Syllable Word: A one syllable word is never divided. It has one or more letters but one vowel sound, and is produced by a single voice impulse.

VCV: When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, the word is usually divided before the consonant and the first vowel is long.

VCV: When a single consonant comes between two vowels in a word, the word is usually divided after the consonant and the first vowel is short.

Division Process: Cross off silent e (if there is one at the end). Mark the vowels V. Mark the consonants between the vowels C. Determine correct syllable pattern. Divide. Identify syllable types/vowel condition. Pronounce each syllable and blend the word. Have you divided correctly? Are there other possibilities? If yes, start over.

Prefix/Suffix: When a word has a prefix and/or suffix, the word is divided between the affix and the root.

Simple Ten Syllable Rules:
The top ten syllable rules will help students improve reading, pronunciation, and spelling accuracy. Applying these syllabication rules will also help readers identify prefixes, roots and affixes, which improves word identification.

1. Every syllable has only one vowel sound. Some syllables have just one vowel; others have two. But even when there are two vowels, there can be only one vowel sound in each syllable, so the two vowels say one sound.
2. When the vowel is at the end of a syllable, it has a long sound. Reading specialists call the Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (VCV) pattern an open syllable.
3. When the vowel is not at the end of a syllable, it has a short sound. Reading specialists call the Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) pattern a closed syllable.
4. Divide syllables between doubled consonants, unless the doubled consonant is part of a syllable that is a base word.
5. Usually keep vowel teams together in the same syllable.
6. Keep the silent final 'e' and the vowel before in the same syllable. The silent final 'e' makes the vowel before a long sound if there is only one consonant in between the vowel and the 'e'.
7. Keep the 'r' - control vowels (ar, er, ir, or and ur) in the same syllable.
8. Keep the consonant - 'le' sounds (ble, cle, dle, fle, gle, and ple) in the same syllable. These syllables have the schwa sound between the consonant and the 'le'. The schwa sound sounds like a nasal short u.
9. All words have one syllable that has a primary accent. The vowel in the accented syllable receives the stress. Words may also have secondary accents. The primary accent is usually found on the vowel in the root, not the prefix or the suffix. Also the syllable before a double conconant is usually accented.
10. Unaccented vowel sounds frequently have the schwa sound, especially when there is only one letter in the syllable. All vowels can have the schwa sound.

1. Every syllable has a vowel.
2. When the vowel is not at the end of a syllable, it has a short sound. The Vowel-Consonant and the Consonant-Vowel-Consonant are called as closed syllables.
3. When the vowel is at the end of a syllable, it has a long sound. The Consonant-Vowel and Consonant-Consonant-Vowel patterns are called as open syllables.
4. Vowel digraphs are paired vowels and have only one vowel sound. Usually keep vowel digraphs in the same syllable.
5. Base words are roots that form complete words. A root is the meaning-based syllable that may or may not connect to prefixes and suffixes.
6. Compound words consist of two or three base words (roots that form complete words). Usually keep the original spelling of the base word in compound words. The spelling rules do not change the spelling of the base words.
7. An incomplete root is the meaning based syllable that connects to prefixes and/or suffixes. Unlike a base word, the incomplete root is not a complete word. Both ending vowels and consonants can change when connecting to other roots and suffixes. Sometimes a vowel or consonant is either added or dropped.
8. Keep the silent final 'e' and the vowel before in the same syllable. the silent final 'e' makes the vowel before a long sound if there is only one consonant in between the vowel and the 'e'.
9. Vowel diphthongs are paired vowels that have two vowel sounds. Like vowel digraphs they stay in the same syllable.
10. Prefixes are meaningful word parts attached to the beginnings of words. More than one prefix can begin a word.
11. Suffixes are word parts attached to the endings of words. They can add meaning to the word or indicate a part of speech. More than one suffix can end a word.
12. Consonant digraphs, such as sh and consonant blend, such as str, stay in the same syllable. The /sh/ consonant digraph frequently changes to another consonant sound between different grammatical forms of the same root.
13. Keep the r-controlled vowels(ar, er, ir, or, ur) in the same syllable.
14. Divide syllables between doubled consonants, unless the doubled consonant is a part of a syllable  included in the base word.
15. Some short vowel sounds change to the soft /uh/ schwa sound with a different grammatical form of the same word.
16. Some long vowel sounds change to the soft /uh/ schwa sound with a different grammatical form of the same word.
17. Some long vowel sounds change to the short vowel sound with a different  grammatical form of the same word.
18. Some silent consonants are pronounced when connected to different grammatical forms of the same root
19. Many Greek and Latin prefixes change their spellings to match the roots to which they attach in order to make pronunciation easier. These 'chameleons' can change either their consonant or vowel spellings.
20. Many Greek and Latin suffixes are morphemes, which means that the word part is meaningful. Other suffixes serve as inflections, which means that the suffix helps change the part of speech, but does not add meaning to the word.