In Spanish syllables are made up of one (or more consonants) and a vowel:

libro = li-bro
suelo = sue-lo
mucho = mu-cho

There are some small rules to divide syllables in Spanish:

01. The clusters RR and LL are not separated.

tierra = tie-rra
corrida = co-rri-da
calle = ca-lle
olla = o-lla

02. The h never goes at the end of a syllable.

deshacer = des-ha-cer
almohada = al-mo-ha-da
Alhambra = Al-ham-bra

03. Diphthongs and triphthongs are not separated.

historia = his-to-ria
intención = in-ten-ción
estudiáis = es-tu-diáis
Paraguay = Pa-ra-guay

04. Hiatuses are separated.

espontáneo = es-pon-tá-ne-o
alegría = a-le-grí-a
baúl = ba-úl

05. You can’t write a single vowel at the beginning or end of a line, even if it’s a hiatus. So words like avenida and alegría are never written:

a-
venida

alegrí-
a

It’s better to leave the complete word in a line.

06. Words having a prefix can be divided etymologically or according to general rules, so:

inútil = in-ú-til or i-nú-til
malestar = mal-es-tar or ma-les-tar

A little test for you!

Write out the following words separating their syllables. The answers are below (but don’t peek!).

1. bueno
2. montaña
3. abierto
4. río
5. línea
6. reino
7. alcohol
8. sabíais
9. inmediato
10. huellas
11. importancia
12. encerrado
13. ayuntamiento
14. zanahoria
15. ferrocarril
16. innecesario
17. zoológico
18. ultrarrápido
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Answers!

1. bueno = bue-no
2. montaña = mon-ta-ña
3. abierto = a-bier-to
4. río = rí-o
5. línea = lí-ne-a
6. reino = rei-no
7. alcohol = al-co-hol
8. sabíais = sa-bí-ais
9. inmediato = in-me-dia-to
10. huellas = hue-llas
11. importancia = im-por-tan-cia
12. encerrado = en-ce-rra-do
13. ayuntamiento = a-yun-ta-mien-to
14. zanahoria = za-na-ho-ria
15. ferrocarril = fe-rro-ca-rril
16. innecesario – in-ne-ce-sa-rio
17. zoológico = zo-o-ló-gi-co
18. ultrarrápido = ul-tra-rrá-pi-do

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