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Spanish Grammar: Syllabification
Acquiring the ability to read read, write, and speak Spanish is difficult, if not impossible, until the student has learned how to divide words into syllables. Correct pronunciation depends upon the proper division of words into syllables.
Syllable defined
A syllable is the part of a word which can be pronounced with a single impulse of the voice. In Spanish it always has a vowel sound and may contain one or more consonant sounds.
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Diphthongs
The strong vowels are a, e, o; the weak vowels are i and u. When one of the strong vowels is combined with a weak vowel, the combination is called a diphthong. The two vowels are pronounced together in one syllable, giving each one its own sound, but at the same time stressing the strong vowel or the second of two weak vowels. These combinations are not separated when a word is divided into syllables.
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Triphthongs
A triphthong is a combination of a stressed strong vowel between two weak vowels. It is considered a single syllable. The four combinations are iai, iei, uai (uay), uei (uey).
| buey | ox |
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| Paraguay | Paraguay |
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| vieira | scallop |
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Rules for Dividing Words into SyllabLEs
A consonant goes with the following vowel.
| a-mi-go | friend |
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| ma-ña-na | tomorrow |
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| e-ne-ro | January |
The letters "CH," "LL," and "RR" are considered as one letter and are never separated.
| mu-cha-cho | boy |
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| ca-lle | street |
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| pe-rro | dog |
Two strong vowels are separated.
| le-o | I read |
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| ca-er | to fall |
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| ve-o | I see |
Two consonants coming between vowels are usually separated.
| cin-co | five |
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| her-ma-no | brother |
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| pron-to | soon |
A consonant followed by "r" or "l" is not separated from the "r" or "l" except "rl," "sl," "tl," "sr," and "nr."
| ha-blar | to speak |
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| li-bro | book |
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| en-trar | to enter |
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| hom-bre | man |
But:
| is-la | island |
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| per-la | pearl |
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| at-las | atlas |
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| char-la | chat |
Note: The general rule regarding a cluster of two consonants between vowels is that the consonants will always be separated unless the consonant cluster could normally start a word in Spanish.
The letters of a diphthong or triphthong are not separated.
| jui-cio | judgement |
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| puer-ta | door |
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| mie-do | fear |
If the weak vowel of a diphthong or triphthong is accented, or the first vowel when both are weak, the accent mark is placed over said vowel to show that there is no longer a diphthong or triphthong.
| dí-a | day |
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| le-í-do | well-read |
The last of more than two consonants coming between vowels goes with the following vowel.
| cons-tan-te | constant |
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| pers-pec-ti-va | perspective |
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| ins-tan-te | moment, instant |
A prefix forms a separate syllable.
| ex-pre-sar | to express |
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| con-se-guir | to obtain |