One syllable word for before

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before

 

467295183 syllables

Divide before into syllables:   be-fore
Stressed syllable in before:   be-fore
How to say before:

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affect or effect?

Syllables    Synonyms    Rhymes    Quiz

Synonyms for before

1 syllable

  • by
  • or

2 syllables

  • ago
  • facing
  • ahead
  • or else

3 syllables

  • ahead of
  • beforehand
  • formerly
  • in the past
  • previous
  • rather than
  • already
  • earlier
  • in advance
  • otherwise
  • prior to
  • sooner than

4 syllables

  • earlier than
  • previously
  • previous to

5 syllables

  • more willingly than

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • befo (pronunciation spelling)
  • befo’ (pronunciation spelling)
  • b4 (Internet slang)
  • be4 (Internet slang)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English before, bifore (adverb and preposition), from Old English beforan, from be- + foran (before), from fore, from Proto-Germanic *furai, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (front). Cognate with Saterland Frisian befoar (before), Low German bevör (before), German bevor (before).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bĭfôʹ, IPA(key): /bɪˈfɔː/
  • (General American) enPR: bəfôrʹ, bēfôrʹ, IPA(key): /bəˈfɔɹ/, /biˈfɔɹ/
  • (rhotic, without the horsehoarse merger) enPR: bĭfōrʹ, IPA(key): /bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ/
  • (non-rhotic, without the horsehoarse merger) IPA(key): /bɪˈfoə/
  • Hyphenation: be‧fore
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

Preposition[edit]

before

  1. Earlier than (in time).

    I want this done before Monday.

  2. In front of in space.

    He stood before me.

    We sat before the fire to warm ourselves.

    • His angel, who shall go / Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire.
    • He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance. [] But she said she must go back, and when they joined the crowd again [] she found her mother standing up before the seat on which she had sat all the evening searching anxiously for her with her eyes, and her father by her side.
    • 2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:

      The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.

  3. In the presence of.
    He performed before the troops in North Africa.
    He spoke before a joint session of Congress.
  4. Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).

    The case laid before the panel aroused nothing but ridicule.

    • 1726, John Ayliffe, Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani
      If a suit be begun before an archdeacon []
  5. In store for, in the future of (someone).
  6. In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.

    In alphabetical order, «cat» comes before «dog», «canine» before feline».

  7. At a higher or greater position than, in a ranking.

    An entrepreneur puts market share and profit before quality, an amateur intrinsic qualities before economical considerations.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (earlier than in time): by, no later than, previous to, prior to, ere (obsolete)
  • (in front of in space): ahead of, in front of
  • (in front of according to an ordering system): ahead of

Antonyms[edit]

  • (earlier than in time): after, later than
  • (in front of in space): behind
  • (in front of according to an ordering system): after

Translations[edit]

