Polar Games
Guide

Types of syllables and syllable stress

The six types of syllables with examples, how to find the stressed syllable and why record and record can sound different.

By Polarzinho ·

Official Letter River cover art

Every word is made of syllables, little beats you can clap. "Bam-boo" has two. "Pan-da" has two. My favorite words come in pairs.

Here are the six types of syllables used in phonics, with examples, and the simple rules for finding the stressed syllable.

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The 6 types of syllables

  1. Closed: ends in a consonant, short vowel: cat, sit, bas-ket.
  2. Open: ends in a vowel, long vowel: go, me, hi, ba-by.
  3. Silent E: vowel, consonant, silent E, long vowel: cake, bike, hope.
  4. Vowel team: two vowels make one sound: rain, boat, tree.
  5. R-controlled: a vowel followed by R: car, her, bird, fork, turn.
  6. Consonant-LE: a final syllable with a consonant plus LE: ta-ble, bub-ble, pur-ple.

How to find the stressed syllable

The stressed syllable is the one you say a little louder and longer. Try saying the word as if calling someone from far away: the stretched syllable is the stressed one.

  • Two-syllable nouns usually stress the first syllable: TA-ble, PEN-cil, PAN-da
  • Two-syllable verbs often stress the second: be-GIN, re-LAX, de-CIDE

Same spelling, different stress

  • REC-ord (a noun) and re-CORD (a verb)
  • PRES-ent (a gift) and pre-SENT (to show)
  • OB-ject (a thing) and ob-JECT (to disagree)
  • DES-ert (dry land) and de-SERT (to leave)

Practice by playing

In Letter River, you read a clue and drag across the letters on the board to spell the answer, a good way to notice syllables.

Letter River letter board next to the list of clues, with a river and mountains behind

PolarzinhoThe otter in Letter River claps every syllable. I clap too, mostly for snacks.

Letter River: the letter board and the clues beside it.

And in Stop!, the quick category game, longer words with more syllables impress everyone.

Stop! home screen with the options to play with the crowd or create a room with friends

PolarzinhoI wrote "hippopotamus" for animal. Five syllables. The table went quiet.

Stop!: play with the crowd or create a room with friends.

FAQ

What are the 6 syllable types?

Closed, open, silent E, vowel team, R-controlled and consonant-LE.

How many syllables does "banana" have?

Three: ba-na-na, with the stress on the second.

What is a stressed syllable?

The syllable you say louder and longer, like "PAN" in panda.

Your turn

Sort these into syllable types: hop, hope, go, bird, rain, ta-ble.

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