Syllable Division Rules: How to Divide Multisyllabic Words

When children start to learn to read longer words, knowing syllables, the 7 syllable types, and syllable division rules can make the process much simpler.

What is a Syllable?

A syllable is an uninterrupted unit of sound that has at least one vowel. Syllables often have at least one consonant, too, but sometimes a syllable will only have a vowel.

Why are Syllables Important?

When children can segment words into syllables, they can:

• Divide longer words into smaller, manageable parts
• Encode (spell) new words with more ease
• Decode (read) new words with more ease
• Read longer words accurately and fluently (not by guessing)

The Importance of Vowels in Dividing Syllables

• Vowels are the key components of a syllable, for they add the audible sound (or produce the beat) in the syllable.
• The position and number of vowels in a word determines the sound of each syllable, and ultimately the sound of the word.
• The vowels in a word either produce a short sound, a long sound, a diphthong, or an r-controlled sound.

Syllable Division Rules

1. Separate prefixes and suffixes from root words.

2. If two or more consonants are next to each other (VCCV), split between the first two consonants.

3. If the word ends in le:

• When the letter before the le is a consonant (C+le), divide the word before that consonant.
• If the letter before the le is a vowel, keep them together.
• If the letters before the le form the digraph /ck/, divide the word after the /ck/.

4. If the word is composed of compound nouns, split it between the two nouns.

5. In words that have one middle consonant (VCV):

• If the vowel has a long sound, divide the word before the consonant
• If the vowel has a short sound, divide the word after the consonant

6. In words with two vowels that make two sounds (CVVC), split between the two vowels.

7. If a word has three or four consonants between vowels (VCCCV), split it after the first consonant (but keep digraphs and blends together).

8. The letter Y in the middle or at the end of words works as a vowel. Split before the consonant before the Y.

9. The silent Magic E is not counted as a vowel in a syllable.

10. Keep the Following Together:

1. Consonant Digraphs: two consonants that combine to make one sound (e.g. th, ph, ch)
2. Consonant Blends: two consonants that are next to each other, with each consonant making its own sound (e.g. pl, fr, sm)
3. Vowel Teams: two vowels that combine to make one sound (e.g. ai, ee, oa)
4. Vowel Blends: two vowel sounds that are combined into one syllable; they start as one vowel sound and glide toward another, producing a single gliding sound (e.g. oi, au, ow)
5. R-controlled Vowels: the r silences the sound of the vowel before it; the vowel does not make its short or long sound, but makes a new r-controlled sound ( e.g. ar, er, ir)
6. A silent E with the closest vowel