, such as vowel length, nasalization , variation due to the position of a consonant in a syllable, and other nuances of the spoken word. Generally, it is placed so as to put as many consonants at the beginning of a syllable as English will allow at the beginning of a spelled word. Hence, a word like entrance is broken as \ˈen-trən(t)s\, rather than \ˈe-ntrən(t)s\ or \ˈent-rən(t)s\, because \tr\ is a possible initial consonant cluster in English, while \ntr\ is not. Another example is explode , which is divided into two syllables, as \ik-ˈsplōd\. There is a four-consonant cluster in this word, \kspl\. Conceivably, the word division could be \iks-ˈplōd\ or \iksp-ˈlōd\; however, \ks\ and \ksp\ are not the largest possible consonant clusters in the word. The largest cluster that can begin a word in English is \spl\, as found in the words splash and splurge . Thus, the placement of the hyphen is after \ik\.

If you have been taught that words can always be divided between syllables, you should now know that this is not always true. Remember, it is technically incorrect to divide a word such as ocean so that a single letter is left stranded on a line by itself, even if the hyphen in the pronunciation shows the syllable division as \ˈō-shən\. Look to the headword for the spelling division dot; look to the pronunciation for syllable division.

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essay essay syllables

How many syllables in essay .

Divide essay into syllables:   es-say Stressed syllable in essay :   es- say How to say essay : pronounce syllables in essay

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Wondering why essay is 2 6 3 9 8 5 7 1 4  syllables?   Contact Us !   We'll explain.

1.  What is a syllable? 2.  How to count syllables. 3.  How to divide into syllables.

Synonyms for essay

• paper hear the syllables in paper
• treatise hear the syllables in treatise
• document hear the syllables in document
• exercise hear the syllables in exercise

