How to divide words into syllables

1/21/2017 16 Comments

Category: Phonics

All words have at least one syllable. When you know how to divide words into you can improve your
spelling and reading skills as well as your ability to pronounce words correctly.

What is a syllable?
A syllable is a single segment of unbroken sound that has one vowel sound, a diphthong or a syllabic consonant. It may
or may not be surrounded by consonants.

Examples

a → a (1 syllable)
bread → bread (1 syllable)
female → fe-male(2 syllables)
bicycle* → bi-cy-cle (3 syllables)
interesting → in-ter-est-ing (4 syllables)

* Note the consonant “y” is not strictly a vowel but behaves like one.

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Seven rules to divide words into syllables
Rule # 1
A syllable is formed by at least one vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
For example: a, the, plant, ba-na-na, chil-dren, cam-er-a.

Exceptions:
a) Silent e is not counted as a vowel in a syllable.
For example: tape, like, love, ex-treme, take, blue.

b) When two vowels carry one sound (diphthong), they cannot be divided.
For example: coin, loud, bread, moon, sound, beau-ti-ful, a-void.

c) The letter “y” is not strictly a vowel but behaves like one.
For example: man-y, bi-cy-cle, i-vy.

Rule # 2
Divide the syllable between two same consonants.
For example: rab-bit, let-ter, buf-fet, des-sert, ber-ry.

Rule # 3
Vowel with long/short vowel sound...
a) The consonant goes with the second vowel if the rst vowel has a long vowel sound.
For example: ba-sic, ro-bot, wa-ter.

b) The consonant goes with the rst vowel if it has a short vowel sound.
For example: riv-er, mod-el, pan-el.

Exception:
Never split two consonants that make only one sound (ch, sh, ph, th, wh & gh) when pronounced together and aren't the
same letter (diagraphs).
For example: teach-er, lash-es, graph-ic, pan-ther, bath-tub.

Rule# 4
Divide between two vowels that make two sounds.
For example: di-et, di-aer-e-sis.

Exception:
Two vowels make one sound.
For example: coat, boat, meet.

Rule # 5
Use pre xes and suf xes to separate syllables.
For example: re-turn, un-u-su-al, pre-paid, end-less, pay-ing, hap-pi-ness, un-kind-ly.

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Rule # 6
Compound nouns are always divided between the two words.
For example: some-thing, cup-cake, with-out, how-ev-er, ba-by-sit-ter, class-room, break-fast, sun- ow-er.

Rule # 7
Divide before the consonant before an "-le" syllable and sounds like “-el”.
For example: a-ble, can-dle, fum-ble, ap-ple, ta-ble, cas-tle.

Exception:
Words which end with “ckle”.
For example: tick-le, tack-le.

Exercise
Rewrite each word in syllables.

1. basketball
2. elepant
3. accelerate
4. beaver
5. reptile
6. photographic
7. construct
8. analytically
9. incomprehensibly
10. ophthalmology

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Answers

1. bas-ket-ball (3 syllables)
2. el-e-phant (3 syllables)
3. ac-cel-er-ate (5 syllables)
4. bea-ver (2 syllables)
5. rep-tile (2 syllables)
6. pho-to-graph-ic (4 syllables)
7. con-struct (2 syllables)
8. an-a-lyt-i-cal-ly (6 syllables)
9. in-com-pre-hen-si-bly (6 syllables)
10. oph-thal-mol-o-gy (5 syllables)

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16 Comments

Darío Flores 6/6/2022 01:11:21 am

Thank you for sharing this useful information, which helps learners of English as a second language; as is my case.

REPLY

Tina 7/20/2022 01:56:17 pm

Hi,

I don't understand this point:

b) When two vowels carry one sound (diphthong), they cannot be divided.
For example: coin, loud, bread, moon, sound, beau-ti-ful, a-void.

I hear 2 sounds in all of those like 'aʊ' in 'sound' and 'loud' or 'ɪə' in 'near'. I hear 2 vowel sounds, not 1 and I thought 2
vowel sounds in a word would mean 2 syllables. Could you pls explain this to me?

Thank you,
Tina

REPLY

Great 9/14/2022 05:47:01 am

In pronouncing words with two vowels, you have to identify whether they carry a diphthong, a Triphthong or
hiatus.
The only sounds which cannot be syllabified are diphthongs, examples oa , ee, ea, etc.
Meanwhile if they are Triphthong sounds they must be syllabified.

