The Syllable Game: Describing People

suit / elderly / wavy / blonde / prettier / loose
trousers / slim / belt / African / skinny / jewellery
striped / shoulder bag / wedges / straight / comfortable / gold
Hispanic / jacket / baggy / toddler / watch / obese
high / heels / caucasian / glasses / sandles / mascara
expensive / Asian / wear / pendant / make up / teenager

Simone Evans, 2001

Adapted from:

Pronunciation Games

Mark Hancock

Cambridge University Press, 1995

Syllable Game: How to Play

Aim/s: /
  • To raise students awareness of sounds/syllables within words as a precursor to teaching word and sentence stress.
  • To revise vocabulary learnt in class. (This version revises vocabulary from Warmers # W-1 & W-2)

Pre-Class Prep: /
  1. Photocopy one board between 3-4 students. If you photocopy it double-sided, teams who finish quickly can play again.
  2. You need a dice for each group or students can use a dice app on their phone.

Class Set Up: / Groups of 3-4 (3 is better).
Procedure: /
  1. Write on board: table, you're, study, MacDonalds, computer, family, chocolate, strawberry
  2. Point at the first word and say it several times. How many sounds in this word?
  3. Go around the class taking guesses. Say the word more slowly, until everyone is happy with the number of sounds in the word. These sounds are called syllables (write this on the board)
Repeat for the other words. Explain that ‘chocolate’ and ‘family’ have two syllables each because of a silent vowel reduction. NB: American speakers are more likely to pronounce ‘strawberry’ with three syllables while British and Australian speakers would pronounce them with two syllables.
  1. Now we'll play syllable bingo. Draw this on the board. Give each team a bingo board.
  2. Roll the dice. How many syllables do I need? It's a 5, so 2? Hold up the bingo board. Where is a word with 2 syllables? Office? Great
  3. Holding the board and modelling. So I write "S" for Simone on this square. (Each student needs to choose a letter to represent their name.) Pass the dice, now it's your turn.
  4. The winner is the first person to have 4 squares straight, (hold your arm straight), up or diagonal (moving your arm).
  5. Teacher acts as referee when there is a dispute, modelling the words slowly until teams are in agreement on the number of syllables.
  6. Optional: Go back and check each word at the end of the game if students are experiencing problems.

Problems? / Sometimes no one wins if there are teams of 4.
Key: / None.
Extra: / How to calculate the number of syllables (if students ask). Write the word manufacturing on the board and underline every consonant. (You may have to teach 'consonant' and 'vowel ') Then draw arcs between each consonant like this:
manufacturing
The number of arcs is the number of syllables. As a general rule there is a syllable between, before or after each consonant OR consonant cluster. (e.g. engaged)