Syllables: Words of Two, Three and Four Syllables – JSS1 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

A syllable is a part of a word that has one vowel sound, and we say it in one push of breath. Words can have one, two, three, four or more syllables. In a word of more than one syllable, one syllable is said louder and longer than the others. This is called stress. Example: re-MAIN (two syllables), HOL-i-day (three), im-POS-si-ble (four).

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• explain what a syllable is;
• count the syllables in a word;
• pick out words of two, three and four syllables;
• mark the stressed syllable in a word with capital letters.

What is a syllable?

Every syllable has a vowel sound. To count syllables, say the word slowly and clap once for each beat, or place your hand under your chin and count how many times it drops. The number of vowel sounds you hear is the number of syllables.

• One syllable: book, school, pen, class.
• Two syllables: LA-gos, KA-no.
• Three syllables: a-BU-ja, CAL-a-bar.
• Four syllables: ni-GE-ri-a, ed-u-CA-tion.

Count vowel sounds, not vowel letters. The word “teacher” has three vowel letters (e, a, e) but only two vowel sounds (TEACH-er), so it has two syllables.

What is word stress?

Stress is the extra force we put on one syllable of a word. In this note, the stressed syllable is written in capital letters. For example, in LIN-ger the first syllable is stressed. In re-MAIN the second syllable is stressed. Wrong stress can make a word hard to understand, so students should practise saying each word aloud.

What are two-syllable words?

These words have two vowel sounds. Some are stressed on the first syllable and some on the second.

What are three-syllable words?

These words have three vowel sounds. The stress can fall on the first, second or third syllable.

What are four-syllable words?

These words have four vowel sounds. Say them slowly, one syllable at a time, then join them.

Evaluation

1. Give five words each of two, three and four syllables, and show the stress on each word with capital letters.
2. How many syllables are in the word “teacher”?
3. Which syllable is stressed in “refugee”?
4. Which of these words has four syllables: number, holiday, captivity, madam?
5. Which syllable is stressed in “dramatic”?

Answer key for teachers

1. Answers will vary. Check the syllable count and stress against the tables above.
2. Two (TEACH-er).
3. The third syllable (ref-u-GEE).
4. Captivity.
5. The second syllable (dra-MA-tic).

Assignment

Write the number of syllables in each word: contain, bachelor, impossible, madam, economic.

Answer key for teachers

contain: 2; bachelor: 3; impossible: 4; madam: 2; economic: 4.