However, the sounds you hear in

"Near" gear" " here" are known as glides not two vowels sounds. Therefore they are called diphthongs.

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 Remember, all diphthongs represent a syllable.

Great

REPLY

Trena 4/18/2023 11:12:37 am

The two sounds you're hearing kind of glide into each other (diphthongs are sometimes called "gliding vowels").
A simple way of checking if two vowels are in one syllable or two is by placing your hand under your chin (and
ideally with your elbow resting on a table). Say the word and feel how many times your chin hits your hand. If
you're not already feeling too silly, saying the word with a "robot voice" amplifies the effect even more.

REPLY

CS 7/28/2022 07:24:45 am

Dear Tina,

One sound of two sound, it has to do with IPA. IPA will decide it is one sound of two sound.

REPLY

Libna 8/18/2022 02:02:59 pm

Hi ,
Can you explain rule 3 . Vowel with long/ short vowel sound..
How you will know
( it's bit tricky to understand when English is second or third language )

That vowel has a long or short sound in the words like ba-sic and riv-er
Plz help.
Thank you.

REPLY

Mariana I S Mattos 8/30/2022 10:52:15 pm

think of it like this: you know when you sit on a plane between two people, and you feel shy and small? (short)
And when there's no one next to you you can streeeetch? (loooong)

when a vowel can say its name, it's long - there's space for the vowel to say it loud and clear! Like in HI, and the
O HELLO: no one next to it.
but the E in Hello is stuck between consonants, so it's very shy and has a small sound, not the Original E sound.
(/ee/)

In short:
LONG sounds: A /ay/, E /ee/, I /ai/, O /ow/, U /you/

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 When the vowel is alone at the end of a syllable, it's more comfortable, so it can say it's name and be itself, like
in ba-sic /ay/

Hope this helps, specially if you imagine the situations!

Look up Nessy Open Syllables on Youtube.

REPLY

Karina 9/28/2022 07:01:22 am

Sorry, but is still doesn't make any sense. If I see a particular word for the first time in my entire life,
how exactly am I supposed to guess whether I should consider a vowel as a long one or short? To
know how to pronounce a vowel you need to know whether the syllable is open or not. To know that, in
turn, you need to know if the vowel is short or long. It is a perfect trap, an endless circle. As a native
speaker who happens to see an unfamiliar word, what do you do in such a situation? I asked several
English teachers and all them failed to explain

Frances 10/28/2022 02:52:46 pm

Karina: You are correct. These rules, especially the long/short vowel pronunciation, are easier for native speakers to
apply than for ESL students because native speakers have most probably heard the word before. If you have never
heard the word, you cannot know if the vowel is long or short. To find that out, you can go to an online dictionary such as
www.m-w.com or any other. There is a button you can press and the word is pronounced, and it is also divided into
syllables.
There are however some guidelines, google the "Rabbit Rule" for divididing many two-syllable words; this "rule" will also
help with pronunciation. I hope this helps.

REPLY

Sophia 1/8/2023 07:43:10 am

Thank so much for explaining this topic. I'll definitely teach my kids with a lot of confidence now. I also learnt a lot from
the questions asked. I appreciate.

REPLY

Siddu 6/23/2023 11:08:30 pm

Video in the world eo are together why does it have 3 syllable can give explain

REPLY

peekay 9/17/2023 10:47:30 pm

Hi there, everyone|
all of these discussions are amazing and so mind-blowing as well. however, my question is that, how can we bridge

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 those elements in actual teaching?

please clarify
thanks!

REPLY

Alison Shortridge 10/12/2023 07:51:29 am

What about the words "baker" or "baking"? The vowel is long, but the correct syllabication is "bak-er" or "bak-ing". Why is
this?

REPLY

Cristian 10/20/2023 07:38:51 pm

I'm not really sure but I think it's a exception following this rule...

Rule # 5
Use prefixes and suffixes to separate syllables.
For example: re-turn, un-u-su-al, pre-paid, end-less, pay-ing, hap-pi-ness, un-kind-ly.

REPLY

Alison Shortridge 10/21/2023 05:07:11 am

Thank you, Cristian!

Jessica 10/25/2023 06:57:58 am

Where is the syllable divide for the following words

Campers
Swimming

REPLY

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