Syllables and Syllabication
This lesson teaches the basics of syllables and syllabication and includes the definition of a syllable, examples of single syllable and multiple syllable words, and the rules of syllabication, which outline the correct method of breaking or dividing words into syllables. It is part of the Wordwooze Redux Language Arts Series and may be copied and used for educational purposes.
What is a Syllable?
A syllable is a unit of pronunciation consisting of a vowel sound, or a vowel sound grouped with one or more consonant sounds, pronounced by a single impulse of the voice, and forming either a complete word or one of the units of pronunciation that together make a word.
Examples of words containing a single syllable: got; cart; switch; torch; fault; breath.
Examples of words containing multiple syllables: to/day; big/ger; for/est; al/to/geth/er; con/di/tion/al/ly; ex/is/ten/tial/ism.
Rules of Syllabication
Syllabication Rule 1.
A one-syllable word is never divided.(say, rest)
Syllabication Rule 2.
Divide a compound word between the words that make up the compound word. (on/to, sun/light). When necessary, divide the smaller words into syllables. (un/der/dog)
Syllabication Rule 3.
When a word has a suffix, divide the word between the base word and the suffix. (youth/ful, sad/ly)
Syllabication Rule 4.
When a word has a prefix, divide the word between the prefix and the base word or root. (re/new, un/cover) Some prefixes have more than one syllable. (in/ter/weave, o/ver/take)
Syllabication Rule 5.
When two or more consonants come between the two vowels in a word, the word is usually divided between the first two consonants. (in/take, win/ner)
Syllabication Rule 6.
When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, the word is usually divided after the consonant if the first vowel is short. (wag/on, shiv/er)
Syllabication Rule 7.
When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, the word is usually divided before the consonant if the first vowel is long. (ra/dar, fi/ber)
Syllabication Rule 8.
When a vowel is sounded alone in a word, the vowel is a syllable itself. (gas/o/line, i/dol,)
Syllabication Rule 9.
When two vowels come together in a word and are sounded separately, divide the word between the two vowels. (pli/ers, di/ode)
Syllabication Rule 10.
When a word ends in le preceded by a consonant, divide the word before that consonant. (bot/tle, cra/dle)
Language Arts Series - Syllables and Syllabication
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