Italian words are divided into syllables as follows:3 w% R) x* O- X5 c! J
A single consonant goes with the following vowel.
+ [: W$ {. c7 T* @8 j Italian English
8 u/ p- m' G; ~( f% t) r# G ca–sa house/ w; ~* G7 F" S a
po–si–ti–vo positive' _0 C H, t0 u0 v L0 [$ ~' b
Double consonants are divided.
# r V' A7 X! q$ T! ~ Italian English# k1 H8 `5 ~, U: G
bab–bo dad5 Q. L1 d. F f( f+ ], \& P
ros–so red5 P* o( v. O! @2 f+ T' g
bel–lo beautiful
R, K0 T& I$ j4 p) ]/ d% r: F at–to act
) Z; T1 n' `% u7 p. k0 ]! {7 w2 ]& U Two consonants, the first of which is l, m, n, or r, are divided.8 [& H2 Q8 E$ F) T& }6 u+ @
Italian English
9 C5 U4 k8 x9 G9 E al–ber–go hotel
, j; t+ T. j$ F% o7 g2 v con–ten–to contented4 R& G4 A6 n" h9 k: I; d
am–pio ample
# [/ [, b' C& R6 R% y! o for–tu–na fortune1 W5 p+ A' J/ w6 m; T/ \2 N z# X
Otherwise, a combination of two consonants belongs to the following syllable.
: d+ x2 N* e2 d' l8 ]$ n) B Italian English
, a3 f9 X8 m# s' C+ p o: R4 n ba–sta enough
+ O' W. D# _$ b7 D fi–glio son- S$ ]6 ?( G& Y! _
pa–dre father
- v/ ` H' z7 m$ x ba–gno bath- ^/ c4 d1 E9 @1 @
so–pra above/ b9 l9 ?5 i5 w9 v8 Q9 B
sa–cro sacred8 _: E; p* L& Y7 l
The first of three consonants, except s, goes with the preceding syllable.; g4 O. K6 ` S1 K
Italian English( m4 ^0 d$ E0 [$ ?7 O5 r
sem–pre always1 Y Y/ s, D. a) K2 A
fel–tro felt
: s& H2 J& \5 o mem–bro member1 d5 \1 U- l) L" ~, ]7 `
men–tre while4 A* S' Q8 E4 Q2 `
BUT
w) h5 \2 X) ~8 T- s3 i& q- h Italian English
% E# e( {( R* h7 G, M fi–ne–stra window9 E. V% z9 W# i
pe–sche peaches) k7 c/ @3 H6 q/ C; K! P
mi–ne–stra soup4 T$ h# u6 l+ v$ I. A8 [
mo–stro monster
6 P; \ p) O; G Diphthongs and triphthongs are never divided.
' H5 U/ T( t5 O1 _+ x$ r5 B$ ] Italian English
+ M; o% }" C2 S7 E3 @. U+ ~% _ nuo–vo new
) h: u) k3 B3 p' w mie–le honey7 O6 N- m3 `- L) b0 T4 E
per–fi–dia spite( O5 o3 v* \1 f1 ^# ^6 n/ c
uo–mo man
" w# j8 R C$ |3 |! Y- U& } mai never* ?1 Z1 X' i R) V8 b% B$ x
lin–gua language6 j# z6 Y" k o+ r
suoi his! H5 L+ g4 }" |+ C
pi–gliai I took
G+ J. J7 U# M, e# S7 d8 v$ Z Diphthongs may occur in stressed or unstressed syllables. However, when a diphthong is broken by stress (the vowel i or u directly bears the stress), then the two vowels break into separate syllables.
+ @7 G7 {9 m' |; o Italian English
! ~/ Q: F9 Y, O mi–o mine
1 C2 n! I* n: b- _ tu–o yours/ y1 y+ T- O( `4 i) b, I
spi–a spy' T' r5 G9 `$ b5 c% c$ |! U
ma–ni–a mania* Z* b2 x* j! `
rin–vi–o postponement
4 @: m5 H- J, i7 A# {, g) `" } te–ra–pi–a therapy
: `$ \) i% M3 Y al–le–gri–a joy# i8 g" @( d2 w. J& M
far–ma–ci–a pharmacy |