How to divide words into syllables

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.

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 first vowel has a long vowel sound.             
            For example: ba-sic, ro-bot, wa-ter.

     b) The consonant goes with the first 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 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.
 
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-flow-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​

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)