The division of words into syllables for pronunciation is generally, but not always, the same as that which should be followed in case the word has to be divided typographically. As these text-books are intended to help the apprentice as a speaker and writer of English as well as a printer, it is worth while to give some attention to syllabication for pronunciation before proceeding to discuss typographical division.
Two letters forming a diphthong or digraph are not to be separated. Coin-age (oi diphthong) but co-in-ci-dence (oi not a diphthong). Excess (ss digraph, pronounced practically like a single s) gives ex-cess-es, ex-cess-ive, etc. Whether or not the letters thus occurring together form a diphthong or digraph will depend on the derivation of the word, thus in cat-head (verb), a nautical term, th is not a digraph but in ca-the-dral th is a digraph, as is usually the case with these two letters. You would not say cat-hed-ral.
Two vowels, or a vowel and a diphthong, coming together but sounded separately belong to separate syllables.
A-or-ta, co-op-er-ate, but coop-er-age, moi-e-ty.
Do not end a syllable with
(a) c or g when soft, en-ti-cing, but dic-tion, wa-ges but wag-on.
(b) t, s, z, c, sc, g, and d, when followed by i or e giving the sound of sh; ra-tion-al, o-cean, re-gion, as-cen-sion.
(c) d, s, t, and z when followed by u giving the sound of ch, sh, zh, or j, cen-sure, sei-zure, na-ture, ver-dure.
Do not begin a syllable with
(a) x with the sound of ks or gs, anx-ious, ex-act-ly.