Seven rules to divide words into syllables.

How to divide words into syllables

1/21/2017

Category: Learning

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.
Fo 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.

8 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.

Tina link

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

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. Remember, all diphthongs represent a syllable.

Great

C S

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

How to divide words into syllables

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