For example the word nepotism we break into the syllables nep-o-tism, but we pronounce it like nep-uh-tiz-um.
Edit: So I have a follow up question, why is the m still not considered a separate syllable? There seems to be some kind of separation.
In: Other
To these other people in the comments… **I** say it like “tiz-uhm”, that’s who! I can’t even conceive of a different way *to* say it honestly. I’m from the Philly ‘burbs if it’s a regional thing, so there ya go.
I don’t know anyone that pronounces ‘-tism’ or ‘-ism’ with an extra ‘u’ sound. Not one person.
I have heard it said that way in Southern states. Are you a redneck, OP? Do you pronounce ‘nuclear’ as ‘nu-kyu-lar’?
There isn’t an extra vowel in there.
Say tiz-um out loud, then say ‘tiz-m’. The latter case has a much lower emphasis on the ‘uh’ sound.
A syllable is a unit of pronunciation, so a word can have more or less syllables depending on how the person in question pronounces it. Most words have a standard agreed upon pronunciation, so the amount of syllables can be pretty well measured and documented. This is not always the case though as often different dialects/regions/people pronounce words differently.
Simply put, if you pronounce nepotism “Nep-oh-tis-uhm” there are 4 syllables. If you pronounce it “Nep-oh-tizm” there are 3 syllables.
My [favorite dictionary](https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=nepotism) shows it as four syllables, exactly how you think it should be.
There is a small ‘eum’ sound that exists when you press your lips together to make an M sound while saying s. To prove that to you I would have you record yourself saying the word nepotism and slow the recording way the fuck down until you can hear the vowel clearly.
My guess is that this is more of a regional thing based on how we are taught what is and isn’t a syllable, and that the accepted rule (what the dictionaries agree on) is that this small vowel sound doesn’t warrant being counted as an extra syllable.
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