7. Every Latin word has as many syllables as it has vowels or diphthongs.
a-ci-ē
mo-nē
fī-li-us
fe-rō-ci-tā-te
a. In the division of words into syllables a single consonant (including consonant i and v) between two vowels is written and pronounced with the following vowel. Doubled consonants are separated.
pa-ter
mī-li-tēs
in-iū-ri-a
dī-vi-dō
mit-tō
tol-lō
Note 1— Some extend the rule for single consonants to any consonant group (as sp, st, gn) that can begin a word. In this book, dīx-it, sax-um, etc. are preferred to dī-xit, sa-xum; the pronunciation was probably dīc-sit, sac-sum.
Note 2— A syllable ending with a vowel or diphthong is called open; all others are called close. Thus in pa-ter the first syllable is open, the second close.
b. In compounds the parts are separated.
ab-est
ob-lātus
dis-cernō
du-plex
dī-stō