earlier than

  • Albanian: para (sq)
  • Arabic: قَبْلَ (ar) (qabla)
    Egyptian Arabic: قبل(ʾabl)
    Hijazi Arabic: قَبل(gabil)
    Moroccan Arabic: ڭْبل(gbəl), قْبل(qbəl)
  • Armenian: առաջ (hy) (aṙaǰ), մինչեւ (hy) (minčʿew)
  • Aromanian: nãnti, ninti (roa-rup), nãinti
  • Ashkun: nustāri
  • Azerbaijani: qabaq (az), əvvəl (az), irəli
  • Bashkir: элек (elek), борон (boron), алда (alda)
  • Belarusian: да (da), пе́рад (pjérad)
  • Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi)
  • Catalan: abans de, abans que
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: …以前 (zh) (…yǐqián), …之前 (zh) (…zhīqián)
  • Cornish: kyns
  • Crimean Tatar: aldı, aldında
  • Czech: před (cs)
  • Danish: før (da)
  • Dhivehi: އިސް(is)
  • Dutch: voor (nl), voordat (nl) (+ clause)
  • Esperanto: antaŭ (eo)
  • Finnish: ennen (fi), aikaisemmin (fi), varhemmin (fi)
  • French: avant (fr), avant que (fr) (+ clause)
  • Georgian: წინ (c̣in), წინათ (c̣inat), -მდე (-mde), უწინ (uc̣in)
  • German: vor (de)
  • Greek: πριν (el) (prin)
    Ancient: πρό (pró) (+ genitive)
  • Hebrew: לִפְנֵי (he) (lif’nei)
  • Hindi: … से पहले (hi) (… se pahle)
  • Hungarian: előtt (hu)
  • Icelandic: áður (is), fyrr (is)
  • Ido: ante (io)
  • Interlingua: ante (ia)
  • Irish: roimh
    Old Irish:
  • Italian: prima (it), innanzi (it)
  • Japanese: …の前に (ja) (…のまえに, …no mae ni)
  • Kamkata-vari: nūštař
  • Kikai: (めー, mē)
  • Korean: 이전에 (ko) (ijeone), 전에 (ko) (jeone)
  • Kunigami: (めー, mē)
  • Kurdish:
    Northern Kurdish: berî (ku)
  • Latin: ante (la) (+ accusative)
  • Low German: beför, fördem, fördęm, er
  • Macedonian: пред (pred)
  • Malay: sebelum (ms)
  • Malayalam: മുന്നെ (ml) (munne), മുമ്പ് (ml) (mumpŭ)
  • Maltese: qabel
  • Maori: mua (mi)
  • Maranao: mona
  • Miyako: (まい, mai)
  • Mongolian: өмнө (mn) (ömnö)
  • Norman: (Guernsey) d’vànt qué
  • Northern Amami-Oshima: (めー, mē)
  • Norwegian: før (no)
  • Okinawan: (めー, mē)
  • Old Church Slavonic:
    Cyrillic: прѣдъ (prědŭ)
  • Old English: ǣr
  • Persian: قبل (fa) (qabl), پیش از(piš az)
  • Polish: przed (pl), nim (pl) m
  • Portuguese: antes de
  • Romanian: înainte (ro), anterior (ro)
  • Romansch: avant
  • Russian: до (ru) (do), пре́жде (ru) (préžde), пе́ред (ru) (péred), пред (ru) (pred) (archaic or poetic)
  • Serbo-Croatian: prije (sh), pre (sh), прије, пре
  • Sinhalese: ඉස්සර (issara)
  • Slovak: pred
  • Slovene: pred (sl)
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: pśed
  • Southern Amami-Oshima: (めー, mē)
  • Southern Ohlone: chien
  • Spanish: antes de, antes que (+ clause)
  • Swahili: kabla ya
  • Swedish: före (sv), innan (sv)
  • Telugu: ముందు (te) (mundu), ముందుగాల (mundugāla)
  • Thai: ก่อน (th) (gɔ̀ɔn)
  • Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
  • Toku-No-Shima: (めー, mē)
  • Turkish: önce (tr)
  • Ukrainian: до (uk) (do), пе́ред (uk) (péred)
  • Urdu: … سے پہلے(… se pahle)
  • Venetian: avanti (vec)
  • Vietnamese: trước (vi), trước khi (+ clause)
  • Waigali: nūst
  • Walloon: divant (wa), divant ki (wa) (+ clause)
  • Welsh: cyn (cy), o flaen
  • West Frisian: foar
  • Yaeyama: (まい, mai)
  • Yonaguni: (まい, mai)
  • Yoron: (めー, mē)

