Can we divide one syllable word

Delilah Orpi is the founder of Thrive Literacy Corner. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a Master’s degree in TESOL, and is a member of the International Dyslexia Association. She is an experienced educator and literacy specialist trained in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell. Delilah creates literacy resources for educators and parents and writes to create awareness about dyslexia and effective literacy instruction based on the science of reading.

Syllable formation in English is based on the
phonological opposition vowel – consonant. Vowels appear to be
syllabic, while consonants do not, with the exception of [l], [m],
[n] which become syllabic if they occur in an unstressed final
position preceded by a noise consonant. For example, little
[‘litl],
blossom
[‘blPsqm],
garden
[‘gRdn].

In English there are
distinguished four types of syllables:

As it was told the English language has developed the closed type of
syllable as the fundamental one while in Russian it is the open type
that forms the basis of syllable formation. The number of syllable
varies from the point of view of their structure is 23. The structure
of the English syllable reveals variations in the number of
pre-vocalic consonants from 1 to 3 and post-vocalic consonants from 1
to 5.

As for the number of syllables in the English
word it can vary from one to eight. For example, come
[‘kAm],
Ricky
[‘rIkI],
family
[‘fxmIlI],
simplicity
[sIm’plIsItI],
unnaturally
[An’nxCqrqlI],
incompatibility
[‘InkPm»pxtI’bIlItI],
unintelligibility
[‘AnIn»telIGI’bIlItI].
The syllabic division determines the
syllabic structure of the language, its syllabic typology. The sounds
of language can be grouped into syllables according to certain rules.

The part of phonetics that deals with this aspect
of a language is called phonotactics. Phonotactic possibilities of a
language determine the rules of syllable division. In the English
language the problem of syllable division exists only in case of
intervocalic consonants and their clusters like in the words city
[‘sItI],
agree
[q’gri:],
extra
[‘ekstrq] and others.
In such cases the point of syllable
division is not easily found. Theoretically two variants are
possible:

1. the point of syllable division is after the intervocalic consonant;

2. the point of syllable division is inside the consonant.

Let’s consider the first word “city”.
The first syllable remains closed according to phonotactic rules of
the English language, because the short vowel should remain checked.
The results of instrumental analysis show that the point of syllable
division in words like pity
[‘pItI],
topic
[‘tPpIk],
measure
[‘meZq], Bobby
[‘bPbI]
is inside the intervocalic
consonant. Comparing with Russian the stressed syllable in the
structure (C)VCV(C) is always open in Russian. For example, у—ши,
мя—та,
о—бувь,
while in English this kind of syllable is always closed if the
syllabic vowel is short and checked.

Let’s examine another type of
intervocalic consonant clusters – VCCV(C). For example, agree
[q’gri:],
abroad
[q’brLd].
The words
should be divided into
syllables in the following way: [q
— ‘gri:], [q
— ‘brLd]. Because such combinations
of consonants as [gr], [br] are permissible initial clusters for the
English language. On the other hand, there are clusters that can
never be found in the word initial position and consequently should
be broken by syllabic boundary. For
example, admire
[qd —
‘maI], abhor
[qb-‘hL].

In
cases when there are more than three intervocalic consonants the
natural way of syllable division is such: extra [‘ek — strq].
It is fixed in dictionaries.

The constitutive
function of the syllable is its ability to be a part of a word or a
word itself. The syllable forms language units of greater magnitude,
that is morphemes,
words and
utterances.
We should emphasize two things:

1. the syllable is the unit within which the relations between the
   distinctive features of the phonemes and their acoustic correlates
   are revealed;

2. within a syllable (or a sequence of syllables)
   prosodic characteristics of speech are realized, which form the
   stress pattern of a word and the rhythmic and intonation structures
   of an utterance. In sum, the syllable
   is a specific minimal structure of both segmental and suprasegmental
   features.

The distinctive function of the syllable lies in
its ability to differentiate words and word-forms. For
example,

an aim [qn
— ‘eIm]
– a name [q
— ‘neIm]

nitrate
[naI
— ‘treIt]
–
night-rate
[‘naIt
— ‘reIt]

mice
kill [‘maIs
– ‘kIl]
– my skill [maI
— ‘skIl]

an ice house [qn
— ‘aIs
— ‘haus] –
a nice house [q
— ‘naIs
— ‘haus]

peace talks [‘pi:s
— ‘tLks] –
pea stalks
[‘pi: — ‘stLks]

plate rack [‘pleIt
— ‘rxk] –
play track [‘pleI
— ‘trxk]

Sometimes the difference in syllabic division might be the
basic ground for differentiation sentences in such minimal pairs as:

I saw her eyes. –
I saw her rise.