What rhymes with essay

• A hear the syllables in a
• ay hear the syllables in ay
• bey hear the syllables in bey
• blayk hear the syllables in blayk
• brae hear the syllables in brae
• braye hear the syllables in braye
• cache hear the syllables in cache
• che hear the syllables in che
• cray hear the syllables in cray
• DA hear the syllables in da
• dae hear the syllables in dae
• day hear the syllables in day
• dey hear the syllables in dey
• dray hear the syllables in dray
• Ewe hear the syllables in ewe
• faye hear the syllables in faye
• fey hear the syllables in fey
• fray hear the syllables in fray
• frieze hear the syllables in frieze
• gay hear the syllables in gay
• grey hear the syllables in grey
• hay hear the syllables in hay
• hayed hear the syllables in hayed
• J hear the syllables in j
• jaye hear the syllables in jaye
• kay hear the syllables in kay
• lait hear the syllables in lait
• lei hear the syllables in lei
• lwei hear the syllables in lwei
• May hear the syllables in may
• meze hear the syllables in meze
• neigh hear the syllables in neigh
• ole hear the syllables in ole
• passe hear the syllables in passe
• paye hear the syllables in paye
• PK hear the syllables in pk
• play hear the syllables in play
• prey hear the syllables in prey
• quale hear the syllables in quale
• Ray hear the syllables in ray
• rene hear the syllables in rene
• se hear the syllables in se
• shea hear the syllables in shea
• sleigh hear the syllables in sleigh
• sta hear the syllables in sta
• stray hear the syllables in stray
• sway hear the syllables in sway
• Tay hear the syllables in tay
• tray hear the syllables in tray
• way hear the syllables in way
• weigh hear the syllables in weigh
• whey hear the syllables in whey
• yay hear the syllables in yay
• zep hear the syllables in zep
• ae hear the syllables in ae
• bay hear the syllables in bay
• blay hear the syllables in blay
• bombe hear the syllables in bombe
• bray hear the syllables in bray
• brey hear the syllables in brey
• cay hear the syllables in cay
• clay hear the syllables in clay
• cube hear the syllables in cube
• da hear the syllables in da
• dak hear the syllables in dak
• de hear the syllables in de
• dk hear the syllables in dk
• drey hear the syllables in drey
• fay hear the syllables in fay
• fe hear the syllables in fe
• flay hear the syllables in flay
• Frey hear the syllables in frey
• ga hear the syllables in ga
• gray hear the syllables in gray
• ha hear the syllables in ha
• haye hear the syllables in haye
• hey hear the syllables in hey
• jay hear the syllables in jay
• K hear the syllables in k
• Kobe hear the syllables in kobe
• lay hear the syllables in lay
• ley hear the syllables in ley
• mae hear the syllables in mae
• mei hear the syllables in mei
• nay hear the syllables in nay
• Ney hear the syllables in ney
• PA hear the syllables in pa
• pay hear the syllables in pay
• Pei hear the syllables in pei
• pk hear the syllables in pk
• pray hear the syllables in pray
• quai hear the syllables in quai
• quay hear the syllables in quay
• re hear the syllables in re
• say hear the syllables in say
• shay hear the syllables in shay
• slay hear the syllables in slay
• spray hear the syllables in spray
• stay hear the syllables in stay
• strey hear the syllables in strey
• tae hear the syllables in tae
• they hear the syllables in they
• trey hear the syllables in trey
• Wei hear the syllables in wei
• wey hear the syllables in wey
• wray hear the syllables in wray
• yea hear the syllables in yea
• abbe hear the syllables in abbe
• aday hear the syllables in aday
• agley hear the syllables in agley
• airway hear the syllables in airway
• all-day hear the syllables in all-day
• allée hear the syllables in allée
• Anhui hear the syllables in anhui
• array hear the syllables in array
• ashtray hear the syllables in ashtray
• astray hear the syllables in astray
• away hear the syllables in away
• backstay hear the syllables in backstay
• base pay hear the syllables in base pay
• beignet hear the syllables in beignet
• beltway hear the syllables in beltway
• beret hear the syllables in beret
• bewray hear the syllables in bewray
• bikeway hear the syllables in bikeway
• Biscay hear the syllables in biscay
• blasé hear the syllables in blasé
• Bombay hear the syllables in bombay
• bouchée hear the syllables in bouchée
• boule hear the syllables in boule
• Bourget hear the syllables in bourget
• Bouvet hear the syllables in bouvet
• breezeway hear the syllables in breezeway
• buffet hear the syllables in buffet
• byway hear the syllables in byway
• cachet hear the syllables in cachet
• café hear the syllables in café
• cahier hear the syllables in cahier
• Cambay hear the syllables in cambay
• causeway hear the syllables in causeway
• chalet hear the syllables in chalet
• chassé hear the syllables in chassé
• ciré hear the syllables in ciré
• cliché hear the syllables in cliché
• congé hear the syllables in congé
• Corday hear the syllables in corday
• coudé hear the syllables in coudé
• crawlway hear the syllables in crawlway
• croquet hear the syllables in croquet
• curé hear the syllables in curé
• D-day hear the syllables in d-day
• decay hear the syllables in decay
• defray hear the syllables in defray
• dengue hear the syllables in dengue
• display hear the syllables in display
• DJ hear the syllables in dj
• doomsday hear the syllables in doomsday
• dossiere hear the syllables in dossiere
• downplay hear the syllables in downplay
• driveway hear the syllables in driveway
• Earl Grey hear the syllables in earl grey
• entrée hear the syllables in entrée
• estray hear the syllables in estray
• fair play hear the syllables in fair play
• fianced hear the syllables in fianced
• filet hear the syllables in filet
• fireclay hear the syllables in fireclay
• flambé hear the syllables in flambé
• floodway hear the syllables in floodway
• folkway hear the syllables in folkway
• foray hear the syllables in foray
• forebay hear the syllables in forebay
• forestay hear the syllables in forestay
• forte hear the syllables in forte
• foul play hear the syllables in foul play
• four-way hear the syllables in four-way
• foyer hear the syllables in foyer
• frappé hear the syllables in frappé
• Friday hear the syllables in friday
• gainsay hear the syllables in gainsay
