Syllable

A syllable is a part of a word that contains a single vowel sound and may include surrounding consonants. It acts like a small 'beat' or sound unit that helps us say words smoothly. For example, the word water has two syllables: wa and ter. You can often feel each syllable when you clap your hands as you say the word aloud.

Every syllable has one main vowel sound. Sometimes a word can have just one syllable, like dog or sky, while others can have many, like elephant (three) or beautiful (three). When people learn to read, breaking words into syllables helps them read and spell more easily.

Syllables can be stressed or unstressed. A stressed syllable is said more strongly than others in a word. In the word banana, the second syllable na is stressed, so we say ba-NA-na. Stress patterns can change how a word sounds and are important in poetry, songs, and speech rhythm.

The number and type of syllables in words also help people who study languages, called linguists, understand how words are formed and spoken in different languages. Some languages, like Japanese, have very regular syllable patterns, while others, like English, are more flexible.

Learning about syllables is also useful in writing and speaking. It helps with pronunciation, spelling, and rhythm. Poets often count syllables to create lines that sound balanced or musical, such as in a haiku, which has 17 syllables arranged in three lines (5–7–5).