I saw the meat. – I saw them eat.
or even – I saw them meet.

The majority of phoneticians regard the length of
the syllabic vowel to be a defining characteristic of the syllable.
It has been proved experimentally that the duration of a vowel
increases when a rising nuclear tone occurs within it. In such cases
the vowel becomes free enough to indicate the syllabic boundary line:

Isn’t this day hotter?

The
days are getting hotter.

Thus the syllable could be conceived as a smallest
pronounceable unit with potential linguistic importance. We should
arrest our attention at the following peculiarities of the syllabic
structure of English:

1. syllabic boundary is inside intervocalic
   consonant preceded by vowels. For example, Nelly,
   bucket, bigger, body;

2. syllabic boundary is before an intervocalic
   consonant if it is not preceded the above-mentioned vowels. For
   example, later, speaker;

3. the sonorants [l],
   [m], [n] are syllabic if they are
   preceded by noise consonants. For example, kettle,
   sudden, blossom;

4. there can’t be more than one vowel (a diphthong or a monophthong)
   within one syllable;

5. the typical and most fundamental syllabic
   structure is of (C)VС type;

6. word final consonants are normally of weak-end type.

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Did you know that dividing words into syllables is one of the most powerful decoding strategies out there?

If your students are ready to read words with more than one syllable, then it’s time to start teaching syllable division rules!

When readers know the syllable division rules, it A) helps them successfully decode multisyllabic words and B) provides them with clues about the vowel sounds in multisyllabic words!

Knowing how to divide words into syllables gives your kids POWER to attack those longer words!

In today’s post, I’ll explain how to teach students to divide words into syllables!

…And I also have something to confess:

Despite being an English speaker, teacher, and avid reader, I did not know these rules until I’d already been teaching for years.

So if these rules are new to you, don’t sweat it! We’re all learning! All the time!

The 6 Syllable Types

Do you know the 6 syllable types? They are:

1. Closed
2. Open
3. Vowel-Consonant-E (also known as Magic E or Silent E)
4. Vowel Team
5. R-Controlled
6. Consonant-L-E

If you haven’t read my post that goes in-depth on these syllable types, you may want to read that first, and then come back to this post. My 6 syllable types post can be found HERE!

(And yes – there are a lot of terms and rules to remember when you’re teaching phonics. If you’d like a free PDF that has many different terms and rules in one place, grab this freebie!)

Finding the Number of Syllables in a Word

An important first step in dividing up a word into its syllables is knowing how many syllables the word has.

You may already know that 1 vowel sound = 1 syllable. If a word has 3 vowel sounds, for example, then it has 3 syllables.

(Notice that I’m saying vowel sounds, not actual vowels. The word “cupcake,” for example, technically has 3 vowels. But the e is silent. It only has two syllables because the vowel sounds we hear are the short u and the long a, 2 total vowel sounds.)

Syllable Division Patterns

There are only 6 syllable types, and there are even fewer syllable division patterns!

The syllable division patterns are as follows (V = vowel; C = consonant):

VC/CV

If you have two consonant sounds between two vowel sounds, divide the word between the consonant sounds.

In the word “sunset,” the vowel sounds are the short u and the short e. The two consonants in the middle, n and s, get divided up.

In the word “bathtub,” the vowel sounds are the short a and the short u. The two consonant SOUNDS in the middle are /th/ and /t/. The word gets divided up between the h and the second t.

If there are 3 consonants between the vowels, rather than 2, there’s going to be a blend in there. The sounds that get blended together stay together in one syllable.

For example, in the word “complex,” we divide between the m and the p.

V/CV

Moving on…sometimes there’s just one consonant sound between the vowels, rather than 2.

If this is the case, the first syllable division rule that we try is V/CV (dividing up the word BEFORE the consonant).

For example, in the word “robot,” we divide up the word before the b. This creates an open syllable, “ro,” that ends in a vowel. As a result, the o in that syllable is a long o.

VC/V

However, sometimes the V/CV division rule doesn’t work. This is where it gets a little tricky.

If we try the V/CV rule but discover that it creates an open first syllable that should NOT be open (aka it should not have a long vowel sound), then we have to revert to the VC/V pattern.

For example, let’s think about the word “comet.” It’s pronounced with a short o at the beginning, right? It’s not CO-met. But if we were to apply the V/CV division pattern, that would make the o sound long. Instead, we have to revert to VC/V in order to reflect the fact that the o has the short o sound.

Another example is the word “seven:”

V/V

Last but not least, we have the V/V syllable division rule! When there are two vowels next to each other that do NOT work as a team, then we divide the word between those two separate vowel sounds.

