Definitely

How many syllables are in the word Definitely? My daughters English teacher says there is only 2 and took off points on her paper. This is the only thing that prevented her from making 100. She even showed her the word in the dictionary and the teacher said there was only 3 dots dividing the word so maybe there was 3 syllables.
So tell me, how many syllables are in Definitely?

 

I was taught to count how many times your chin went down to determine syllables. Weird I remember that from Elementary School. Maybe your daughter's teacher could try it?

 

Four is the correct number given there are three divisions according to the dictionary

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861603349

def · i · nite · ly
1st 2nd 3rd 4th

 

i say 4, maybe the teacher needs a few classes :shock:

 

That's scary! I mispelled it earlier today on here, but it "definitely" has 4!

What is she thinking?? :?

 

Kind of reminds me of Dan Quayle


My mind is focused on politics tonight

 

I still do the clap method I taught my elementary kids...my high schoolers think I'm crazy, but they can count syllables!

 

I was gonna say that pirategirl!!

I got 4 claps so it should be 4 :lol:

 

I counted 4 too.. don't get how Websters gets 3 even...

 

According to my English Teacher's Book, the way to determine how many syllables a word has is by listening for vowel SOUNDS. (not how many vowels, but vowel sounds)

Using this method, definitely has 4.

 

4. Print this topic and take it to the teacher. To be sure you can have this grade overturned.

 

The teacher could not even read the dictionary correctly,

so I doubt if it will be settled without some intervention.

Use the teacher's own dictionary and count out the syllables for her if necessary...

1st syllable DOT 2nd syllable DOT 3rd syllable DOT 4th syllable

Thus she may be abel to see there are four syllables if there are three dots dividing the word according to the dictionary.

 

As I said, this should be easy to everturn the grade.

 

Yeah, because the people on 4042 said so! :lol:

 

I get 4... can't even pronounce it with 2. :?

 

How in the world did the teacher get 2 out of that? It's four.

I tried saying it with two and it sounded like I was studdering.

 

Here's the resident writer chiming in.....

The word has 4, no question. Your daughter needs to challenge the grade to the teacher, polietly of course. If that doesn't work, a phone call from you should. If that doesn't work, go talk to the principal. But I'd give the teacher a chance to redeem herself first.

 

Since you were so interested in typos, I knew you would want this error corrected as well :wink:

 

If the child said there are 3 syllables, she is still wrong.

 

I think the teacher was saying that the kid was still wrong regardless if she said 4, because according to the dots, there could be no more than 3.