Surely you have heard a lot about them but you are not sure what they are. And how important it is to know how to separate the syllables in a word correctly. What exactly are the syllables that make up words? The first thing to remember is that words are made up of syllables and these are made up of letters.
The syllables are those sounds or sets of sounds that we emit in a single blow of the voice. That is, the parts of the word that you say together at once. For example, we can pronounce two vowels together and that would form a syllable. However, if we talk about consonants without vowels, they cannot be pronounced or form syllables.
Here we are going to see the different tricks and rules that can help us correctly separate words into syllables. The division into syllables that we can do in Spanish is of vital importance. For example, when we are about to separate syllables while writing, we should use hyphens when space is tight.
This system of separating syllables can be extrapolated to other cultures that also use it. Japanese culture is based on “kanjis”, which are Japanese symbols that are very difficult to learn but make writing easier. They serve to symbolize a syllable, and thus better separate words into syllables.
Finally, we cannot lose sight of the need to control well the fact of how to separate the syllables. This helps us to know the words of our language well. For example, if we want to create poetry, we must know its length well in order to create quality rhymes. We will also find its usefulness if we decide to write music or a book.
Music, due to the fact of having to take them to the rhythm of the notes that our score indicates. But if our dream is a book, knowing how to separate syllables will help us find a way to make everything fit.
Important help to separate the syllables
We must also take into account the force with which we pronounce one syllable or another. We will see, when it comes to how to separate the syllables, the different types that we can find. Depending on the syllable of the word in which we put the force, we will call it one way or another. We will notice when we start to separate syllables, that one of them always sounds stronger than the rest.
This syllable that in isolation reverberates more sonorously, will be the one that receives the name of tonic syllable. While the rest of the syllables that make up the word will be pronounced with less force. And these will receive the name of unstressed syllables. This directly influences separating syllables from words, since it makes our work easier.
Separating syllables is easy, but never forget that knowing how to pronounce them also helps us make it more comfortable. Calling a stressed or unstressed syllable has nothing to do with whether it has an accent or not. It can have all the power of the word and not have an accent, but that doesn’t take away any power.
What we must take into account to separate syllables:
In addition to there being a series of rules or tricks that help us know how to separate syllables in the best possible way without losing patience or losing our minds, there is something that we must take into account before starting: they may ask us what type of word it is according to the syllables it has, that is, if it has one or three syllables, what name corresponds to it. And that’s what we’re going to learn as well.
- If it is the case that it only has one syllable: it will receive the monosyllable name (was, sea, yes, etc.)
- If it had two syllables: that word would receive the name of bisyllable (tree, house, sack, etc.)
- And if it has three syllables?: we would be facing a trisyllable word (school, refrigerator, garbage, etc.)
- Finally, if we come across a word with more than three syllables : don’t hesitate, it’s a polysyllable (great, university, etc.)
Instructions to separate the syllables
The best thing that can happen to us is to get a rule or trick that makes a task easier for us, such as separating syllables if, in our case, it is difficult for us to succeed in it. But nothing is lost because once we practice with a few simple rules and try to memorize them, all the work of separating syllables will become a piece of cake.
We can also take into account what is known as diphthongs and triphthongs. Before explaining what they are, I am going to remind you of what is known as strong and weak vowels. In the case of strong vowels they are: a, e and o. The weak vowels would then be i and u.
In the case of diphthongs, these are formed when we find a strong vowel next to a weak vowel or, on the other hand, two weak vowels together. If we look at triphthongs, they occur when we find a strong vowel between two weak vowels. Why is it important to know these concepts? Because if we find ourselves in a word with a syllable formed by this type of vowels, we must know that they cannot be divided.
There are several rules that can help us so that our way of separating syllables is easier and with better results without having to despair:
- If we find a consonant between two vowels: the consonant is always grouped with the vowel to our right to form the syllable. For example: food -> food – > c o – mi– da
- If the case is that we locate two consonants between two vowels: each consonant stays with a vowel. For example, the word happy -> happy -> happy– happy; but beware!, if one of the consonants is L or R, the two consonants will stay with the vowel that is to our right. For example, clap -> clap – u – so -> a – pla u – so
- When we come across three consonants in the middle of two vowels: in this case, the first two consonants join the first vowel and the second consonant joins the second vowel. For example, the word inspection -> inspe– c – ción -> ins – pe c – ción; ATTENTION! If the third consonant is an L or R, the first consonant joins the first vowel and the other two consonants will join the second vowel. As an example, amplitude -> ampl – tud -> am – pli – tud
- And if we find four consonants between vowels? Well, we will follow the previous rule, that is, the first two consonants with the first vowel and the other two with the second vowel. For example, monster -> m – onstru– o -> m ons – trick.
- Do not forget to take into account that when we find a syllable in which the consonants are double, that is, the syllable is made up of two LL or two RR, for example, they are a single phoneme and therefore cannot be can divide. For example, the word arroyo, we find two RR, with which we would have to follow the rule of ” two consonants between two vowels”, but since it is the same phoneme we cannot divide it, so the division would be: A – RRO – I.