For example, we divide the word “diet” between the i and the e:

However, in a word like “coat,” we do NOT divide between the o and the a. There is only one vowel sound, the long o. Therefore, it’s a one-syllable word, and the o and the a work together to make a single sound. They cannot be divided up.

Tips for Teaching Syllable Division Rules to Students

Okay, so….that’s not too bad, right? Once you understand the four syllable division patterns, then you can teach them to your students!

As you probably noticed from the photos in this post, I have my students circle and label the vowels with red, underline and label the consonants with blue, and then cut or draw a line to divide the words. (Scroll back up through the photos in this post and have a closer look at what I did, if that helps.)

Here’s the procedure:

1. Look at the word. Circle the vowel sounds with red.
2. Underline the consonants BETWEEN the vowels (don’t worry about the other consonants).
3. Determine which syllable division rule (VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, or V/V) applies. (Students may have to attempt to read the word to choose between V/CV and VC/V.)
4. Cut or mark the word accordingly.
5. Read the word.

You can also have students code the syllable types after Step #3 (closed, open, VCE, vowel team, r-controlled, or CLE—read more about the syllable types HERE!)

When we’re learning about syllable division and syllable types, we use strips of paper. Students can copy a word I write on the board (or I prepare the word strips for them ahead of time).

I don’t read the word to them, because the purpose of the division exercise is to get them to break up the word and read it.

Once they’ve copied the word, then we go through Steps 1-5 listed above, and students can cut the word in half.

The ultimate goal of this exercise is to get students to break up multisyllabic words as they read. So, as a bridge between this activity and reading, we use whiteboards or sticky notes to divide up tricky words they encounter in texts.

If I’m working one-on-one with a student and he/she comes to a tricky word, we can write it on a small whiteboard and then break it up.

If students are working on their own, they can write a tricky word on a sticky note, divide it up, read it, and then continue reading.

This does slow down the reading process a little, but I’m telling you…kids feel SO powerful when they can break up words and determine what types of syllables they have. This process also makes it easier for students to figure out the vowel sounds in a word too.

When to Teach This Stuff

You might be wondering, “When should I teach these rules? At what developmental stage or grade level are these appropriate?”

When to teach the VC/CV rule:

Whenever kids have mastered CVC words, they can read 2-syllable words!

Simple compound words are a great place to start. You’ll want to use words like “sunset” and “pigpen” that are 2 CVC words “put together.” At this point, you can teach students the VC/CV rule. You can also explain that both of the syllables in those words are closed and have short vowels.

I don’t normally teach this in Kindergarten, but if I have more advanced students who are truly proficient with CVC words, then it makes sense to give them “access” to these simple 2-syllable words.

Of course, if you give students words with consonant digraphs or blends in between, then it becomes a little more complicated—early first grade may be a better time for those more complicated VC/CV words.

When to teach the V/CV and VC/V rules:

I teach the V/CV rule first, because we always try the V/CV pattern before reverting to VC/V.

You can teach this rule once students know about the long vowel sounds.

They don’t need to have completely mastered long vowels and all their spelling patterns. But they at least need to understand the concepts of open and closed syllables (and how short and long vowels relate to open and closed syllables).

When we’re working on the V/CV rule, I intentionally only give them practice words that follow that rule.

After they understand the V/CV rule, then I explain that sometimes we have to use the VC/V rule instead.

I then give them VC/V words to practice.

Finally, I give them mixed sets of words where they have to choose between V/CV and VC/V.

When to teach the V/V rules:

I wait to teach V/V until students really understand vowel teams and diphthongs.

If students don’t understand vowel teams, then they may try to divide up words like “train” into two syllables, between the a and the i. If they don’t understand diphthongs, they may try to divide up words like “loud” into two syllables.

Once they know the vowel teams and diphthongs, however, they’re more likely to recognize that words like “fluent” have two vowel sounds, not one, and we divide up the word accordingly (flu/ent).

Conclusions

This was a lot of info, right?! And it’s a lot to figure out and teach on your own – if you don’t have lesson plans and materials for it. Because unfortunately, many phonics and reading programs don’t cover this stuff!

If you’d like to make teaching this EASY and FUN for you and your students, check out my step-by-step guide to teaching all the syllable division rules and syllable types.

I designed this resource to fit perfectly into any phonics program. (However, if you’re using my phonics program, From Sounds to Spelling, you won’t need this resource because we cover this info within the program.)

You set the pace for how quickly you progress through these lessons! 1st grade teachers may spread them out throughout the entire school year, while 2nd grade and up may progress more quickly. Here’s page 1 of the table of contents (this is only half of the lessons):

Here’s what a lesson plan looks like:

Also included are words to practice dividing, plus lots of hands-on games!

