Greetings,

I dont know why most online sources ignore this very basic and important issue. It is critical to correct pronounciation.

A syllable is a sound that is generated with one movement of our mouth. In Turkish, the number of syllables equalls to the number of vowels in a word. Notice that we have eight vowels in our alphabet (a,e,ı,i,o,ö,u,ü).

For instance, the word İstanbul has three vowels. Therefore it has three syllables:

İstanbul > İs-tan-bul

The word 'Ali' has two vowels (therefore two syllables and therefore two sounds): A-li

'Mehmet' has two syllables: Meh-met

There are certain rules for syllabling. For instance, the syllables for 'okul' are 'o-kul' but the syllables for 'okula' are 'o-ku-la'.

Smillarly, the syllables for İstanbul'a are 'İs-tan-bu-la'. Notice that we avoid a vowel at the beginning of a syllable with the exception of words that start with a vowel.

We would pronounce Mehmet'e as 'meh-me-te', breaking down the proper noun for the sake of correct syllabling. Pronouncing as 'meh-met-e" would be incorrect.

All Turkish words are pronounced according the rules below. Obviously native speakers don't learn the grammar rules before talking. They just do it naturally.

If you learn the syllabling rules and you know the sounds of letters you can pronounce any Turkish word correctly.

These are the rules:
1. each syllable must have one and only one vowel(vowels:a,e,ı,i,o,ö,u,ü).
de niz de
yü zü yo rum

2. whenever it is possible consonants precede vowels and a vowel doesnt start a syllable. Obviously if the first letter is a vowel it's impossible to avoid it. Any vowel that isnt the first letter of a word should never begin a syllable.
ev im de > incorrect because the bold one
e vim de > correct

ok ul da > incorrect
o kul da > correct

İst an bul > incorrect
İs tan bul > correct

ark ad aş > incorrect
ar ka daş > correct

3. When there are two consonants next to each other one belongs to the preceding and the other to the following syllable.
İ stan bul > incorrect
İs tan bul > correct
With three consonants it is two to one; two on the first syllable and one on the next syllable.
Example:
se vin çten > incorrect
se vinç ten > correct

4. These are all syllable types available in Turkish:
a. single vowel syllables (as shown in bold)
e - rik, a-rı, u- yan.
b. vovel-consonant syllables:
el- ma, or - du, ül- ke.
c. vowel-consonant-consonant syllables:
ilk, üst, art,
d. consonant-vowel syllables:
el - ma, ar - ka- daş, gör-gü
e. consonant-vowel-consonant syllables:
bil-dik, yal–nız-lık
f. consonant-vovew-consonant-consonant syllables
Türk, kurt, sarp, se-vinç

Check the exercises available in last posts. Each exercise consists of a few words. If you get an exercise right you get a bonus. If you get three bonuses I will include your name in the list below. Certainly it's for non-native speakers only. Cheers.

Syllabling Masters
1. evilhermit
2. Nightingale
3. bod
4. nuttheadd
5. slavica
6. bliss
7. sophie
8. Aslan
9. Mella
10. tabard
11.

Daydreamer 1 bonus
Deli Kızın 2 bonuses

example:
Yeni kelimeler öğreniyorum.
Ye ni ke li me ler öğ re ni yo rum.

Now its your turn to try. Copy and paste to make it easier.

Exercise 1:
Ben Türkçe konuşmayı çok seviyorum.

Exercise 2:
Acaba sen Türkçe konuşmak istiyor musun?

Exercise 3:
Çok okumak ve konuşmak lazım.

Exercise 1:
Ben Türkçe konuşmayı çok seviyorum.
Ben Türk çe ko nuş ma yı çok se vi yo rum

Exercise 2:
Acaba sen Türkçe konuşmak istiyor musun?
A ca ba sen Türk çe ko nuş mak is ti yor mu sun

Exercise 3:
Çok okumak ve konuşmak lazım.
Çok ok u mak ve ko nuş mak la zım

evilhermit,
very good. You got two of them right.

Number three is still waiting for correct answer.

exercise 3:
Çok okumak ve konuşmak lazım.

exercise 4:
Ben Türkiye'ye gitmek istiyorum.

exercise 5:
Türkiye yazın çok sıcak oluyor.

#3: çok okumak ve konuşmak lasim
çok o ku mak ve ko nuş mak la zim


exercise 4:
Ben Türkiye'ye gitmek istiyorum.
Ben Tür ki ye gıt mek is ti yo rum

exercise 5:
Türkiye yazın çok sıcak oluyor.
Tür ki ye ya zın çok sı cak o lu yor

evilhermit,
perfect. You are our first master.

Others can try these:

exercise 4:
Ben Türkiye'ye gitmek istiyorum.

exercise 6:
Oya oyun oynamaya gitti.

exercise 7:
Bu okul öteki okula çok benziyor.

yes..I read messages and I think she is good at Turkish language..Congratulations!...

Thank you freshman,
and thanks, erdinc. This is a great idea and helpful excercise.


Now someone please do the rest so I can check myself against them

exercise 4:
Ben Türkiye'ye gitmek istiyorum.
Ben Tür-ki-ye-ye git-mek i-sti-yor-um

exercise 6:
Oya oyun oynamaya gitti.
O-ya o-yun oy-na-ma-ya git-ti

exercise 7:
Bu okul öteki okula çok benziyor.
Bu o-kul ö-te-ki o-ku-la çok ben-zi-yor