What are syllables?
A syllable is the smallest unit of spoken language that can stand alone as a sound. It’s like a single beat in a word. Every spoken word is made up of one or more syllables. When you say a word slowly, you can often hear the different syllables. Clapping your hands for each part of the word can help you figure out how many syllables it has.
All syllables contain a vowel sound. This can be a single vowel (like the “a” in “cat”) or a combination of vowels, one is silent (like in “time”). Consonant sounds can be added before and after the vowel to create the full syllable. All words are made from at least one syllable.
Try saying a word slowly and feel your jaw. Each time your jaw moves down slightly to make a new sound, it is likely a new syllable.
Examples:
| Syllables | Definition | Examples |
| Monosyllables | Words having just 1 syllable. | cat, dog, hat, milk, like, jump, play, stop, sun, rain |
| Disyllables | Words that have 2 syllables. | ap-ple, wa-ter, ba-by, ha-ppy, pen-cil, yel-low, fun-ny, ro-bot, tea-cher, mar-ket |
| Trisyllables | Words that have 3 syllables. | but-ter-fly, te-le-phone, mic-ro-phone, beau-ti-ful, fa-mi-ly, be-cau-se, im-por-tant, yes-ter-day |
| Tetrasyllables | Words that have 4 syllables. | or-di-na-ry, in-te-lli-gent, res-pon-si-ble, dis-po-sa-ble |
Examples:
| Syllables | Definition – Examples |
| Monosyllables |
Words having just 1 syllable. cat, dog, hat, milk, like, jump, play, stop, sun, rain |
| Disyllables |
Words that have 2 syllables. ap-ple, wa-ter, ba-by, ha-ppy, pen-cil, yel-low, fun-ny, ro-bot, tea-cher, mar-ket |
| Trisyllables |
Words that have 3 syllables. but-ter-fly, te-le-phone, mic-ro-phone, beau-ti-ful, fa-mi-ly, be-cau-se, im-por-tant, yes-ter-day |
| Tetrasyllables |
Words that have 4 syllables. or-di-na-ry, in-te-lli-gent, res-pon-si-ble, dis-po-sa-ble |
Types of Syllables
| Types | Definition | Examples |
| Open Syllables | Syllables ending with a vowel sound and have a long vowel sound. | no, go, zoo, do, tea, sea, so, hi, see |
| Closed Syllables | Syllables ending with a consonant sound and have a short vowel sound. | cat, hot, hat, dish, kit, bat, sit, pit, lit |
| Vowel-Consonant-Silent e (VCe) Syllables | Syllables have a vowel sound followed by a consonant and a silent “e” at the end. | cake, bike, cute, hope, rope |
| Diphthong (Vowel Team) Syllables | Two vowels that make one sound. | boat, rain, fair, fear, snail, grow |
| Consonant-le Syllables | Words that end with -le and have a consonant before it | table, little, dribble, fable, bubble |
| R-controlled Syllables | In this ‘vowel-r’ combination, the ‘r’ changes the sound of the vowel before it. | her, fur, ear, for, purr |
| Types | Definition – Examples |
| Open Syllables |
Syllables ending with a vowel sound and have a long vowel sound. no, go, zoo, do, tea, sea, so, hi, see |
| Closed Syllables |
Syllables ending with a consonant sound and have a short vowel sound. cat, hot, hat, dish, kit, bat, sit, pit, lit |
| Vowel-Consonant-Silent e (VCe) Syllables |
Syllables have a vowel sound followed by a consonant and a silent “e” at the end. cake, bike, cute, hope, rope |
| Diphthong (Vowel Team) Syllables |
Two vowels that make one sound. boat, rain, fair, fear, snail, grow |
| Consonant-le Syllables |
Words that end with -le and have a consonant before it table, little, dribble, fable, bubble |
| R-controlled Syllables |
In this ‘vowel-r’ combination, the ‘r’ changes the sound of the vowel before it. her, fur, ear, for, purr |
Bubble Burst
Melody Match
Penguin Puzzle