Syllables

31/01/2021

Syllables

A/ a syllable is a unit of pronunciation forming a word or part of a word and containing one vowel sound and often consonant preceding or following this (oxford dictionary).

B\ a syllable is a minimum rhythmic unit of spoken language, cinsisting of a vowel or sustained consonant, often preceded or followed by unsustained consonant.

To find the number of syllables in a word, use the following steps:

1. Count the vowels in the word

2.subtract any silent vowels ,(like the silent e at the end of a word,or the second vowel when two vowels are together in a syllable).

3. Subtract one vowel from every diphthong(diphthogs only count as one vowel sound)

4.the number of vowels sounds left is the same as the number of syllbles.

The number of syllables that you hear when you pronounce a word is the same as the number of vowels sounds heard. For example:

The word came has 2vowels,but the "e" is silent.

The word outside has 4vowels, but the "e"is silent and the "ou" is a diphthong which counts as only one sound, so this word has only two vowel sounds and therefore,two syllables.