in front of in space

  • Albanian: para (sq)
  • Arabic: قَبْلَ (ar) (qabla), أَمَامَ(ʔamāma), قُدَّامَ(quddāma), بَيْنَ يَدَيْ(bayna yaday)
    Moroccan Arabic: ڭدّام(gəddæm)
  • Armenian: առջև (hy) (aṙǰew), առջևում (hy) (aṙǰewum)
  • Ashkun: nustāri
  • Bashkir: (when specific object is specified) алдында (aldında), (when no specific object is specified) алда (alda)
  • Belarusian: пе́рад (pjérad)
  • Breton: rag, rak (br)
  • Bulgarian: пред (bg) (pred)
  • Catalan: davant (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: …以前 (zh) (…yǐqián), …之前 (zh) (…zhīqián)
  • Czech: před (cs)
  • Danish: foran (da)
  • Dutch: vóór (nl)
  • Esperanto: antaŭ (eo)
  • Finnish: edessä (fi)
  • French: devant (fr)
  • Georgian: წინ (c̣in)
  • German: vor (de)
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂 (faur)
  • Greek: μπροστά σε (brostá se), μπροστά από (brostá apó)
    Ancient: ἐνώπιον (enṓpion) (+ genitive), ἔμπροσθεν (émprosthen) (+ genitive)
  • Hebrew: לִפְנֵי (he) (lifnéi)
  • Hungarian: előtt (hu)
  • Ido: avan (io)
  • Irish: os comhair, os coinne
  • Italian: davanti (it), innanzi (it), di fronte (it)
  • Japanese: …の前に (ja) (…のまえに, …no mae ni)
  • Kamkata-vari: nūštař
  • Kikai: (めー, mē)
  • Korean: 앞에 (ko) (ape)
  • Kunigami: (めー, mē)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: پێش (ckb) (pêş)
  • Latin: prō (la), ante (la), prae (la)
  • Macedonian: пред (pred)
  • Malay: di depan
  • Malayalam: മുന്നിൽ (ml) (munnil), മുമ്പിൽ (ml) (mumpil)
  • Maltese: quddiem, qabel
  • Maore Comorian: mbeli za
  • Maori: mua (mi)
  • Miyako: (まい, mai)
  • Norman: (Guernsey) d’vànt, (Jersey) d’vant
  • Norwegian Bokmål: foran (no)
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: føre, framanfor
  • Old Church Slavonic:
    Cyrillic: прѣдъ (prědŭ)
  • Okinawan: (めー, mē)
  • Pijin: bifoa
  • Polish: przed (pl)
  • Portuguese: ante (pt), em frente a, na frente de (pt), diante de (pt)
  • Romanian: înainte (ro), în față
  • Romansch: avant
  • Russian: пе́ред (ru) (péred), пред (ru) (pred) (archaic or poetic)
  • Serbo-Croatian: pred, пред
  • Slovak: pred
  • Slovene: pred (sl)
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: pśed
  • Southern Amami-Oshima: (めー, mē)
  • Spanish: ante (es), frente a, enfrente de
  • Swahili: mbele ya (sw)
  • Swedish: framför (sv), före (sv), inför (sv)
  • Telugu: ముందు (te) (mundu), ఎదర (edara)
  • Toku-No-Shima: (めー, mē)
  • Ukrainian: пе́ред (uk) (péred)
  • Vietnamese: trước (vi), đằng trước (vi)
  • Waigali: nūst
  • Walloon: divant (wa)
  • Welsh: o flaen, yng ngŵydd
  • Yaeyama: (まい, mai)
  • Yonaguni: (まい, mai)
  • Yoron: (めー, mē)

in front of according to an ordering system

  • Arabic: قَبْلَ (ar) (qabla)
  • Armenian: առաջ (hy) (aṙaǰ)
  • Azerbaijani: qabaq (az)
  • Bashkir: ала (ala)
  • Bulgarian: пред (bg) (pred)
  • Catalan: abans (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: …以前 (zh) (…yǐqián), …之前 (zh) (…zhīqián)
  • Czech: před (cs)
  • Danish: før (da), inden (da)
  • Dutch: voor (nl)
  • Finnish: ennen (fi)
  • French: avant (fr)
  • Georgian: -მდე (-mde)
  • German: vor (de)
  • Hebrew: לִפְנֵי (he) (lif’nei)
  • Irish: roimh
  • Japanese: …の前に (ja) (…のまえに, …no mae ni)
  • Korean: 앞에 (ko) (ape)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: پێش (ckb) (pêş)
  • Latin: ante (la)
  • Low German: för
  • Malay: sebelum (ms)
  • Polish: przed (pl)
  • Portuguese: antes de
  • Russian: пе́ред (ru) (péred)
  • Slovak: pred
  • Slovene: pred (sl)
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: pśed
  • Spanish: antes de
  • Swedish: före (sv), framför (sv)
  • Telugu: ముందు (te) (mundu)
  • Vietnamese: trước (vi), đằng trước (vi)
  • Welsh: o flaen

Translations to be checked

  • Breton: (please verify) a-raok (br), (please verify) kent (br)
  • Ido: (please verify) ante (io) (1), (please verify) avan (io) (2)
  • Indonesian: (please verify) sebelum (id), pra~
  • Interlingua: (please verify) ante (ia)
  • Irish: (please verify) le hucht
  • Manchu: (please verify) [script needed] (onggolo)

Adverb[edit]

before (not comparable)

  1. At an earlier time.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

      All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.

    I’ve never done this before.