• gamay hear the syllables in gamay
• gateway hear the syllables in gateway
• gervais hear the syllables in gervais
• glacé hear the syllables in glacé
• gourmet hear the syllables in gourmet
• greenway hear the syllables in greenway
• gunplay hear the syllables in gunplay
• halfway hear the syllables in halfway
• Hannay hear the syllables in hannay
• hatchway hear the syllables in hatchway
• hearsay hear the syllables in hearsay
• Hefei hear the syllables in hefei
• heyday hear the syllables in heyday
• hold sway hear the syllables in hold sway
• horseplay hear the syllables in horseplay
• hurray hear the syllables in hurray
• in re hear the syllables in in re
• inveigh hear the syllables in inveigh
• Islay hear the syllables in islay
• ita hear the syllables in ita
• James Bay hear the syllables in james bay
• jeté hear the syllables in jeté
• jose hear the syllables in jose
• koine hear the syllables in koine
• lamé hear the syllables in lamé
• leeway hear the syllables in leeway
• Lomé hear the syllables in lomé
• lycée hear the syllables in lycée
• maguey hear the syllables in maguey
• make hay hear the syllables in make hay
• malgré hear the syllables in malgré
• Mande hear the syllables in mande
• manqué hear the syllables in manqué
• margay hear the syllables in margay
• match play hear the syllables in match play
• May Day hear the syllables in may day
• Medway hear the syllables in medway
• midday hear the syllables in midday
• Midway hear the syllables in midway
• Millet hear the syllables in millet
• misplay hear the syllables in misplay
• Monday hear the syllables in monday
• moray hear the syllables in moray
• name day hear the syllables in name day
• NE hear the syllables in ne
• nisei hear the syllables in nisei
• Norway hear the syllables in norway
• obey hear the syllables in obey
• OK hear the syllables in ok
• okay's hear the syllables in okay's
• olé hear the syllables in olé
• one-way hear the syllables in one-way
• Otway hear the syllables in otway
• outré hear the syllables in outré
• outweigh hear the syllables in outweigh
• palais hear the syllables in palais
• parkway hear the syllables in parkway
• parquet hear the syllables in parquet
• passé hear the syllables in passé
• pathway hear the syllables in pathway
• payday hear the syllables in payday
• per se hear the syllables in per se
• pince-nez hear the syllables in pince-nez
• piqué hear the syllables in piqué
• pith ray hear the syllables in pith ray
• plissé hear the syllables in plissé
• Pompeii hear the syllables in pompeii
• prepay hear the syllables in prepay
• pulque hear the syllables in pulque
• purvey hear the syllables in purvey
• raceway hear the syllables in raceway
• railway hear the syllables in railway
• red bay hear the syllables in red bay
• Renee hear the syllables in renee
• replay hear the syllables in replay
• risqué hear the syllables in risqué
• Roget hear the syllables in roget
• ropeway hear the syllables in ropeway
• rosebay hear the syllables in rosebay
• roué hear the syllables in roué
• sachet hear the syllables in sachet
• Salé hear the syllables in salé
• sashay hear the syllables in sashay
• sauté hear the syllables in sauté
• screenplay hear the syllables in screenplay
• seaway hear the syllables in seaway
• shar-pei hear the syllables in shar-pei
• sheading hear the syllables in sheading
• short-day hear the syllables in short-day
• sick day hear the syllables in sick day
• sideway hear the syllables in sideway
• skyway hear the syllables in skyway
• slipway hear the syllables in slipway
• soigné hear the syllables in soigné
• someday hear the syllables in someday
• soothsay hear the syllables in soothsay
• souffle hear the syllables in souffle
• speedway hear the syllables in speedway
• squeeze play hear the syllables in squeeze play
• sternway hear the syllables in sternway
• straightway hear the syllables in straightway
• stroke play hear the syllables in stroke play
• Sunday hear the syllables in sunday
• sweet bay hear the syllables in sweet bay
• tea tray hear the syllables in tea tray
• thoughtway hear the syllables in thoughtway
• Thursday hear the syllables in thursday
• today hear the syllables in today
• tollway hear the syllables in tollway
• touché hear the syllables in touché
• trackway hear the syllables in trackway
• Tuesday hear the syllables in tuesday
• two-way hear the syllables in two-way
• unsay hear the syllables in unsay
• valet hear the syllables in valet
• vide hear the syllables in vide
• Vouvray hear the syllables in vouvray
• waylay hear the syllables in waylay
• weekday hear the syllables in weekday
• windway hear the syllables in windway
• wordplay hear the syllables in wordplay
• wrayful hear the syllables in wrayful
• abbé hear the syllables in abbé
• affray hear the syllables in affray
• airplay hear the syllables in airplay
• aka hear the syllables in aka
• allay hear the syllables in allay
• Angers hear the syllables in angers
• archway hear the syllables in archway
• asea hear the syllables in asea
• assay hear the syllables in assay
• Augier hear the syllables in augier
• aweigh hear the syllables in aweigh
• ballet hear the syllables in ballet
• bat ray hear the syllables in bat ray
• belay hear the syllables in belay
• benday hear the syllables in benday
• betray hear the syllables in betray
• bidet hear the syllables in bidet
• birthday hear the syllables in birthday
• Bizet hear the syllables in bizet
• bobstay hear the syllables in bobstay
• Bossuet hear the syllables in bossuet
• bouclé hear the syllables in bouclé
• bouquet hear the syllables in bouquet
• bourrée hear the syllables in bourrée
• bouvier hear the syllables in bouvier
• Broadway hear the syllables in broadway
• byplay hear the syllables in byplay
• CA hear the syllables in ca
• cafe hear the syllables in cafe
• CAFE hear the syllables in cafe
• callais hear the syllables in callais
• Cathay hear the syllables in cathay
• chaîné hear the syllables in chaîné
• chambray hear the syllables in chambray
• child's play hear the syllables in child's play
• cliche hear the syllables in cliche
• co-pay hear the syllables in co-pay
• convey hear the syllables in convey
• corvée hear the syllables in corvée
• coupé hear the syllables in coupé
• crochet hear the syllables in crochet
• crossway hear the syllables in crossway
