Confused by the word absence. Syllable counting question.

Forums: Syllables, Pronounciation, Grammar
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Writing a haiku and came to a problem.

To me? Absence should be two syllables as in ab-səns.

M-W.com has two syllables: [ab·sence]
But dictionary.com has three syllables: [ab-suh ns]. I can understand that giving certain accents and regional pronunciations.

Syllable counter has "by their absence" at three syllables (the starting bit of confusion for me that sent me on this minor word journey). Really doesn't make any sense. How would one say that word in one syllable? Never had a problem with this site before. Seems like a very existential glitch.

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View best answer, chosen by tsarstepan

I agree with Howmanysyllables.com, which says:

absence

How many syllables in absence? 2 syllables

Divide absence into syllables: ab-sence
Stressed syllable in absence: ab-sence
How to pronounce absence: ab-sens

https://www.howmanysyllables.com/words/absence

https://www.howmanysyllables.com/pronounce/absence.mp3

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I could imagine that three syllables are reasoned when looking at the Latin origin of the word: ab-sen-tia.

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@centrox,

This didn't copy well:

Stressed syllable in absence: ab-sence

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@centrox,

Went with a cleaner, slightly more abstract in my haiku post:

Quote:

and see only dust
streak through the children's bedroom
hallowed by absence.

Though, hallowed can be stretched to 3 syllables depending....

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@tsarstepan,

If you need to consult a dictionary to count syllables for haiku next time you visit dictionary.com to look up

absence
[ab-suh ns]

note that the expression in square brackets to which you refer provides a guide to pronunciation.

Underneath that line is a box labelled Syllables

When you click on that tab the word "absence" is shown split into its syllables viz. ab·sence

Then you count the number of syllables that the word has been divided into.

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@ekename,

ekename wrote:

If you need to consult a dictionary to count syllables for haiku next time you visit dictionary.com to look up

absence
[ab-suh ns]

note that the expression in square brackets to which you refer provides a guide to pronunciation.

Underneath that line is a box labelled Syllables

When you click on that tab the word "absence" is shown split into its syllables viz. ab·sence

Then you count the number of syllables that the word has been divided into.

I did exactly that (all that is stated in the OP). That's where the problem lies. Different dictionaries are providing different answers. Ultimately, I went with the answer that allowed me to write the line I wanted to use.

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I'm a bit puzzled. If you want to know how many syllables a word has, why not just pronounce it, either out loud or in your head?

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@centrox,

I do. I was just being a nitpicking ninny as I look these things up in case I might be pronouncing these things wrong.

Eventually, that's how I inevitably decide these things.

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@tsarstepan,

Quote:

But dictionary.com has three syllables: [ab-suh ns]. I can understand that giving certain accents and regional pronunciations.

I said:

" absence
[ab-suh ns]

note that the expression in square brackets to which you refer provides a guide to pronunciation.

Underneath that line is a box labelled Syllables

When you click on that tab the word "absence" is shown split into its syllables viz. ab·sence "

Quote:

I did exactly that (all that is stated in the OP). That's where the problem lies. Different dictionaries are providing different answers. U

On the contrary, that is exactly what you didn't do otherwise you would know that dictionary.com shows that absence has two syllables.

What you did was look at the pronunciation guide.

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