Is “layer” one or two syllables?
“layer” has 1 or 2 syllables, depending on how you say it. Most dictionaries count 2. LAY-er (2) vs LAIR (1).
Every pronunciation, counted
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAY-er | /ˈleɪ.ɚ/ | l ey · er | 2 | CMU dictionary |
| LAIR | /ˈlɛɹ/ | l eh r | 1 | Wiktionary |
Syllables are shown in ARPAbet (the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary's phoneme alphabet). Respellings put the stressed syllable in capitals.
Why the count varies
Smoothing before r. A diphthong followed by r (fire, hour, our) is heard either as one syllable with a glide, /faɪr/, or as two, /ˈfaɪ.ər/. Dictionaries write /faɪə/ or /ˈfī(-ə)r/ to cover both, which is why the count is argued about.
What the dictionaries say
- Cambridge (UK) /ˈleɪ.ə(r)/
- Cambridge (US) /ˈleɪ.ɚ/, /ˈleɪ·ər/
- Wiktionary /ˈleɪ̯ɚ/ (GA), [ˈleɪ̯ɚ] (GA), [ˈleɪ̯ɹ̩] (GA), /ˈlɛɹ/
For haiku, sonnets and song lyrics
For haiku, sonnets and other syllable-counted verse, 'layer' is safest as 2 syllables, the count most dictionaries give. Poets have also used it as 1 syllable; either scans if the line is read naturally, but say which you mean if the count matters (haiku judges usually accept the dictionary count).
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Pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, checked against Cambridge Dictionary and Wiktionary transcriptions. Hyphenation from the hyph_en_US patterns.