Word Division Rules
October 25, 2025
✍️ WORD DIVISION RULES
(Žodžių kėlimo taisyklės)
🧠 Introduction
In English writing, words should not be divided or moved to a new line if it can be avoided.
When it’s necessary to divide a word, follow the rules below.
1️⃣ One-syllable words
Never divide one-syllable words.
come, give, have, loved, takes
2️⃣ Double consonants
Divide between the double consonants.
ber-ry, let-ter, pil-low, run-ning
3️⃣ Two consonants side by side
Divide between the consonants when each belongs to a different syllable.
cor-ner, gar-den, pen-cil, sil-ver
4️⃣ Two letters for one sound
Do not divide letters that make one sound.
au-thor, ca-shier, tick-et
5️⃣ One consonant after a short vowel
Keep the consonant in the same syllable.
cin-e-ma, fam-i-ly, sev-en
6️⃣ One consonant after a long vowel or diphthong
Move the consonant to the next syllable.
dir-ty, po-em, so-fa, wea-ther
7️⃣ Prefixes and suffixes
Separate prefixes and suffixes from the root of the word.
be-au-ti-ful, dis-ap-pear, feel-ing, leaf-less, re-use, un-like, un-done
✅ These are the traditional English word division rules used in writing and printing.
⚠️ In modern digital writing, such as on computers or the web, word division is automatic — but it remains important in publishing.
Exercises
Exercise 1Identify the Rule
Match each example to the correct word division rule.
- cin-e-ma
- cor-ner
- tick-et
- dis-ap-pear
- ber-ry
Rules:
- (a) One consonant after a short vowel
- (b) Two consonants side by side
- (c) Two letters for one sound
- (d) Prefix or suffix separation
- (e) Double consonants
Exercise 2True or False
Mark True (T) or False (F).
- One-syllable words can be divided.
- The word “beau-ti-ful” is divided correctly.
- The word “au-thor” can be divided between a and u.
- The rule says “running” is divided as run-ning.
- “Cinema” should be divided as ci-ne-ma.
Exercise 3Complete the Words
Add hyphens where necessary according to the rules.
- beautiful → ____
- pillow → ____
- author → ____
- dirty → ____
- family → ____
Exercise 4Find the Mistake
Find and correct the wrong divisions.
- au-th-or
- fami-ly
- dir-ty
- gar-den
- unli-ke
Exercise 5Choose the Correct Division
Choose the correct way to divide the words.
-
weather →
- (a) we-ath-er
- (b) wea-ther
-
letter →
- (a) let-ter
- (b) le-tter
-
garden →
- (a) gar-den
- (b) garde-n
-
disappear →
- (a) dis-ap-pear
- (b) disa-ppear
Exercise 6Match Examples with Categories
Match each example to the rule.
| Example | Category |
|---|---|
| be-au-ti-ful | Prefix or suffix |
| cor-ner | Two consonants side by side |
| au-thor | Two letters for one sound |
| run-ning | Double consonants |
| cin-e-ma | One consonant after a short vowel |
Exercise 7Word Classification
Put the following words into two columns: Can be divided / Cannot be divided
| Words |
|---|
| have, letter, pillow, garden, come, silver, running, cash, author |
Exercise 8Complete Sentences
Fill in the blanks with the correct word division rule.
- The word “berry” has ____ consonants.
- “Corner” divides between ____.
- “Beautiful” has a ____ at the beginning.
- “Author” should not be divided because ____.
- “Cinema” keeps the consonant with the ____ vowel.
Exercise 9Create Examples
Write two new examples for each rule of word division.
Exercise 10Creative Task
Imagine you are designing a printed book.
Explain why correct word division matters for good page layout and readability (4–5 sentences).