  2. In advance.
  3. At the front end.
    • 1896, Hilaire Belloc, The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts, “The Elephant”:
      When people call this beast to mind,
      They marvel more and more
      At such a little tail behind,
      So LARGE a trunk before.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (at an earlier time): previously
  • (in advance): ahead
  • (at the front end): in front

Antonyms[edit]

  • (at an earlier time): after
  • (at the front end): behind

Translations[edit]

at an earlier time

  • Armenian: առաջ (hy) (aṙaǰ), նախկինում (naxkinum), անցյալում (ancʿyalum)
  • Azerbaijani: qabaq (az), qabaqlar, əvvəl (az), əvvəllər
  • Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi)
  • Catalan: abans (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 以前 (zh) (yǐqián)
  • Crimean Tatar: aldında
  • Danish: før (da), tidligere
  • Dutch: voordien (nl), eerder (nl), voorheen (nl), vroeger (nl)
  • Esperanto: antaŭe
  • Faroese: áður, fyrr
  • Finnish: aikaisemmin (fi), ennen (fi) (colloquial)
  • French: avant (fr)
  • Georgian: ადრე (adre), უწინ (uc̣in), წინად (c̣inad)
  • German: zuvor (de), vorher (de)
  • Hebrew: לפני (he) (lifnéi)
  • Icelandic: áður (is), fyrr (is)
  • Indonesian: dahulu (id)
  • Irish: cheana, roimhe sin
  • Italian: prima (it)
  • Japanese: 以前 (ja) (いぜん, izen), 前に (ja) (まえに, mae ni)
  • Khmer: មុន (km) (mun), ពីមុន (pii mun)
  • Korean: 전에 (ko) (jeone)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: لەمەوپێش(lemewpêş)
  • Latin: anteā (la)
  • Malayalam: മുന്നെ (ml) (munne), മുമ്പ് (ml) (mumpŭ)
  • Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
  • Norwegian: før (no)
  • Occitan: abans (oc)
  • Portuguese: antes (pt)
  • Romanian: înainte (ro)
  • Russian: ра́ньше (ru) (ránʹše), ра́нее (ru) (ráneje)
  • Sanskrit: पुरा (sa) (purā)
  • Scottish Gaelic: roimhe
  • Serbo-Croatian: prije (sh), pre (sh)
  • Slovak: predtým
  • Slovene: prej
  • Spanish: (please verify) antes (es)
  • Swahili: kabla, awali (sw)
  • Swedish: förr (sv), förut (sv), tidigare (sv)
  • Thai: เมื่อก่อน (mʉ̂ʉa-gɔ̀ɔn), ก่อน (th) (gɔ̀ɔn)
  • Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
  • Ukrainian: рані́ше (raníše)
  • Venetian: avanti (vec)
  • Vietnamese: trước đây (vi)
  • Walloon: divant (wa)
  • Welsh: o’r blaen, gynt, ynghynt

in advance

  • Bulgarian: предварително (bg) (predvaritelno)
  • Catalan: davant (ca)
  • Danish: forud
  • Dutch: op voorhand, vooraf (nl)
  • Esperanto: antaŭe
  • Finnish: aiemmin (fi), etukäteen (fi)
  • Georgian: მანამდე (manamde)
  • German: eher (de), im Voraus (de)
  • Icelandic: áður (is), fyrirfram
  • Korean: 미리 (ko) (miri)
  • Malayalam: മുന്നെ (ml) (munne), മുമ്പ് (ml) (mumpŭ)
  • Portuguese: primeiro (pt)
  • Romanian: în avans
  • Russian: зара́нее (ru) (zaráneje)
  • Serbo-Croatian: unaprijed (sh), unapred (sh)
  • Swedish: framför (sv), före (sv)
  • Ukrainian: заздалегі́дь (zazdalehídʹ)
  • Vietnamese: trước (vi), đằng trước (vi)

at the front end

  • Chechen: хьалха (ḥʳalxa)
  • Esperanto: antaŭe
  • German: vorn (de), vorne (de)
  • Hungarian: elöl (hu)
  • Ingush: хьалха (ḥʳalxa)
  • Malayalam: മുന്നിൽ (ml) (munnil), മുമ്പിൽ (ml) (mumpil)
  • Sorbian:
    Lower Sorbian: prězy

Translations to be checked

  • Old English: (please verify) ǣr

Conjunction[edit]

before

  1. In advance of the time when.
    • 2011 November 11, Rory Houston, “Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland”, in RTE Sport:

      Stephen Ward then had to time his tackle excellently to deny Tarmo Kink as the Wolves winger slid the ball out of play before the Estonian could attempt to beat Given.

  2. (informal) Rather or sooner than.

