Phonologyby Adroit Tutors
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Syllable Division And Tree Diagrams For Any Word

Type a word, or a transcription between slashes, to count its syllables, divide it by sound and by letters, read its structure and see its tree diagram.

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How Syllable Division Works

A syllable is built around a vowel, its peak. The consonants before the vowel are the onset and the consonants after it are the coda. When consonants sit between two vowels, English gives the next syllable as many as it allows at the start of a word. This is the Maximal Onsets Principle, and it is why raining divides as /ˈreɪ.nɪŋ/.

A stressed syllable with a short vowel keeps a consonant in its coda, so sorry divides as sorr-y and madam as mad-am. The app explains each break it makes, so you can check your own work.

Reading A Tree Diagram

Each syllable (S) branches into an onset (O) and a rime (R). The rime branches into the peak (P) and the coda (C). Ø marks an empty coda. The stress mark sits above the stressed syllable.

Syllable Lists

Browse every word in the dictionary by its number of syllables, or by its pattern of consonants and vowels.

Questions Students Ask

How do I count the syllables in a word?
Count the vowel sounds, not the vowel letters. Each syllable has exactly one vowel sound at its peak, so tea has one syllable and banana has three. The app counts them from the transcription, which avoids the traps of silent letters.
What is the difference between dividing by sound and by letters?
Division by sound follows the transcription and the Maximal Onsets Principle. Division by letters follows the spelling and is only a guide, because English spelling does not always match the sounds.
What is an open syllable?
An open syllable ends in a vowel and has no coda, like the first syllable of teacher. A closed syllable ends in a consonant, like the first syllable of madam.

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