TS Inter 1st Year English Grammar Syllables

Q.No. 19 (4 × 1 = 4 Marks)

A syllable is the next higher unit to a speech sound and forms a word or part of a word. It contains one (and only one) vowel sound (not letter). The number of consonant sounds in a syllable may be ‘Zero to Seven’.

A word may have one syllable or more.

• Words with one syllable each are called monosyllabic words.
• Words with two syllables each are called disyllabic words.
• Words with three syllables each are called trisyllabic words.
• Words with more than three syllables each are called polysyllabic words.

The, number of vowel sounds in a word gives us the number of syllables in that word. By noticing the vowel symbols in the phonetic transcript of a given word, we can arrive at the number of syllables in that word. Look at the following examples :

pen / pen only one vowel sound – one syllable – monosyllabic paper / peips (r) / two vowel sounds – two syllables – disyllabic gravity / graeviti / three vowel sounds – three syllables – trisyllabic.

discovery / dɪˈskʌvɚɹi / four vowel sounds – four syllables – poly (tetra) syllabic, organization / ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃən / five vowel sounds – five syllables – poly (penta) syllabic.

There are, however, certain words in which the number of vowel sounds is not equal to the number of syllables. Look at the following examples :
brittle / ˈbɹɪtl̩ / only ong vowel sound – but two syllables
prism / pnzm / only one vowel sound – but two syllables
mutton / mAtn / only one vowel sound – but two syllables

The reason for this variation is that the consonant sounds / l /, / m / and / n / help form a syllable. These sounds in such words are, therefore, called syllabic consonants.
Examine some more examples of this kind :

Careful observation of phonetic transcription or correct pronunciation of words will help students find out the number of syllables in a given word.

Exercise – A

In the following table four categories of words are given. Read them aloud paying attention to the syllabic division.

Exercise – B

Read the words in the table and write the number of syllables in the columns. Look up the words in a dictionary to check your answers. The first one has been done for you.

Mention the number of syllables in the following words.

Exercise – 1

i) misery
ii) direction
iii) remember
iv) information
v) encourage
vi) excellent

Answer:

i) 3 trisyllabic
ii) 3 – trisyllabic
iii) 3 – trisyllabic
iv) 4 – polysyllabic
v) 3 – trisyllabic
vi) 3 – trisyllabic

Exercise – 2

i) person
ii) weakness
iii) dark
iv) thought
v) fact
vi) discipline

Answer:

i) 2 – disyllabic
ii) 2 – disyllabic
iii) 1 – monosyllabic
iv) 1 – monosyllabic
v) 1 – monosyllabic
vi) 3 – trisyllabic

Exercise – 3

i) lawyer
ii) literacy
iii) square
iv) harbinger
v) adamant
vi) muse

Answer:

i) 2 – disyllabic
ii) 4 – polysyllabic
iii) 1 – monosyllabic
iv) 3 – trisyllabic
v) 3 – trisyllabic
vi) 1 – monosyllabic

Exercise – 4

i) before
ii) doctor
iii) mother
iv) imagination
v) essence
vi) quarter

Answer:

i) 2 – disyllabic
ii) 2 – disyllabic
iii) 2 – disyllabic
iv) 5 – polysyllabic
v) 2 – disyllabic
vi) 2 – disyllabic

Exercise – 5

i) glance
ii) propel
iii) silence
iv) realize
v) excitement
vi) climax

Answers:

i) 1 – monosyllabic
ii) 2 – dissyllabic
iii) 2 – disyllabic
iv) 2 – disyllabic / 3 – tnsyllabic
v) 3 – trisyllabic
vi) 2 – disyllabic

Exercise – 6

i) understand
ii) decision
iii) shout
iv) supremely
v) encouragement
vi) flashlight

Answer:

i) 3 – trisyllabic
ii) 3 – trisyllabic
iii) 1 – monosyllabic
iv) 3 – trisyllabic
v) 4 – polysyllabic
vi) 2 – disyllabic

Exercise – 7

i) pension
ii) source
iii) confer
iv) captivate
v) modest
vi) contribution

Answer:

i) 2 – disyllabic
ii) 1 – monosyllabic
iii) 2 – disyllabic
iv) 3 – trisyllabic
v) 2 – disyllabic
vi) 4 – polysyllabic

Exercise – 8

1) popular
ii) today
iii) side
iv) plant
v) rainwater
vi) condition

Answer:

i) 3 – trisyllabic
ii) 2 – disyllabic
iii) 1 – monosyllabic
iv) 1 – monosyllabic
v) 3 – trisyllabic
vi) 3- trisyllabic

Exercise – 9

i) punctual
ii) increase
iii) room
iv) mantelpiece
v) breakfast
vi) gracious

Answer:

i) 2 – disyllabic
ii) 2 – disyllabic
iii) 1 – monosyllabic
iv) 3 – trisyllabic
v) 2 – disyllabic
vi) 2 – disyllabic

Exercise – 10

i) particular
ii) handful
iii) apearance
iv) often
v) apartment
vi) idea

Answer:

i) 4 – polysyllabic
ii) 2 – disyllabic
iii) 3 – trisyllabic
iv) 2 – disyllabic
v) 3 – trisyllabic
vi) 2 – disyllabic