How many syllables in “representative”?
“representative” has 5 syllables: rep·re·sen·ta·tive
IPA
/ˌɹɛ.pɹə.ˈzɛn.tə.tɪv/
Stress
rep-re-SEN-ta-tive (pattern 2-0-1-0-0)
Division
rep·re·sen·ta·tive
Pronunciation
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rep-re-SEN-ta-tive | /ˌɹɛ.pɹə.ˈzɛn.tə.tɪv/ | r eh · p r ah · z eh n · t ah · t ih v | 5 | 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 (5)
rep·re·sen·ta·tive
Morphemes (2)
represent + -ative
The syllables of representative (rep·re·sen·ta·tive) do not line up with its morphemes (represent + -ative): the syllable “ta” contains letters from two different morphemes. Syllables follow sound and spelling rules; morphemes follow meaning, so the two kinds of boundary need not agree.
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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 "representative"?
"representative" has five syllables: rep·re·sen·ta·tive.
How do you divide "representative" into syllables?
rep·re·sen·ta·tive. The syllables of representative (rep·re·sen·ta·tive) do not line up with its morphemes (represent + -ative): the syllable “ta” contains letters from two different morphemes. Syllables follow sound and spelling rules; morphemes follow meaning, so the two kinds of boundary need not agree.
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.