A Small Step for Big Leap
Phonetics: Stress
M-20 Vishwakarma Colony
What is a syllable?
A syllable is the sound of a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) that is created when pronouncing a word.
The letter 'y' can be counted as a vowel, only if it creates the sound of a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
o For example: fry, try, cry, & dry
Some words have two (or more) vowels next to each other. Other words have vowels that are
silent.
The number of times that you hear the sound of a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) is equal to the number of
syllables the word has.
Examples:
Cake
1 syllable ( cake )
pronounced: kay-k
Eat
1 syllable ( eat )
pronounced: ee-t
Cheese
1 syllable ( cheese )
pronounced: chee-s
Eating
2 syllables ( eat - ing )
pronounced: ee-t -- ing
Chicken
2 syllables ( chick - en )
pronounced: chi-k -- in
Worrying
3 syllables ( wor - ry - ing )
pronounced: wa -- ree -- ing
Checked
1 syllable ( checked )
pronounced: che-k-d
Batted
2 syllable ( bat - ted )
pronounced: ba -- ted
5 Ways to Count Syllables(Syllable Rules Below)
1. The Listen Method Rules
a. Say the word.
b. How many times do you hear "A, E, I, O, U" as a separate sound?
c. This is the number of syllables.
2. The Chin Method Rules
a.
b.
c.
d.
Put your hand under your chin.
Say the word.
How many times does your chin touch your hand?
This is the number of syllables.
3. The Clap Method Rules
a.
b.
c.
d.
Clapping may help you find syllables.
Say the word.
Clap each time you hear "A, E, I, O, U" as a separate sound.
The number of claps is the number of syllables.
Page 1 of 3
A Small Step for Big Leap
Phonetics: Stress
M-20 Vishwakarma Colony
4. The Robot Speak Method Rules
a.
b.
c.
d.
Make believe you are a robot from the year 2000.
Say a word as this robot.
Pay attention to the pauses you make.
How many parts did you break your word into?
Example:
robot = "ro" *pause* "bot"... 2 syllables
e. This is the number of syllables.
5. The Written Method Rules
a. Count the number of vowels (A, E, I, O, U) in the word.
Add 1 every time the letter 'y' makes the sound of a vowel (A, E, I, O, U).
Subtract 1 for each silent vowel (like the silent 'e' at the end of a word).
b. Subtract 1 for each diphthong or triphthong in the word.
Diphthong: when 2 vowels make only 1 sound (aw, oy, oo)
Triphthong: when 3 vowels make only 1 sound (iou)
c. Add 1 if the word ends with "le" or "les".
d. The number you are left with is the number of syllables in your word.
Examples:
Take
1 syllable ( take )
pronounced: tay-k
Bee
1 syllable ( bee )
pronounced: b-ee
Taking
2 syllables ( tak -- ing )
pronounced: tay-king
Redo
2 syllables ( re -- do )
pronounced: ree -- doo
Dusted
2 syllables ( dust -- ed )
pronounced: dus -- ted
Page 2 of 3
A Small Step for Big Leap
Phonetics: Stress
M-20 Vishwakarma Colony
Syllable Division Rules
1. Separate prefixes, suffixes, and root words
o pre/view, work/ing, re/do, end/less, out/side
2. Are two consonants next to each other? Divide in between them
o consonant = a letter that is not a vowel
o buf/fet, des/sert, ob/ject, ber/ry, fer/ry
3. Never split 2 consonants that (when pronounced together) make only 1 sound
o "th", "sh", "ph", "th", "ch", and "wh"
4. Is the consonant surrounded by vowels?
o Does the 1st vowel have a long sound? (Like the 'i' in line)
Divide before the consonant.
ba/by, re/sult, i/vy, fro/zen, Cu/pid
o Does the 1st vowel have a short sound? (Like the 'i' in mill)
Divide after the consonant.
rav/age, met/al, riv/er, mod/el, cur/tal
5. Is there a 'ckle' in the word? Divide right before the 'le'.
o tack/le, freck/le, tick/le, buck/le
6. Is there a 'le' (no 'ck' in front)? Divide 1 letter before the 'le'.
o ap/ple, rum/ble, fa/ble, ta/ble
Examples:
little: lit / tle
petal: pet / al
turtle: tur / tle
ankle: an / kle
riddle: rid / dle
arrow: ar / row
nickle: nick / le
cotton: cot / ton
student: stu / dent
teacher: teach / er
children: chil / dren
pottery: pot / ter / y
learning: learn / ing
textbook: text / book
watching: watch / ing
screaming: scream / ing
misbehaving: mis / be / hav / ing
Page 3 of 3