    I’ll die before I’ll tell you anything about it.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (rather than): lest

Translations[edit]

in advance of the time when

  • Bulgarian: преди да (predi da)
  • Catalan: abans que
  • Czech: než (cs)
  • Danish: før (da), inden (da)
  • Dutch: voor (nl), vooraleer (nl), voordat (nl), alvorens (nl)
  • Esperanto: antaŭ ol (eo), antaŭ kiam
  • Finnish: ennen kuin (fi)
  • French: avant que (fr)
  • German: bevor (de)
  • Greek:
    Ancient: πρίν (prín)
  • Hausa: kafin
  • Icelandic: áður en (is)
  • Irish: sula
  • Italian: prima (it)
  • Korean: 기 전(前)에 (-gi jeon-e)
  • Latin: antequam (la)
  • Malayalam: മുന്നെ (ml) (munne), മുൻപെ (muṉpe), മുമ്പ് (ml) (mumpŭ)
  • Maltese: qabel
  • Polish: zanim (pl)
  • Portuguese: antes de (pt)
  • Spanish: antes de que (subjunctive)
  • Swedish: förrän (sv), innan (sv)
  • Welsh: cyn (cy)

Translations to be checked

Derived terms[edit]

  • accessary before the fact
  • accessory before the fact
  • age before beauty
  • before dark
  • before it was cool
  • before long
  • before one knows it
  • before one knows where one is
  • before one’s eyes
  • before someone’s time
  • before the fact
  • before the mast
  • before times
  • before you can say Jack Robinson
  • before you can say knife
  • before-and-after
  • before-mentioned
  • beforehand
  • beforetime
  • best before date
  • best-before date
  • boldly go where no man has gone before
  • bow down before the porcelain god
  • bros before hoes
  • bros before hos
  • business before pleasure
  • calm before the storm
  • carry all before one
  • carry the world before one
  • cast pearls before swine
  • check yourself before you wreck yourself
  • chicks before dicks
  • come before
  • crawl before one can walk
  • crawl before one walks
  • cross a bridge before one comes to it
  • day before yesterday
  • don’t count your chickens before the eggs have hatched
  • don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched
  • halloo before one is out of the wood
  • in before
  • it is always darkest before the dawn
  • it is always darkest just before the dawn
  • it is darkest before the dawn
  • it is darkest just before the dawn
  • I’ve never heard it called that before
  • jump before one is pushed
  • kneel before
  • know how to walk before one can run
  • learn to walk before one can run
  • leg before
  • leg before wicket
  • lie before
  • look before one leaps
  • make-before-break
  • nothing is said that has not been said before
  • one’s father was born before one
  • pearls before swine
  • pride comes before a fall
  • pride cometh before a fall
  • pride goes before a fall
  • pride goeth before a fall
  • pride wenteth before a fall
  • put before
  • put the cart before the horse
  • sisters before misters
  • tears before bedtime
  • the darkest hour is always just before the dawn
  • the darkest hour is just before the dawn
  • the day before
  • the night before last
  • time before time
  • wrap it before you tap it
  • you must spoil before you spin

References[edit]

  • before at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, «Spatial particles of orientation», in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition, Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

Anagrams[edit]

  • borfee

We’ve got 216 rhyming words for before »

What rhymes with before?
bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊrbe·fore

This page is about the various possible words that rhymes or sounds like before.
Use it for writing poetry, composing lyrics for your song or coming up with rap verses.

Most common words emphasized in bold.

‘before’ may also rhyme with:

Translation

Find a translation for before in other languages:

avant

इससे पहले

ಮೊದಲು

før

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Popularity rank by frequency of use

How popular is before among other rhymes?

Word Cloud

A graphical representation of the words that rhyme with before.

5/8,101 songs found

see 8,096 more »

  1. Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
    Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar

  2. I walk alone to the store
    And it’s quiet uptown
    I never liked the quiet before

  3. This young reporter I did adore
    So I rocked a vicious rhyme like I never did before

  4. Well baby, I’ve been here before
    I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor

  5. Tell the mirror what you know she’s heard before
    I don’t wanna be you anymore

5/1,711 poems found

see 1,706 more »

  1. Click with the pick, coming nearer and nearer again than before
    Now let it speak, and you fire, and the dark pioneer is no more;

  2. In the city’s broken roar,
    Faces that I lose so soon
    And have never found before,

  3. Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
    »Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door

  4. To you who’d read my songs of War
    And only hear of blood and fame,
    I’ll say (you’ve heard it said before)

  5. Look we but once nor before
    Nor behind us, but straight on the skies;
    Night is not then any more.

How to say before in sign language?


How to pronounce before?

Citation

Use the citation below to add this rhymes to your bibliography:

Know what rhymes with before? Have another rhyming word for before? Let us know!