Everything is done for you, so you won’t have to invest time or energy in figuring all this out on your own and creating lessons!

However, if you already feel confident in teaching syllable division and have plenty of materials for it, you may just need a few practice activities for your students. If that’s the case, my digital practice games might be a better fit.

These activities give your students practice with dividing words up into syllables AND identifying syllable types. The games include audio directions that explain the syllable types and division rules!

I hope these resources are helpful to you! You can also pin this blog post to your Pinterest account so you can come back to it later:

Happy teaching!

Like spelling rules, the rules for word division may seem arbitrary. Actually, they follow specific guidelines. The following rules explain the basics of properly dividing words. A good dictionary is the best guide for divid- ing words correctly.

General Rules

Following are two general rules for word division.

1. Avoid dividing words at the end of more than three successive lines.

2. Avoid dividing a word at the end of a page or dividing the last word of a paragraph.

Syllables and Word Division

Words are divided only between syllables. As a result, one-syllable words such as trough, while, and there are never divided.

Each syllable in word division must contain a vowel; therefore, most contractions cannot be divided.

• con-trol (not con-tr-ol)
• couldn’t (not could-n’t)
• hy-drau-lic (not hy-dr-au-lic)
• isn’t (not is-n’t)

When a word is divided, there must be more than one letter on the first line and more than two letters on the second line.

Single-Letter Syllables

A single-letter syllable will always be a vowel. Generally, a single-letter syl- lable within a word should be left with the first part of the word and not carried over to the second line.

• bus-i-ness = busi-ness (not bus-iness)
• ox-y-gen = oxy-gen (not ox-ygen)
• sep-a-rate = sepa-rate (not sep-arate)

When two single-letter syllables occur together in a word, divide the word between the single-letter syllables.

• grad-u-a-tion = gradu-ation (not grad-uation)
• in-sin-u-a-tion = insinu-ation (not insin-uation)

When the single-letter syllable a, i, or u is followed by the final syllable ble, bly, or cal, join the two end syllables and carry them over to the next line.

• cler-i-cal = cler-ical (not cleri-cal)
• de-pend-a-ble = depend-able (not dependa-ble)

Final and Double Consonants

If a final consonant preceded by a vowel is doubled before adding a suffix, divide the word between the two consonants.

• plan + ing = planning = plan-ning
• set + ing = setting = set-ting
• win + ing = winning = win-ning

If the root word ends in a double consonant before the suffix is added, divide the word between the root word and the suffix.

• assess + ing = assessing = assess-ing
• tell + ing = telling = tell-ing

A word should never be divided between two or three consonants pro- nounced as one.

• catch-ing (not cat-ching)
• cush-ion (not cus-hion)
• leath-ery (not leat-hery)

Hyphenated Words

Divide hyphenated words and compound hyphenated words only at the hyphen that connects them.

• self-assessment = self-assessment (not self-assess-ment)
• ex-husband = ex-husband (not ex-hus-band)
• client-oriented approach = client-oriented approach (not client-or-iented approach)

Proper Names

Avoid dividing a person’s name or any proper name. Separate titles, initials, or degrees from names only when it is unavoidable.

Figures and Abbreviations

In general, avoid dividing figures and abbreviations. However, if parts of an address or date must be separated, use the following guidelines.

Dividing Addresses

Dividing Dates

Rules for Dividing Words

1. By syllable: Divide the word by syllables or units of sound.
2. By structure: Divide the word into the smaller units of meaning from which the word is constructed.
3. By meaning: Decide how each part of the divided word is best understood in order that the word is easily recognized from the two parts.

How do you explain syllables to a child?

A syllable is also called a ‘beat’ and teachers often teach children to identify syllables by clapping the ‘beats’ in words. Another way to describe a syllable is a ‘mouthful’ of a word. You can often find the syllables in a word if you notice when you open and close your mouth as you pronounce the word.

What is the rule for syllables?

Basic Syllable Rules. —subtract one vowel from every diphthong, (diphthongs only count as one vowel sound.) —the number of vowels sounds left is the same as the number of syllables. The number of syllables that you hear when you pronounce a word is the same as the number of vowels sounds heard.

How do I teach my 5 year old to spell?

Here are some fun and simple spelling games and activities to help you teach your child spelling words and improve their confidence:

1. Teach your child spelling words with ‘Lily Pad Letters’
2. Use ‘Stair Steps’ to memorize certain words.
3. Toss around the ‘Spelling Ball’
4. Use magazine clippings to familiarize with letters.