• cy pres hear the syllables in cy pres
• daresay hear the syllables in daresay
• deejay hear the syllables in deejay
• delay hear the syllables in delay
• dismay hear the syllables in dismay
• distrait hear the syllables in distrait
• donnée hear the syllables in donnée
• doorway hear the syllables in doorway
• dovey hear the syllables in dovey
• dragée hear the syllables in dragée
• duvet hear the syllables in duvet
• embay hear the syllables in embay
• épée hear the syllables in épée
• faberge hear the syllables in faberge
• fairway hear the syllables in fairway
• filé hear the syllables in filé
• fillet hear the syllables in fillet
• fishway hear the syllables in fishway
• flight pay hear the syllables in flight pay
• flyway hear the syllables in flyway
• footway hear the syllables in footway
• force play hear the syllables in force play
• foreplay hear the syllables in foreplay
• formée hear the syllables in formée
• fouetté hear the syllables in fouetté
• Fouquet hear the syllables in fouquet
• fourchée hear the syllables in fourchée
• franglais hear the syllables in franglais
• freeway hear the syllables in freeway
• fumet hear the syllables in fumet
• Galway hear the syllables in galway
• gangway hear the syllables in gangway
• gelée hear the syllables in gelée
• give way hear the syllables in give way
• godet hear the syllables in godet
• Green Bay hear the syllables in green bay
• guideway hear the syllables in guideway
• hair spray hear the syllables in hair spray
• hallway hear the syllables in hallway
• harm's way hear the syllables in harm's way
• headway hear the syllables in headway
• Hebei hear the syllables in hebei
• Hervey hear the syllables in hervey
• highway hear the syllables in highway
• hooray hear the syllables in hooray
• Hubei hear the syllables in hubei
• in play hear the syllables in in play
• inlay hear the syllables in inlay
• Ira hear the syllables in ira
• issei hear the syllables in issei
• jackstay hear the syllables in jackstay
• jennet hear the syllables in jennet
• Jetway hear the syllables in jetway
• keyway hear the syllables in keyway
• kouprey hear the syllables in kouprey
• lay day hear the syllables in lay day
• lifeway hear the syllables in lifeway
• Lord's day hear the syllables in lord's day
• M-day hear the syllables in m-day
• mainstay hear the syllables in mainstay
• Malay hear the syllables in malay
• man-day hear the syllables in man-day
• Manet hear the syllables in manet
• marais hear the syllables in marais
• massé hear the syllables in massé
• maté hear the syllables in maté
• Mayday hear the syllables in mayday
• melee hear the syllables in melee
• midway hear the syllables in midway
• Millay hear the syllables in millay
• mislay hear the syllables in mislay
• moiré hear the syllables in moiré
• Monet hear the syllables in monet
• Mornay hear the syllables in mornay
• nayaur hear the syllables in nayaur
• Niamey hear the syllables in niamey
• noonday hear the syllables in noonday
• nosegay hear the syllables in nosegay
• ok hear the syllables in ok
• okay hear the syllables in okay
• olay hear the syllables in olay
• ombré hear the syllables in ombré
• osprey hear the syllables in osprey
• outlay hear the syllables in outlay
• outstay hear the syllables in outstay
• oyez hear the syllables in oyez
• parfait hear the syllables in parfait
• parlay hear the syllables in parlay
• partway hear the syllables in partway
• pâté hear the syllables in pâté
• pavé hear the syllables in pavé
• pearl gray hear the syllables in pearl gray
• Piaget hear the syllables in piaget
• pipe clay hear the syllables in pipe clay
• piquet hear the syllables in piquet
• plié hear the syllables in plié
• pommée hear the syllables in pommée
• portray hear the syllables in portray
• projet hear the syllables in projet
• puree hear the syllables in puree
• Quesnay hear the syllables in quesnay
• Rahway hear the syllables in rahway
• rappee hear the syllables in rappee
• relay hear the syllables in relay
• repay hear the syllables in repay
• risque hear the syllables in risque
• roadway hear the syllables in roadway
• role-play hear the syllables in role-play
• rosé hear the syllables in rosé
• Roubaix hear the syllables in roubaix
• runway hear the syllables in runway
• saint's day hear the syllables in saint's day
• sansei hear the syllables in sansei
• saute hear the syllables in saute
• sauted hear the syllables in sauted
• scrub jay hear the syllables in scrub jay
• Sergei hear the syllables in sergei
• Shark Bay hear the syllables in shark bay
• shipway hear the syllables in shipway
• sick bay hear the syllables in sick bay
• sick pay hear the syllables in sick pay
• Skopje hear the syllables in skopje
• slideway hear the syllables in slideway
• sluiceway hear the syllables in sluiceway
• soiree hear the syllables in soiree
• someway hear the syllables in someway
• sorbet hear the syllables in sorbet
• soufflé hear the syllables in soufflé
• spillway hear the syllables in spillway
• stairway hear the syllables in stairway
• stingray hear the syllables in stingray
• strathspey hear the syllables in strathspey
• subway hear the syllables in subway
• survey hear the syllables in survey
• swordplay hear the syllables in swordplay
• tempeh hear the syllables in tempeh
• thruway hear the syllables in thruway
• tideway hear the syllables in tideway
• Tokay hear the syllables in tokay
• Torbay hear the syllables in torbay
• toupee hear the syllables in toupee
• tramway hear the syllables in tramway
• Twelfth Day hear the syllables in twelfth day
• unlay hear the syllables in unlay
• V-day hear the syllables in v-day
• veejay hear the syllables in veejay
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• walkway hear the syllables in walkway
• Wednesday hear the syllables in wednesday
• white way hear the syllables in white way
• wood ray hear the syllables in wood ray
• workday hear the syllables in workday
• WY hear the syllables in wy
• aisleway hear the syllables in aisleway
• attache hear the syllables in attache
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• everyday hear the syllables in everyday
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• routeway hear the syllables in routeway
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• repayability hear the syllables in repayability