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Sometimes, less is more. Very often in English, a one-syllable word will suffice to express an idea over a more complicated multisyllabic word. This article will showcase dozens of different one-syllable words in English, so you can make sure your vocabulary is more varied and rich in knowledge.

What Are Some Good 1 Syllable Words?

One doesn’t often think about words that have only 1 syllable in them, but the truth is that there are a ton of great words that you can use that only include one syllable. Some of the best English words with one syllable are: Cat, dog, car, sky, and laugh.

1 syllable words

Here are some great 1 syllable words:

  1. Cat
  2. Dog
  3. Car
  4. Sky
  5. Laugh
  6. Green
  7. Blue
  8. Far
  9. Close
  10. Rough
  11. Down

Printable PDF List of 1 Syllable Words

Shortest 1 Syllable Words

These are perhaps the most classic examples of words that only have one syllable, because when you think of one syllable, you’re probably thinking about brief, concise words. A short 1 syllable word manages to convey an entire idea in a deceptively small package.

Here’s some of our favorite short one syllable words:

  • Up
  • Yes
  • No
  • Bus
  • Be
  • Go
  • Sue
  • Sun
  • Act
  • Tip

Longest 1 Syllables Words

A word having one syllable doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be short, however. In fact, some English words might have only one syllable when pronounced, but are actually fairly long when typing them out. Some words are monosyllabic even if they’re as long as some multisyllabic words.

Here are some of the English language’s longest words with one syllable:

  • Schmaltzed
  • Schnappsed
  • Scraunched
  • Strengthed
  • Scroonched
  • Broughammed

1 Syllable Words For Kindergarten

One syllable verbs, one syllable adjectives and one syllable nouns are all very relevant to small children, who are still learning to speak. The fact that they are not experienced at reading, writing and speaking guarantees that they will benefit from easy 1 syllable words.

1 Syllable Words For Kindergarten

These are just a few 1 syllable words for kids that can come in handy:

  • Draw
  • Pay
  • Train
  • Shoes
  • Shirt
  • Eat
  • Red
  • Black
  • Grow
  • Fruit

1 Syllable Words About Nature

Though the natural world can seem very complicated, the truth is that there are many 1 syllable words about animals and natural phenomena. In fact, there are also many 1 syllable words about summer and 1 syllable words about winter, among 1 syllable words for the other seasons.

Here are some one syllable words that focus on the natural world and all of its living creatures:

  • Cow
  • Goat
  • Rain
  • Snow
  • Hail
  • Cloud
  • Grass
  • Crow
  • Bird
  • Wolf

1 Syllable Words To Describe Someone

There also exist many one syllable words that can describe people and their qualities. Whether it’s very broad things or specific subjects, there’s many one syllable words in each description category. There are 1 syllable words about love, and about hate, and all the emotions in between.

Here are some 1 syllable adjectives that can describe people:

  • Good
  • Bad
  • Great
  • Fool
  • Brave
  • Kind
  • Tall
  • Short
  • Mean
  • Rich

1 Syllable Words Ending In “-y”

Many words in English can transform from a noun into an adjective by adding a “y” at the end. This transforms the word from being a noun about something, to being a descriptor that says it has the quality of something. Many of those words have only one syllable.

Here are some one syllable words that end in “-y”:

  • Key
  • Sly
  • Wry
  • Shy
  • Gray
  • Stray
  • My
  • Dry
  • Spry
  • Fly

1 Syllable Sentences

For many people, a sentence has to contain multiple words, several of which probably have multiple syllables, for it to be a valid English sentence. But the truth is that, by using a verb in the imperative form, just one monosyllabic verb can be a proper sentence.

Here are a few examples of sentences with only one syllable:

  • Stop.
  • Run.
  • Work.
  • Fight.
  • Cry.

Complete List Of 1 Syllable Words

Here are all of the one syllable words contained within this article, all in one list for your convenience and perusal:

