The word decline is divided into 3 syllables: de·cli·ne. Understanding this syllable division is essential for correct pronunciation and spelling.
The phonetic transcription of decline:
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From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from de (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English: The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon. All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French...
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decline has 3 syllables: de·cli·ne. The word is divided into 3 distinct sound units that make up the complete pronunciation.
The stress is on the first syllable: de. This means you emphasize the "de" part when pronouncing decline.
decline is pronounced as /dɪˈklaɪn/ (IPA notation). The syllables are divided as: de·cli·ne.
Breaking decline into syllables helps with spelling: de·cli·ne. 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.