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This article is all about syllables and will give a definition for syllable definition, cover the types of syllables in English, and provide some syllable examples. We'll also cover syllable division – in other words, how to divide a word into its constituent syllables.

Syllable: definition

Before we dive into the intricacies of syllables, let's begin with our syllable definition. You might already have a good idea of what a syllable is but just in case :

A syllable is a unit of pronunciation that can join other syllables to form longer words or be a word in and of itself. Syllables must contain a singular vowel sound and may or may not have consonants before, after, or surrounding the vowel sound.

To illustrate this, here are some brief examples of what a syllable can look like:

• The indefinite article "a" is a syllable (one vowel sound, with no consonants ).
• The word "oven" has two syllables because it has two vowel sounds – "ov" /-ʌv/ + "en" /-ən/ (each of these syllables includes a vowel sound and a consonant).
• Many words consist of only one syllable, such as "run," "fruit," "bath," and "large." Each of these comprises a combination of one vowel sound and various consonants.

Types of syllables in English

Since you're an English Language student, we'll be focusing on the types of syllables in English rather than looking at syllables on a more global level.

There are six key types of syllables in English :

Closed syllable: syllables that end in a consonant and have a short vowel sound (e.g., In " pic ture," the first syllable, "pic" /pɪk/ ends in a consonant, and the / ɪ / sound is short).

