Italian words are divided into syllables as follows:
. k9 J, \, ^( ]4 _$ f* _ A single consonant goes with the following vowel.8 Y! h: h; \8 z$ h
Italian English6 T* K4 E1 u( T
ca–sa house0 D) W! K/ s4 e
po–si–ti–vo positive
7 `$ y( X8 v1 N; J! F/ o" N7 J Double consonants are divided.
g9 [. b$ p" J" z9 z5 b& B c Italian English
# U4 D& i; D6 P* `% @7 Z+ B( U0 w bab–bo dad# A4 N B* K! `# ^
ros–so red3 Q# Q2 l2 H, {, B" W
bel–lo beautiful
$ Q% y2 ]9 g; a at–to act: T- T( L5 f& E$ g7 ~
Two consonants, the first of which is l, m, n, or r, are divided.
) n' I& I5 `: d: T8 ^, h6 | Italian English7 p* W+ d( N! m( A. E* h9 ^* x
al–ber–go hotel# _+ V7 a6 v( D' v+ E3 G5 }
con–ten–to contented
/ Y2 A4 a+ d$ G: D3 X4 J am–pio ample: X# ~) y% s8 O" z
for–tu–na fortune
, Y" |+ `6 j- N# X$ t p/ p$ c Otherwise, a combination of two consonants belongs to the following syllable.$ r9 d4 ` R$ o
Italian English) n9 ~+ y; R! E
ba–sta enough: c# T. w5 a$ v
fi–glio son
; a: z) f2 h" ?9 ]* C: d, b pa–dre father; _0 t4 T7 Q9 q9 `0 {/ Z& b. ?
ba–gno bath9 P; @" p i0 V" Y- r% }2 D
so–pra above2 \. q/ g: J# @7 [
sa–cro sacred) I3 b) K. C& y- W! |
The first of three consonants, except s, goes with the preceding syllable., B' e! |) Z$ L I/ r
Italian English
; A3 v8 n" r& s" \1 } sem–pre always
2 v7 y, b7 V& R4 k fel–tro felt5 n2 k& ?: }; G7 }; P- V& x
mem–bro member
6 P) }3 S9 y9 b men–tre while
1 i- R/ B; p7 P! K7 Q( R+ s+ A BUT# W0 @4 j/ ^) j, t: ]/ T2 c0 E
Italian English3 G# O. _" s9 x% [3 p9 \
fi–ne–stra window
* x- f) C2 p8 @: Y* x; H. t pe–sche peaches& U, t4 Q' G! n7 H" Z
mi–ne–stra soup
0 g8 c7 E- ^) f% D4 I( | mo–stro monster
; _/ ?3 N6 j- n Diphthongs and triphthongs are never divided |