What Is A Syllable?

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Syllable Rules >> Definition Examples

What is a syllable?
  • A syllable is the sound of a vowel (A, E, I, O, U) that is created when pronouncing the letters A, E, I, O, U, or Y.
  • The letter "Y" is a vowel only if it creates an A, E, I, O, or U sound.
    • examples: fry, try, cry, & dry
  • The number of times that you hear the sound of a vowel is the number of syllables in a word.
  • When two (or more) vowels are next to each other, the number of syllables depends on the number of vowel sounds.
    • examples: free (1 syllable), eat (1 syllable), & bio (2 syllables)
  • If a vowel is silent, it is not counted as a syllable.
    • example: fire (1 syllable)
  • Does the word end with "le" or "les?" This is a syllable if the letter before the "le" is a consonant.
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Syllable Rules >> Definition Examples

Syllable Examples

Free
  • 1 syllable: free
  • pronounced: free
  • Listen: how to pronounce free
Eat
  • 1 syllable: eat
  • pronounced: eet
  • Listen: how to pronounce eat
Eating
  • 2 syllables: eat-ing
  • pronounced: eet-ing
  • Listen: how to pronounce eating
Bio
  • 2 syllables: bi-o
  • pronounced: bi-oh
  • Listen: how to pronounce bio
Fire
  • 1 syllable: fire
  • pronounced: f-eye-r
  • Listen: how to pronounce fire
Cake
  • 1 syllable: cake
  • pronounced: kay-k
  • Listen: how to pronounce cake
Cheese
  • 1 syllable: cheese
  • pronounced: chees
  • Listen: how to pronounce cheese
Chicken
  • 2 syllables: chick-en
  • pronounced: chik-in
  • Listen: how to pronounce chicken
Checked
  • 1 syllable: checked
  • pronounced: chek-d
  • Listen: how to pronounce checked
Batted
  • 2 syllables: bat-ted
  • pronounced: bat-ed
  • Listen: how to pronounce batted
Worrying
  • 3 syllables: wor-ry-ing
  • pronounced: wah-ree-ing
  • Listen: how to pronounce worrying
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