How Many Syllables In Phosphorus?
3syllables
Phosphorus has 3 syllables, phos-phor-us. It is a trisyllabic word.
phosphorus
/ˈfɒs.fər.əs/ UK /ˈfɑːs.fɚ.əs/ US
Stress
The main stress falls on the first syllable, phos.
Syllable Structure
CVC/CVC/VC
Division By Sound
/fɒs.fər.əs/
Division By Letters
phos-phor-us
A spelling guide that follows the sound division.
Tree Diagram Of Phosphorus
S syllable, O onset, R rime, P peak, C coda, Ø no coda.
Parts Of Each Syllable
| Syllable | Onset | Peak | Coda | Pattern | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 primary stress | f | ɒ | s | CVC | closed |
| 2 | f | ə | r | CVC | closed |
| 3 | – | ə | s | VC | closed |
Why Phosphorus Divides Here
- Syllable 1 is stressed and has the short vowel /ɒ/, so it keeps a coda /s/.
- Syllable 2 ends in /r/ because the next syllable cannot take it as an onset here.
Questions Students Ask
How many syllables are in phosphorus?
Phosphorus has 3 syllables, phos-phor-us. In British English it is transcribed /ˈfɒs.fər.əs/.
Which syllable is stressed in phosphorus?
The first syllable, phos, carries the main stress.
What is the syllable structure of phosphorus?
Phosphorus has the structure CVC/CVC/VC, where C is a consonant sound and V is a vowel sound.
How do you divide phosphorus into syllables?
By sound, fɒs.fər.əs. By letters, as a spelling guide, phos-phor-us.