Open syllable: syllables that end in a vowel and have a long vowel sound (e.g., In "zero," the last syllable "ro" /roʊ/ ends with the vowel sound /oʊ/, which is long).

Vowel-consonant-e syllable: syllables that end with a long vowel, a consonant, and a silent -e (e.g., "F ate " is a one-syllable word which ends with a long -a /eɪ/, a consonant (t), and a silent -e ).

Diphthong (vowel team) syllable: syllables that include two consecutive vowels making a singular sound (e.g., in " shout ing," the first syllable "shout" (ʃaʊt) includes an -o and a -u together that makes one sound - the diphthong /aʊ/).

R-controlled syllable: syllables that end in at least one vowel followed by -r (e.g., In the name Peter, the end syllable "er" /ər/ consists of an -e followed by an -r .)

R-controlled syllables are specific to rhotic accents , that is, accents where the -r is pronounced wherever it appears. In Standard American English, the -r at the end of r-controlled syllables is a rhotic /r/, which means it is more pronounced than the non-rhotic /r/ of Standard British English.

In Standard British English, the -r at the end of most words and syllables ending in -r would make a schwa sound (ə) instead of a strong, rhotic /r/ sound. Therefore, non-rhotic British English (and other non-rhotic accents) does not include r-controlled syllables.

There are some British accents that are rhotic, however, such as the Cornish and Devon accents, and there are a couple of American accents which are non-rhotic, such as the Chicago or Upstate New York accents.

Consonant-le syllable: syllables that end with a consonant followed by -le (e.g., In "syllable," the last syllable "ble" /bəl/ ends with the consonant -b followed by -le .)

Each of these syllable types follows the rule of having a singular vowel sound and either no consonants or a range of consonants before, after, or surrounding the vowel sound.

Syllable: examples

An example of a syllable is the word 'hello', which has two syllables: "hel" and "lo". To ensure each of these syllable types is cemented in our minds, let's look at a few more syllable examples for each type:

Closed Syllables

• cat (/kæt/)
• napkin – nap (/ næp/ ) + kin (/kɪn/ )
• spin (/spɪn/)
• dough nut – dough + nut (/nʌt/)

In all of these examples, the underlined syllables end with a consonant and have a short vowel sound.

This is generally the first kind of syllable that children are taught to read; many early reading words follow the consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern ("cat," "mat," "pin," "dip," "dog," etc.)

Open Syllables

• go (/goʊ/)
• sky (/skaɪ/)
• mosqui to – mos + qui + to (/toʊ/)

In all of these examples, the underlined syllables end in a vowel that has a long vowel sound.

Vowel-Consonant-e Syllables

• plate (/pleɪt/)
• tame (/teɪm/)
• mite (/maɪt/)
• bone (/boʊn/)

In all of these examples, the syllables underlined consist of a vowel, followed by a consonant, followed by a silent (or "magic") -e . The -e in each syllable elongates the sound of the vowels .

Diphthong Syllables

• sky (skaɪ)
• trail (/treɪl/)
• spoi led - spoi (/spɔɪ/) + led

In all of these examples, the underlined syllables include two vowels together that make a singular vowel sound.

R-Controlled Syllables

• fir (/fɜːr/)
• burr (/bɜːr/
• plumb er – plumb + er (/ər/)
• corri dor – cor + ri + dor (/dər/)

In all of these examples, the underlined syllables are made up of a vowel followed by an - r. To reiterate, r-controlled syllables are specific to rhotic accents. Non-rhotic accents do not have r-controlled syllables.

Consonant-le Syllables

• tur tle - tur + tle (/təl/)
• hur dle - hur + dle (/dəl/)
• ma ple - ma + ple (/pəl/)

In all of these examples, the underlined syllables are formed by placing -le after a consonant.

Syllable division

If you aren't used to doing it, syllable division can sometimes be a bit tricky. What do we mean by 'syllable division'?

Syllable division simply refers to the process of dividing a word into its constituent syllables.

There are several ways to divide words into syllables, and these ways depend on the composition of the word. There are seven rules you can learn to make syllable division easier.

Syllable rules

The seven syllable rules mentioned above are as follows:

A syllable can only have one vowel sound. Using this logic, you can divide words into syllables by looking at the vowel sounds.

