How many syllables in “microwave”?
“microwave” has 3 syllables: mi·cro·wave
IPA
/ˈmaɪ.kɹə.ˌweɪv/
Stress
MI-cro-wave (pattern 1-0-2)
Division
mi·cro·wave
Pronunciation
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI-cro-wave | /ˈmaɪ.kɹə.ˌweɪv/ | m ay · k r ah · w ey v | 3 | CMU dictionary |
Syllables are shown in ARPAbet (the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary's phoneme alphabet). Respellings put the stressed syllable in capitals.
Syllables vs. morphemes
Syllables (3)
mi·cro·wave
Morphemes (2)
micro- + wave
The syllable breaks of microwave (mi·cro·wave) line up with its morphemes (micro- + wave): every morpheme boundary is also a syllable boundary, so the word divides the same way for a syllable count and for a morphology exercise.
Count syllables in your own text
Paste a line or a whole poem: syllables, stress, IPA and meter, free and in your browser.
Open the syllable counter →Pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Hyphenation from the hyph_en_US patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many syllables are in "microwave"?
"microwave" has three syllables: mi·cro·wave.
How do you divide "microwave" into syllables?
mi·cro·wave. The syllable breaks of microwave (mi·cro·wave) line up with its morphemes (micro- + wave): every morpheme boundary is also a syllable boundary, so the word divides the same way for a syllable count and for a morphology exercise.
Is this syllable counter free?
Yes. The Fixie syllable counter is free, needs no signup, and runs in your browser; paste any text to count syllables, see stress and IPA.