Description: A short article about syllables
Instructions: Read the article and answer the questions
More on Syllables
Syllables are the individual units of sound that make up a word — think of them as the “beats” you hear when you say a word out loud.
Each syllable usually contains one vowel sound, sometimes combined with consonants around it.
Examples:
- Cat → 1 syllable (cat)
- Table → 2 syllables (ta-ble)
- Elephant → 3 syllables (el-e-phant)
- Communication → 5 syllables (com-mu-ni-ca-tion)
A simple trick to count syllables:
Put your hand under your chin and say the word slowly. Every time your jaw drops or moves down, that’s usually one syllable.
Why syllables matter (especially for English learners and job seekers):
- They help with pronunciation — knowing where to break a word makes it easier to say clearly
- They help with word stress — English words often stress one syllable more than others (e.g., PHO-to-graph vs. pho-TOG-ra-phy), and getting this right makes you sound more natural and confident
- They’re useful for spelling — breaking long words into syllables makes them easier to spell correctly
How many syllables are there in each of these words: