The word wholesome is divided into 4 syllables: who·le·so·me. Understanding this syllable division is essential for correct pronunciation and spelling.
The phonetic transcription of wholesome:
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From earlier holesome, from Middle English holsom, holsum, helsum, halsum, from Old English *hālsum, *hǣlsum, from Proto-West Germanic *hailasam, from Proto-Germanic *hailasamaz, equivalent to whole + -some or hale (“healthy”) + -some. Cognate with Saterland Frisian heelsoam, Dutch heilzaam, German Low German heelsaam, German heilsam, Icelandic heilsamur, Norwegian Nynorsk helsesam, Swedish hälsosam (“wholesome”).
Understanding how to break down wholesome into syllables helps with:
Compare wholesome with related words to understand syllable patterns:
| Word | Syllables | Division |
|---|---|---|
| wholesome | 4 | who·le·so·me |
| welcome | 3 | wel-co-me |
| Wilson | 2 | wil-son |
| welkin | 2 | wel-kin |
| Welshman | 1 | welshman |
Explore syllable divisions of words related to wholesome:
wholesome has 4 syllables: who·le·so·me. The word is divided into 4 distinct sound units that make up the complete pronunciation.
The stress is on the first syllable: who. This means you emphasize the "who" part when pronouncing wholesome.
wholesome is pronounced as /ˈhoʊl.səm/ (IPA notation). The syllables are divided as: who·le·so·me.
Breaking wholesome into syllables helps with spelling: who·le·so·me. 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.