Latin Syllables

There are a few basic points you need to know in order to be able to divide Latin words into syllables.

1. The number of syllables = the number of vowels/diphthongs. For example, Caesar contains 1 vowel and one diphthong, so there are 2 syllables: Cae-sar. There are no silent vowels in Latin.
2. The Latin diphthongs are ae, au, ei, eu, oe, and ui.
3. The Latin syllable divides between consonants or after a vowel and before a consonant. For example, mitto has two vowels and therefore two syllables. Mitto has a double consonant, so the syllable is divided between the ts: mit-to.
4. Stress is normally on the penultimate (second to last) syllable if it is long and on the one before (the antepenultimate), otherwise. if you look up "amicus" in a Latin dictionary, there will be a long mark or macron on the "i". That means the "i" is long and so the syllable is stressed. If there is a diphthong in the penultimate syllable or it is followed by two consonants, it is generally counted as long and therefore stressed.