Syllable Basics

Syllables are the units of sound in the words we speak or write.
There are three things to remember about syllables.

1) Every word must have at least one syllable

2) Every syllable must have a vowel

3) A syllable can be one letter or a group of letters(away, a way)

 

Examples 1:

Clap and say table. Table (ta ble) has two syllables.

Notice the e at the end. It doesn't make a sound. The e is there because each syllable must have a vowel.

Clap and say automobile. Automobile(au to mo bile) has four syllables

Example 2:

one syllable: cat, dog, run, go, girl

two syllables: into(in to), above(a bove), away(a way), seven(sev en)

three syllables: Saturday (Sat ur day), telephone (tel e phone)

four syllables: January (Jan u ar y), information (in for ma tion)

 

Spell Better by Using Syllables

1) Longer words are easier to remember how to spell syllable by syllable.

2) Learn to recognize spelling patterns

There are a limited number of ways certain sounds are spelled.

Be aware of spelling rules and how Sound families (phonograms)are spelled.

Example: Spell oper_tion(op er "A" tion)
1) break the word into syllables, (op er "A" tion)

2) spell syllable by syllable, op er ? tion

3) think of the different ways to make the "A" sound (a, ay, ai, eigh, ei, ey)

operation, operaition, opereition, operaytion, opereightion

some of the spellings will look wrong because you know how to read.

Correct: operation
Incorrect: operaition, opereition, operaytion, opereightion

Exercise 1

How many syllables in each word?

1) go, going, short, Saturday

2) run, after, September, able

3) before, jump, second, February

4) January, above, feel, body

5) happiness, supper, lightning, togetherness

Answers:

1) 1, 2, 1, 3
2) 1, 2, 3, 2
3) 2, 1, 2, 4
4) 4, 2, 1, 2
5) 3, 2, 2, 4