How to Read Two-Syllable Words (and Why It Matters)
- Kate Baker
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
Can your child read words like beach, card, or said, but suddenly freezes at words like action, surprise, or smiling?
👉 Short on time? Skip straight to the explanation of how to read two-syllable words.
Learning to read two-syllable words is often an overlooked step in early reading development. It’s also where many children with dyslexia or reading difficulties start to lose confidence. I see how this impacts children every week in my reading support sessions.
Why two-syllable words are harder than they look
It still surprises me how many beginner reading books include two-syllable words on the very first page.
Words like happy, smiling, or open don’t look intimidating to adults. But for a child who is still building decoding skills, they can feel impossible.
Take the word smiling. To read it accurately, a child needs to:
Blend two consonants together at the start (sm) - something many readers find tricky
Know where to split the word into syllables so the vowel i makes the correct sound
Understand that ng works together to make one sound
That’s three separate reading skills packed into one “easy” word.
I’ve lost count of how many times a child has looked at a word like this, guessed, and then quietly said, “I can't do this". It's not true that they can't - they just haven’t had enough explicit instruction on how to read two-syllable words yet.
▶️ Want a child-friendly video explaining syllables? Watch here
Dyslexic learners need explicit instruction
One of the key lessons I've learned through supporting dyslexic learners is:
Reading struggles usually come from skills being assumed, instead of explicitly taught.
When children are asked to read longer words without being taught how, reading starts to feel unsafe.
That’s why effective reading instruction needs to:
Break learning tasks into small steps
Practice skills in a clear, predictable sequence
Protect confidence at every stage
When those pieces are in place, something amazing happens - children stop guessing and start reading.
Why Workbook 4 focuses on two-syllable words
This exact issue is what led to Workbook 4 in the Reading Skills series. After countless chats with parents and children (and months of writing, testing, and editing) this next workbook in the Reading Skills series is officially in production!
The focus?
👉 How to accurately read two-syllable words like:
smiling
action
triggered
surprised
Workbook 4 builds directly on the skills taught in Workbooks 1–3 and introduces longer words in a way that feels manageable, logical, and confidence-boosting.
It teaches children how to accurately decode longer words.
📘 Check out the Reading Skills Series 🔗
Curious about what's inside? Watch this quick flick through.
How to read two-syllable words
So, how do children learn to read two-syllable words without guessing? The first step is this:
Children must be explicitly taught how to break longer words into readable parts.
Words are made of beats, we call these beats syllables. You can count the number of syllables in a word by clapping as you say the word or by placing your hand under your chin as you speak and counting the drops.
Pear = 1 syllable
Apple = 2 syllables
Banana = 3 syllables
Each syllable must have a vowel or a vowel sound. We need to teach children to find these first, then divide the word following these two general rules:
Always divide double consonants (e.g. kitten = kit/ten)
Try to start the second syllable with a consonant (e.g. smiling = smi/ling)
If the vowel in the first syllable is the last letter, it will say its name (e.g. smi/ling), whereas if another consonant follows that vowel it will say its sound (e.g. kit/ten). Let's look at some more examples:
Open Vowels | Closed Vowels |
Hoping | Hopping |
Music | Runner |
Paper | Sunset |
Gamer | Toffee |
Following these rules empowers a child to accurately break words into their syllables, allowing for fluent reading. That sense of “I know what to do” is what rebuilds confidence.
See if your child can follow the rules to break and read these words:
moment
beside
turtle
If they struggle, consider trying Workbook 4 from the Reading Skills series. Created by a qualified teacher and filled with evidence-based activities to boost reading skills and confidence. If your child is struggling to read at age-level, acting quickly can make all the difference.
📘 Check out the Workbook 4 🔗
Comments