Vowels and vowel sounds are two different things.

• a vowel is one of the letters: a, e, i, o, u (and sometimes y)
• a vowel sound is the sound made by the vowel or vowels in a word

The number of vowels in a word does not always equal the number of vowel sounds. For instance, words with a silent "-e," such as "rate" have two vowels (a and e) but only one vowel sound (eɪ).

The word "plant" only has one vowel sound, so the word itself is only one syllable. The word "coriander," however, has four vowel sounds and is therefore divided into four syllables – "co" + "ri" + "an" + "der," where each syllable has a vowel sound.

Dividing between two of the same consonant. If a word has two of the same consonant (e.g., "mo pp ing"), you can divide the word into syllables between them (e.g., "mopping" becomes "mop" + "ping"). For this rule to work, the double consonant must have a vowel on either side. In the "mopping" example, there is an "-o" on one side of the double -p and an "-i" on the other.

Divide according to the length of the vowel sound. Some vowel sounds are short, some are long, and some words include both. You can figure out where to divide a word into syllables depending on the kind of vowel sounds in that word.

If the first vowel sound in a word is long, then the divide should come after the first vowel. For instance, in the word "deepen," the first vowel sound is the long -e, so the division into syllables would look like: "dee" + "pen." In this case , the middle consonant becomes attached to the second vowel sound.

If the first vowel sound in a word is short, then the divide should come before the second vowel sound in the word. In the word "figure," the first vowel sound is the short -i , so the division into syllables would look like: "fig" + "ure". In this case, the middle consonant attaches to the first vowel sound.

Divide between two vowels if they make different sounds. If a word has two vowels next to each other that produce two different sounds, then you should divide between these two vowels (e.g., "diet" becomes "di" + "et", and "diaspora" becomes "di" + "as" + "por" + "a").

Affixes become separate syllables. If a word has been inflected to include a prefix, suffix, or both, then these affixes become their own syllables (e.g., "endless" becomes "end" + "less" and "reread" becomes "re" + "read").

Compound words are always divided between the two words. If a word is made up of two or more other words, then there should be syllable divisions between them.

"Cupcake": "cup" + "cake"

"Something": "some" + "thing"

"Sunflower": "sun" + "flow" + "er" (here, "flower" is split into two syllables because it includes two different vowel sounds - ˈfl aʊ + ə r ).

Divide before consonant-le structures. If a word ends with a consonant followed by -le, then you should divide the word before the consonant preceding the -le (e.g., "needle" becomes "nee" + "dle" and "turtle" becomes "tur" + "tle").

By following these seven rules, you should be able to identify where a word should be divided into syllables.

Names with two syllables

For a bit of fun, we'll end this article by looking at some names with two syllables.

This table shows the two-syllable names and how they can be divided into their constituent syllables in IPA (international phonetic alphabet).

Syllable - Key takeaways

• A syllable is a unit of pronunciation that can either be its own word or can come together with other syllables to make longer words.
• Each syllable can only have one vowel sound in it and may or may not have a variety of consonants around the vowel sound.
• There are six key types of syllables in English: closed, open, vowel-consonant-e, diphthong, r-controlled, and consonant-le.
• Syllable division refers to how words are broken down into their constituent syllables.
• There are seven rules for syllable division.

Flashcards in Syllable 6

When a word is divided into its constituent syllables. 

particularly

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Frequently Asked Questions about Syllable

What is a syllable?

A syllable is a unit of pronunciation that can either come together with other syllables to form longer words or be a word in and of itself. Syllables contain a singular vowel sound and may or may not have consonants before, after, or surrounding the vowel sound. 

What is a syllable example?

An example of a syllable is the word "English". The syllables are "Eng" and "lish". 

How do you identify syllables in a word?

There are six types of syllables in English, and knowing these types can help you to identify them in a word. They are: 

• vowel-consonant-e
• r-controlled
• consonant-le

Once you understand what each of the syllable types consists of, you can identify these types in words. 

What are some two syllable words?

These are some examples of two-syllable words: 

• English: Eng + lish
• exact: ex + act
• mother: mo + ther
• classroom: class + room
• begin: be + gin

What are the rules of syllables?