  1. Cat
  2. Dog
  3. Car
  4. Sky
  5. Laugh
  6. Green
  7. Blue
  8. Far
  9. Close
  10. Rough
  11. Down
  12. Up
  13. Yes
  14. No
  15. Bus
  16. Be
  17. Go
  18. Sue
  19. Sun
  20. Act
  21. Tip
  22. Schmaltzed
  23. Schnappsed
  24. Scraunched
  25. Strengthed
  26. Scroonched
  27. Broughammed
  28. Draw
  29. Pay
  30. Train
  31. Shoes
  32. Shirt
  33. Eat
  34. Red
  35. Black
  36. Grow
  37. Fruit
  38. Cow
  39. Goat
  40. Rain
  41. Snow
  42. Hail
  43. Cloud
  44. Grass
  45. Crow
  46. Bird
  47. Wolf
  48. Good
  49. Bad
  50. Great
  51. Fool
  52. Brave
  53. Kind
  54. Tall
  55. Short
  56. Mean
  57. Rich
  58. Key
  59. Sly
  60. Wry
  61. Shy
  62. Gray
  63. Stray
  64. My
  65. Dry
  66. Spry
  67. Fly
  68. Stop
  69. Run
  70. Work
  71. Fight
  72. Cry

You may also like:
50+ Good 2 Syllable Words (List & Pictures)
50+ Good 3 Syllable Words (List & Pictures)
50+ Good 4 Syllable Words (List & Pictures)

martin lassen dam grammarhow

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.

Are you confused about how to divide words into syllables? Or maybe you’re not sure exactly how to teach your students the syllable division rules. It can be tricky, but with a few simple rules, you’ll be able to do it like a pro. In this blog post, we will discuss the most common ways to divide words into syllables, as well as provide some tips for making the process easier. So if you’re ready to learn more about breaking words into syllables, keep reading!

Why Syllable Division Is Helpful

By knowing how to split words into syllables, students can chunk up bigger words into more manageable pieces. This helps them read longer and more difficult words, as well as unfamiliar words.

Dividing words into syllables also helps you figure out what the vowel sound will be. When students come across unfamiliar words, breaking them up into syllables can help them predict what the vowel sound will be based on the patterns they see in the words.

what is a syllable graphic

Syllabication Rules

There are several rules, or better yet patterns since there are always some exceptions, that can help with syllable division. Remember that there are 6 syllable types, but some words are only 1 syllable. Refer to my guide on the 6 syllable types for more on each.

The main thing to keep in mind when dividing words into syllables is that every syllable must have a vowel sound! We hear a vowel sound in every syllable, and sometimes it takes more than one vowel to make a vowel sound.

Here are the different rules to break words into syllables:

Rule 1: VC/CV – Split 2 consonants that are between vowels.

Whenever 2 consonants come together in a word, divide between them: VC/CV

The exceptions to this are to keep consonant digraphs (i.e. ch, ph, ck) and consonant blends (i.e. bl, st, fr) together.

syllable division rules VC/CV

Check out my VCCV Syllable Division Worksheets if you’re looking for a ready made teaching resource.

Rule 2: C+le – The ending -le usually takes the consonant before it to make one syllable.

When a word ends with a consonant and -le, divide it before the consonant so that the last syllable is C+le.

The silent e in C+le words helps add that vowel sound we need in every consonant. It’s one of the many jobs of silent e.

syllable division example c+le

Check out my C+le Syllable Division Worksheets if you’re looking for a ready made teaching resource.

Rule 3: V/CV & VC/V – Split before or after a consonant that comes between 2 vowels.

When only one consonant comes between vowels, divide after the first vowel: V/CV. This makes the first syllable an open syllable, and it will have a long sound.

Pronounce the word with an open syllable. If this doesn’t make a word that sounds familiar, then divide after the consonant: VC/V. This makes the first syllable closed, so the vowel will say its short sound.

Because this one is not as predictable I teach it after VCCV and C+le. I typically start with V/CV only, then I teach VC/V. After this, I mix them up and teach students to be flexible, showing them how to try it as V/Cv first, then VC/V after.

dividing vcv syllables examples

Check out my VC-V and V-CV syllable division worksheets if you’re looking for ready made teaching resources.

Rule 4: V/V – Split 2 vowels next to each other that do not work as a team.

If a vowel combination is in reverse, divide between the vowels: V/V. In this case, each vowel will have a sound.

It’s so important for students to know common vowel teams so they don’t split those up! If students are still learning basic vowel teams, wait to teach this syllable division pattern. Words like “beach” and “boat” have vowel teams that do not get split. These vowel teams work together to represent one vowel sound.

vv syllable division examples

Rule 5: VC/CCV & VCC/CV – Split before or after the second consonant when 3 consonants come together.

When three consonants come together, divide after the first consonant: VC/CCV. If this doesn’t make a word that sounds familiar, divide after the second constant: VCC/CV.

These words often contain blends and digraphs, which if you recall, do not get broken up. When you see 3 or more consonants together, look for blends and digraphs to help determine where to split the word.

breaking up syllables vcccv examples

Rule 6: Divide after a prefix and before a suffix.

