It's time to learn the syllable to be a better reader.
What is a syllable?
A syllable is a word or word part that has one vowel sound.
Does that mean that a syllable has one vowel? No. We already know from learning about vowel teams and diphthongs in Step 2 that a syllable may have more than one vowel but still have one vowel sound.
Does a syllable include consonants? Yes, it can, but it doesn’t always. In Step 2, we learned that there are some words that consist of just one letter. A couple of examples are “a” and “I.” However, in Step 2, we were only learning one-syllable words.
As we learn words of two, three, and more syllables, you’ll find that there are many times when a syllable is made up of just one vowel. Most of the time, however, syllables include consonants.
What do syllables do? Why are they important?
Syllables are the building blocks of words. In many ways, syllables are interchangeable parts, and this makes our language more versatile and descriptive. This feature will be the focus of Step 6.
For a new or improving reader, the syllable is an important tool because it makes it easier to decode larger words. Any large task is easier when it can be broken into smaller parts, and words are no exception. The first step is to learn how to count the syllables in a word, especially in the word that you may have never seen before.
How do you count the syllables in a word?
There are two ways to correctly count syllables. On is for spoken words, and the other is for written words. The simplest way to count syllables is to say a word and count the vowels you hear. Each vowel sound will produce one “beat” of speech. For example, say the word
house
and tap out each beat as you say the word. You will quickly understand that there is only one beat of speech when you say the word. It has only one syllable.
Try this by saying your first and last name, tapping your finger for each beat of speech. If your name is Tim Smith, how many syllables are in your name? A total of two. What if your name is Jonathan Middlebury? How many syllables are in Jonathan? Three. And how many syllables are is Middlebury? Four.
To use this method, you must already know the word so you can pronounce it correctly. Unfortunately, as a new reader, there will be many words that you don’t know. Thus, you will need another approach.
Here’s what to do: First, count the number of vowels in the word. Second, use your phonics training to decide which vowels are heard and which, if any, are silent. For example, let’s look at this word:
peace.
How many vowels are there? Three: E, A, and E. How many are probably heard?
The first E is probably heard because it is the first member of a vowel team. The A is probably silent because it is the second member of a vowel team. The second E should be silent because a final e is almost always silent.
Our conclusion is that this word has three vowels but only one vowel sound. Therefore, it has only one syllable.
Remember, you must count the number of vowel sounds not the number of vowels to determine the number of syllables in a word. This example should have been easy because you already know the word.
What do you do when there are several vowels in a word you don’t recognize? You use subdivision, which you’ll learn in Step 3.1