There are seven rules of syllable division which are as follows: 

• A syllable can only have one vowel sound. 
• Dividing between two of the same consonant. 
• Divide according to the length of the vowel sound. 
• Divide between two vowels if they make different sounds. 
• Affixes become separate syllables. 
• Compound words are always divided between the two words. 
• Divide before consonant-le structures. 

Does every syllable have a vowel?

Every syllable needs to include one vowel sound. Syllables can either be a vowel on their own, or can have consonants attached to the vowel sound.

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Reading Blocks

How to Divide a Word Into Syllables

A syllable can be the whole word or just part of the word but must contain at least one vowel. Learn how to divide a word into syllables on this page.

We have to look at the definition of syllable first in order to learn how to divide a word into syllables. A syllable is defined as “a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word.” In other words, a syllable can be the whole word when the word is a one syllable word like: cat; hip; coat; black. Or, a syllable can be part of a word when the word has more than one syllable like: ba/by; trou/ble; hap/py; wil/low; cap/tion; mem/or/ies; Phil/ e/del/phi/a.

We can tell how many syllables a word has by listening for how many vowel sounds we hear in the word. Not how many vowels we see in the word, but how many vowels we hear in the word. Some vowels can be silent like silent e at the end of the word (gate) and some vowels team up with other vowels to form one sound like the vowel sound in “team”

The reason we need to learn how to divide words into syllables is because it will help us to sound out bigger words (multisyllabic words) that we don’t know.

There are Seven Types of Syllables

Closed Syllable (Block 2) – at, am, sat, will, did, its.

Open Syllable – (Block 4) – me, be, no, go, so, see, he, we, be, my, by.

Silent e Syllable – (Block 8) – slime, drive, plate, name, take, came, home, wide.

Vowel Team – (Block 13) – way, mean, boat, heat, need, road, green, deep.

R-Controlled Vowels – (Block 18) – hurt, ear, verb, short, more, year, clear, word.

Consonant + LE – (Block 23) – buckle, able, giggle, angle, uncle, puddle, gentle.

Vowel Diphthongs – (Block 27) – poison, boil, pound, shouted, haul, cause, because.

Each of these syllable types will be discussed in the corresponding block. Dividing words into separate syllables begins when the bulk of multisyllabic sight words are introduced in Block 8. Each reader can be given the summary sheet for syllable dividing when beginning the program. The reader can keep the summary sheet in his binder until the parent/teacher begins discussing how to divide bigger words into syllables. The reader can use the summary sheet to check off each type of syllable as it is introduced and practiced.

Syllable Summary

1) Closed Syllable – hit

2) Open Syllable – me

3) Silent e Syllable – plate

4) Vowel Team Syllable – team

5) R – Controlled Vowel – bird

6) Consonant + LE Syllable – bubble

7) Vowel Diphthong – boil

Dividing Reminders

• Divide prefix and suffix from root word – pre/de/ter/mine, ex/haust, walk/ing.
• Divide between two middle consonants – bal/loon, bub/ble, ap/ple, pat/tern.
• Divide between compound words – cow/boy, pork/chop, mail/man, boy/scout.
• Divide before or after an open syllable – o/pen, va/ca/tion, a/men, go/cart, hel/lo.
• Divide before the Consonant + LE pattern – work/a/ble, gen/tle/men, gig/gle, buckle (notice that when there is a –ckle ending, the ck will be split apart into two separate syllables).
• Keep blends, digraphs, and consonant/digraphs together in the same syllable – sub/ stance, in/stu/ment.
• Listen for number of vowel sounds, one vowel sound per syllable – gi/ant, near/ly, re/ ceiv/ing
• Keep vowel teams and vowel diphthongs together in the same syllable. Vowel diphthongs sound like two sounds but are only counted as one sound – boil, spoil, moun/tains, crouch, a/mount

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How to divide words into syllables—start with words having double consonants between two short vowels

Figuring out how to pronounce words with two or more separated vowels can be a problem. However, there are guidelines which often help.

All of these two-syllable words have certain features in common which make pronunciation easy:

• they have either two consonants or one consonant and a blend in the middle of the word,
• and they have a single vowel preceding and following the middle consonants.
• The first vowel is a short vowel, and usually the second vowel is short also if it is followed by a single consonant or a blend.

But what if there is only one consonant between two vowels? Does the consonant go with the first vowel or the second? It depends.  We’ll talk about that soon.

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