The word spire is divided into 2 syllables: spi·re. Understanding this syllable division is essential for correct pronunciation and spelling.
The phonetic transcription of spire:
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From Middle English spire, spyre, spier, spir, from Old English spīr, from Proto-Germanic *spīrō, *spīrǭ (“peak; point; tip; stalk”). Cognate with Dutch spier, German Low German Spier, German Spier, Spiere, Danish spir, Norwegian spir and spire, Swedish spira, Icelandic spíra. From Old French spirer, and its source, Latin spīrō (“to breathe”). From Middle French spire. From Latin spira, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra). From Old Norse spíra (stem, pipe; little tree).
Understanding how to break down spire into syllables helps with:
Compare spire with related words to understand syllable patterns:
| Word | Syllables | Division |
|---|---|---|
| spire | 2 | spi·re |
| Shakespeare | 4 | sha-ke-spea-re |
| sapphire | 2 | sapphi-re |
| Speer | 2 | spe-er |
| spry | 1 | spry |
Explore syllable divisions of words related to spire:
spire has 2 syllables: spi·re. The word is divided into 2 distinct sound units that make up the complete pronunciation.
The stress is on the first syllable: spi. This means you emphasize the "spi" part when pronouncing spire.
spire is pronounced as /spaɪə/ (IPA notation). The syllables are divided as: spi·re.
Breaking spire into syllables helps with spelling: spi·re. By pronouncing each syllable separately, you can identify the letters more easily and avoid common spelling mistakes.
Learning syllable division helps with correct pronunciation, improved spelling, better reading fluency, and is useful for poetry and lyric writing where syllable counting matters. It's especially helpful for language learners.