When you see a prefix, divide the word right after it. When you see a suffix, divide right before it. There are a few exceptions to suffixes creating their own syllable, but this will be apparent after the student has split up the word and tried to pronounce it.

The exception to this rule is the suffix -ed. Sometimes this does not create an extra vowel sound, such as in the words jumped and sailed. Regardless, once the suffix is identified and the word is pronounced, you’ll know if it’s a syllable or not.

splitting words into syllables examples with affixes

Strategies To Teach Syllabication Rules

Teach students to use vowels to identify syllables

Since one vowel sound = one syllable, the first thing students should do is identify the vowels. I always have my students draw a dot above each vowel. After that, I have them label every vowel and consonant by writing a V or C under each letter. Then they have to check if it’s a vowel team or silent e. At this point, they know exactly how many syllables a word has, even if they’re not sure where to split it yet.

Below is an example using the word student.

teaching syllable division example with the word student

Teach students to look for patterns

At this point, students can look for patterns in the consonant and vowels. Students should look for vowel teams and magic e’s, digraphs and blends, then look for syllable patterns: VC, CV, VCCV, VCe, C+le, VCV, VV, Vr.

Teach base word families, prefixes, and suffixes

Students should also check for any base words, prefixes, and/or suffixes. Each base word or affix usually is its own syllable, but in some cases, they are not. Students can split these and try reading the word.

Teaching affixes daily and working with word family groups is a great way to address this area. Through consistent exposure and practice, students internalize these word parts and more quickly divide words into syllables.

Teach the different spelling patterns for each sound

It’s helpful if students know the options for spelling certain sounds, such as all the ways to pronounce the suffix -ed. This way when they are breaking up the word into syllable and sounding it out, they can accurately read a word.

A sound wall is a great way to teach all the spelling patterns for each sound. You can display each spelling pattern as students learn it and keep it up all year long as a reference. Read more about sound walls here.

sound wall example for teaching phonograms

sound wall bundle

Syllable Activities For Teaching Syllable Separation

Start off with teaching the 6 syllable types, one at a time. I created a bundle of all my syllable division worksheets which you can check out below.

You can also download these syllable types reference posters by signing up for my email list below.

6 syllable types posters

Diagram multisyllabic words

Whenever I am teaching syllabication, students must always follow the same procedure to diagram each word:

  1. Spot and dot the vowels
  2. Label the consonants and vowels underneath
  3. Look for patterns, affixes, and base words
  4. Split according to the rules
  5. Mark the vowels as long or short
  6. Read the word aloud

Below is an example, the same picture I used above to show how to mark the vowels. You can see the student placed a dot above both vowels, labeled each consonant and vowel, found blends, found where to split the word, then marked the vowels as long and short.

Cut words into syllables

The very first activity after teaching the syllable division pattern is to cut words up because the visual really helps struggling learners. I write a few words on index cards, have students diagram the words, then cut them along the division line. We later use these to sort syllables.

cutting words on index cards into syllables

Sort syllables

There are tons of syllable sorting activities you can download and prepare, but I like to use the cut up syllables from the previous activity to sort syllables. You can sort into all the syllables types or just choose 2 to focus on as pictured below.

sorting cut syllables by open and closed

I also use a syllable and vowel pattern chart to sort syllables as I teach them. Each student has their own copy of this and fills it in as we learn each syllable.

vowel pattern and syllable chart

Syllable search

This is an easy activity you can do with any text, but a targeted decodable text is ideal. Simply ask students to read a passage and highlight all the words that have the target syllable. From here, students can create a list of the words they found and split them.

syllable search activity with r-controlled syllables highlighted

Conclusion

Syllable division rules help readers break words into smaller parts making reading the word easier on their brains. This means that they don’t have to work as hard when trying to figure out what word you’re saying or spelling because each syllable has its own meaning and breaks up the task of decoding letters in order one at a time for your brain. Try these activities next time you teach syllable division.

Sources:

  • How To Teach Spelling by Laura Toby Rudginsky and Elizabeth C. Haskell
  • Phonics and Spelling Through Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping by Katheryn E. S. Grace
  • Structured Literacy Interventions: Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties, Grades K-6 by Louise Spear-Swerling
  • Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers by Louisa Cook Moats

Want to remember this? Save Syllable Division Rules: How To Divide Words Into Syllables to your favorite Pinterest board!

 how to divide  words into syllables based on rules syllable division rules

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.

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