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Word Syllable
Counter — beau·ti·ful

Type any word and instantly see syllable count, syllable breakdown with dots, and stress pattern. Perfect for poets, writers, and students.

Syllable breakdown — beau·ti·ful (3)
Stress pattern — which syllable is stressed
Search history — last 10 words saved

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Word Syllable Counter

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Results appear instantly as you type. Counts use English heuristics — edge cases may vary.

How it works

How words are broken into syllables

English syllabification follows consistent rules — this tool applies them automatically.

VC·CV Rule

When two consonants appear between vowels, split between them. Each consonant goes with its adjacent vowel.

hap·py = VC·CV split
Consonant Blends

Consonant blends (str, bl, cr) and digraphs (sh, th, ch) stay together — they never split across syllables.

cra·zy = blend stays
Silent E Rule

A final silent 'e' doesn't form its own syllable. It modifies the vowel in the previous syllable instead.

make = 1 syllable
-LE Ending

Words ending in -le (with a preceding consonant) form a final syllable: consonant + le counts as one unit.

ta·ble = 2 syllables
Vowel Teams

Two vowels together (ai, ea, oa) usually make one sound and count as one syllable — not two.

rain = 1 syllable
Stress Placement

In two-syllable words, nouns are usually stressed on the first syllable; verbs on the second. Longer words vary.

PO·em vs po·ET·ry
Quick reference

Commonly looked-up words

Click any word to see its breakdown instantly in the tool above.

beautiful
beau·ti·ful
3 syllables
extraordinary
ex·tra·or·di·na·ry
6 syllables
every
ev·er·y
3 syllables
poetry
po·et·ry
3 syllables
family
fam·i·ly
3 syllables
interesting
in·ter·est·ing
4 syllables
chocolate
choc·o·late
3 syllables
comfortable
com·fort·a·ble
4 syllables
literature
lit·er·a·ture
4 syllables
syllable
syl·la·ble
3 syllables
different
dif·fer·ent
3 syllables
communication
com·mu·ni·ca·tion
5 syllables
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about syllables, counting, and this tool.

Words break at natural sound boundaries — each syllable has one vowel sound. Rules include: split between two consonants (hap-py), keep blends together (cra-zy), silent 'e' doesn't count (make = 1), and -le endings form a final syllable (ta-ble).
Beautiful has 3 syllables: beau·ti·ful. The stress falls on the first syllable — BEAU-ti-ful. It's one of the most commonly miscounted words in English.
Every has 3 syllables: ev·er·y. It's frequently mispronounced as 2 syllables in casual speech (ev-ry), but formally and in poetry it counts as 3. This often surprises writers using it in haiku or metered verse.
A syllable is a single unit of sound built around one vowel sound. It's the "beat" you feel when you clap along to a word. For example: cat (1 beat), water (2 beats), beautiful (3 beats), extraordinary (6 beats).
Syllable counts affect poetry meter (haiku 5-7-5, iambic pentameter), song lyrics rhythm, readability scores (Flesch-Kincaid uses syllables), and pronunciation learning. Knowing exact syllables helps you choose the right word for your rhythm.
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