Year 3 English: Sort by the number of syllables

What are Syllables?

A syllable is a part of a word that has one vowel sound. It can be a whole word or a piece of a word. For example, the word “apple” has two syllables: ap-ple.

How to Count Syllables

1. Clap it Out: Say the word and clap each time you hear a vowel sound.
   • Example: For “banana,” clap three times: ba-na-na.
2. Listen for Sounds: Break the word into sounds. Each sound can help you find a syllable.
   • Example: The word “computer” has three syllables: com-pu-ter.
3. Use a Mirror: If you say a word in front of a mirror, you can see how many times your chin drops. Each drop counts as a syllable!

Sorting by Syllables

When we sort by the number of syllables, we put words in order based on how many syllables they have. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Count the Syllables: Count how many syllables each word has.
2. Write Them Down: Write the words on a piece of paper.
3. Order Them: Put the words in order from the fewest syllables to the most.

Examples

• One Syllable: cat, dog, sun
• Two Syllables: table, happy, water
• Three Syllables: banana, elephant, computer
• Four Syllables: calculator, television

Key Rules & Tips

• Vowel Sounds: Remember, a syllable usually has a vowel sound.
• Practice with Clapping: It can be fun to clap while you say words.
• Group Words Together: When sorting, group words by the same number of syllables first.

Questions

Easy Level Questions

1. How many syllables are in the word “cat”?
2. How many syllables are in the word “apple”?
3. How many syllables are in the word “dog”?
4. How many syllables are in the word “happy”?
5. How many syllables are in the word “water”?
6. How many syllables are in the word “sun”?
7. How many syllables are in the word “table”?
8. How many syllables are in the word “balloon”?
9. How many syllables are in the word “tree”?
10. How many syllables are in the word “baby”?
11. How many syllables are in the word “dinner”?
12. How many syllables are in the word “flower”?
13. How many syllables are in the word “sister”?
14. How many syllables are in the word “fish”?
15. How many syllables are in the word “candy”?
16. How many syllables are in the word “pencil”?
17. How many syllables are in the word “computer”?
18. How many syllables are in the word “teacher”?
19. How many syllables are in the word “window”?
20. How many syllables are in the word “pizza”?

Medium Level Questions

1. How many syllables are in the word “elephant”?
2. How many syllables are in the word “banana”?
3. How many syllables are in the word “chocolate”?
4. How many syllables are in the word “television”?
5. How many syllables are in the word “butterfly”?
6. How many syllables are in the word “family”?
7. How many syllables are in the word “unicorn”?
8. How many syllables are in the word “octopus”?
9. How many syllables are in the word “adventure”?
10. How many syllables are in the word “unhappy”?
11. How many syllables are in the word “wonderful”?
12. How many syllables are in the word “chicken”?
13. How many syllables are in the word “together”?
14. How many syllables are in the word “impossible”?
15. How many syllables are in the word “beautiful”?
16. How many syllables are in the word “potato”?
17. How many syllables are in the word “umbrella”?
18. How many syllables are in the word “congratulations”?
19. How many syllables are in the word “refrigerator”?
20. How many syllables are in the word “calculator”?

Hard Level Questions

1. How many syllables are in the word “extraordinary”?
2. How many syllables are in the word “unbelievable”?
3. How many syllables are in the word “independent”?
4. How many syllables are in the word “intelligent”?
5. How many syllables are in the word “congratulations”?
6. How many syllables are in the word “mathematics”?
7. How many syllables are in the word “disappointment”?
8. How many syllables are in the word “information”?
9. How many syllables are in the word “university”?
10. How many syllables are in the word “revolutionary”?
11. How many syllables are in the word “environmental”?
12. How many syllables are in the word “extraordinary”?
13. How many syllables are in the word “acceleration”?
14. How many syllables are in the word “concentration”?
15. How many syllables are in the word “communication”?
16. How many syllables are in the word “imagination”?
17. How many syllables are in the word “determination”?
18. How many syllables are in the word “characteristic”?
19. How many syllables are in the word “responsibility”?
20. How many syllables are in the word “uncontrollable”?

Answers

Easy Level Answers

1. 1 syllable
2. 2 syllables
3. 1 syllable
4. 2 syllables
5. 2 syllables
6. 1 syllable
7. 2 syllables
8. 2 syllables
9. 1 syllable
10. 2 syllables
11. 2 syllables
12. 2 syllables
13. 2 syllables
14. 1 syllable
15. 2 syllables
16. 2 syllables
17. 3 syllables
18. 2 syllables
19. 2 syllables
20. 2 syllables

Medium Level Answers

1. 3 syllables
2. 3 syllables
3. 3 syllables
4. 4 syllables
5. 3 syllables
6. 3 syllables
7. 3 syllables
8. 3 syllables
9. 3 syllables
10. 3 syllables
11. 3 syllables
12. 2 syllables
13. 3 syllables
14. 4 syllables
15. 3 syllables
16. 3 syllables
17. 3 syllables
18. 6 syllables
19. 5 syllables
20. 4 syllables

Hard Level Answers

1. 6 syllables
2. 6 syllables
3. 5 syllables
4. 4 syllables
5. 6 syllables
6. 4 syllables
7. 4 syllables
8. 4 syllables
9. 5 syllables
10. 6 syllables
11. 6 syllables
12. 6 syllables
13. 5 syllables
14. 4 syllables
15. 6 syllables
16. 5 syllables
17. 6 syllables
18. 6 syllables
19. 6 syllables
20. 6 syllables

Now you can practice counting and sorting syllables! Have fun!