Page 136 - (DK) Help Your Kids with Language Arts

134 SPELLING

Syllables SEE ALSO

120–121 Other punctuation
BREAKING UP WORDS INTO SYLLABLES CAN HELP   130–131 Vowel sounds
132–133 Consonant sounds
WITH PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING. Roots 140–141 
Prefixes and suffixes 142–143 
Every English word consists of one or more syllables.
Separating words into syllables helps split complex
words into simple, easy-to-remember parts.

Sounding out syllables
▷ Short vowel
One way to determine the correct pronunciation of a word sounds and consonants Mod makes a
is to break it up into syllables and say each part aloud. If the first part of the word short vowel sound.
For example, the word melody can be broken up into three makes a short vowel sound
syllables: me, lo, and dy. Single syllable words, such as and a consonant comes mod-est
cook and shop, are never divided. There are certain rules between two vowels, the
about how to break up a word. word is usually divided The consonant d
is between two
after the consonant. vowels, o and e.
▷ Long vowel
sounds and consonants Sa makes a ▷ Prefixes and suffixes The prefix re-
If the first part of the long vowel sound. A prefix is divided from the is separated
word makes a long vowel root word. If the word ends from handle.
sound and a consonant sa-ving in the suffix -le and this is
comes between two preceded by a consonant, re-han-dle
The consonant v
vowels, the word is the word is divided before The suffix -le
is between two
usually divided before vowels, a and i. the consonant. is preceded by
the consonant. the consonant d.
▷ Identical
▷ Single-letter consonants and Identical consonants Here, di and ate
syllables and different vowel sounds are separated. make different
vowel sounds.
special sounds Ph sounds O makes a long Two identical consonants
Never separate two like an f. vowel sound. next to each other are
or more letters that separated. The word is also im-me-di-ate-ly
together make a single phys-i-o-ther-a-py divided where two different
sound. A long vowel vowel sounds meet. Most The suffix -ly
sounded alone forms Th makes a suffixes are separated from is separated
a syllable by itself. unique sound. the root word. from immediate.

REAL W OR L D GLO S S A RY
Haiku poetry Consonant A letter of the alphabet
that is not a vowel.
Haiku is a traditional Japanese form Prefix A group of letters attached to
of poetry that usually consists of 17 the start of a word that can change
syllables. Although Japanese haiku the original word’s meaning.
is printed in a vertical line (pictured), Suffix A group of letters attached to
in English it is often written over three the end of a word that can change the
lines, with five syllables in the first original word’s meaning.
and third lines, and seven syllables Vowel One of the five letters a, e, i, o,
in the middle line. and u.