Every vowel or every vowel combination pronounced as one vowel sound
indicates a syllable (excepting final _e_ in such words as _fate_,
_late_, _rode_, etc.) Take the word _combination_, for example. In this
word we have four syllables, thus: _Com-bi-na-tion_.
+A syllable is that part of a word which can be uttered distinctly by a
single effort of the voice.+ Remember that each syllable must contain a
vowel or a vowel combination like _oi_ or _ou_, which is pronounced as
one vowel. Sometimes the vowel alone makes the syllable as in _a-lone_,
_e-qual_, etc. The final _e_ in words like _late_, and _fate_ is not
sounded. It is silent, we say.
All words ending in silent _e_ have the long vowel sound, with a very
few exceptions. Words without the final _e_ have the short vowel sound
as for example: _fate_, _fat_; _mate_, _mat_; _hide_, _hid_; _rode_,
_rod_.
In dividing words into syllables the consonant is written with the
preceding vowel when that vowel is short. If the vowel is long the
consonant is written with the next syllable, as for example, de-fine and
def-i-ni-tion. In de-fine the _e_ is long therefore _f_, the consonant
following, is written with the next syllable, _fine_. In def-i-ni-tion
the _e_ has the short sound, therefore the _f_ is written with the _e_
in the syllable, _def_.
When there are two consonants following the vowel, divide between the
consonants, as for example, _in-ven-tion_, _foun-da-tion_, etc. Never
divide a digraph, that is, two consonants which are sounded together as
one sound, as for example, _moth-er_, _catch-er_, _te-leg-ra-pher_, etc.
In writing words containing double consonants like _dd_, _ll_, _ss_,
divide the word into syllables between the double consonants, as for
example, _per-mit-ted_, _ad-mis-sion_, _sad-dest_, etc.
+Monday+
Important
Accommodate
Person
Correspond
Action
+Tuesday+
Difference
Notice
Indicate
Remember
Irregular
+Wednesday+
Mistake
Conversation
Correctly
President
Ordinary
+Thursday+
Participle
Passive
Various
Phrase
Quotation
+Friday+
Imagine
Confidence
Humanity
Faith
Future
+Saturday+
Whisper
Thought
Ability
Knowledge
Genius