How can I teach my child to spell words fast?

Five Ways to Teach your Child to Spell Words

1. Stair steps. Write the words as if they are stairs, adding one letter at a time.
2. Flash cards. Using index cards, write the words your child is practicing on the front of the card and its definition on the back.
3. Trace, Copy, Recall.
4. Memorization.
5. Spelling train.

How do you teach students to divide words into syllables?

Tips for Teaching Syllable Division Rules to Students

1. Look at the word. Circle the vowel sounds with red.
2. Underline the consonants BETWEEN the vowels (don’t worry about the other consonants).
3. Determine which syllable division rule (VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, or V/V) applies.
4. Cut or mark the word accordingly.
5. Read the word.

When should you teach syllables?

When to teach it: I usually teach this toward the beginning of first grade. Students should have lots of experience with CVC words. You can introduce 2-syllable words with 2 closed syllables (like “sunset” or “bathtub”) and explain what a closed syllable is.

What are the 6 types of syllables?

There are six syllable types that make this possible: closed, open, silent e, vowel pair, r-controlled, and final stable syllable. Every word has at least one vowel. Single-letter words, such as I and a, are vowel- only words.

What word has two vowels?

Examples: staff, ball, pass. Two-Vowels Together: When two vowels are next to each other, the first vowel is usually long (the sound is the same as the sound of the letter) and the second vowel is silent. Examples: meat, seat, plain, rain, goat, road, lie, pie.

What are the phonics rules?

15 phonics rules for reading and spelling

• Vowels in syllables. Every syllable of every word must have at least one vowel sound.
• Short and long vowels. Vowels can make different sounds.
• Silent e.
• Consonant blends and digraphs.
• Vowel digraphs.
• R-controlled vowels.
• The “schwa” sound.
• Soft c and hard c, and soft g and hard g.

Why can’t I spell but I can read?

Dyslexia. “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.They may also have difficulty with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing.

How can I help my Grade 1 spelling?

Tips for teaching spelling

1. Let them get creative.
2. Write words out by hand.
3. Encourage reading.
4. Spell the word out loud.
5. Keep words on display.
6. Play games to practice.
7. Teach touch typing.
8. Explain mnemonics.

What should a 7 year old be able to spell?

A 7-8 year old is spelling words they read and use frequently. By this age children are spelling many high frequency words (words we see written commonly) correctly. They are also spelling correctly a list of personal word including names of their suburb, family members, friends and pet’s names.

How do I teach my 10 year old to spell?

Here are several tips to help your child improve his or her spelling ability:

1. Encourage mastery of the sight words.
2. Make sure your student understands the different sounds that letter combinations make.
3. Help your child recognize word families.
4. Help your child memorize common spelling rules.
5. Practice, practice, practice.

Why is my child struggling with spelling?

If your child struggles with spelling it could be attributed to other challenges that you should first consider. Children with dyslexia (language-based learning difference), ADHD (difficulty with focusing and attention), dysgraphia, and dyspraxia (difficulty with fine motor skills) can find spelling more difficult.

What are some 5 syllable words?

words 5 syllable

• amanuensis.
• belletristical.
• penetralia.
• superangelic.
• supercelestial.
• subterranean.
• tonsillectomy.
• appendectomy.

What are examples of syllables?

A syllable is a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and that is pronounced as a unit. So, for example, ‘book‘ has one syllable, and ‘reading’ has two syllables. We children called her Oma, accenting both syllables.

How do you find the stressed syllable in a word?

A stressed syllable combines five features:

1. It is l-o-n-g-e-r – com p-u-ter.
2. It is LOUDER – comPUTer.
3. It has a change in pitch from the syllables coming before and afterwards.
4. It is said more clearly -The vowel sound is purer.
5. It uses larger facial movements – Look in the mirror when you say the word.

How do you help students struggle with syllables?

When teaching your students to spell longer words effectively, here are some tips:

1. Repeat the word and give it in a sentence.
2. Make a line for each spoken syllable.
3. Pronounce each syllable one by one.
4. Segment the sounds in each syllable and write each one.
5. Check for sounds and rules.
6. Reread.

How do you teach a toddler syllables?

That’s right, I have put together an incredible resource with everything you ever wanted to know about syllable counting, including what makes a syllable, strategies for teaching children to count syllables, syllable word cards, and several interactive activities and games to get kids practicing their syllable counting

How do you identify 2 syllables words?

To use it, say the word and clap your hands together each time you hear a vowel sound. For example, take the word “autumn”: au-tumn. That’s two vowel sounds, so it’s two syllables even though autumn has three vowel letters: a, u and u.