Syllable Count In Python

Question

I need to write a function that will read syllables in a word (for example, HAIRY is 2 syllables). I have my code shown on the bottom and I'm confident it works in most cases, because it works with every other test I've done, but not with "HAIRY" where it only reads as 1 syllable.

def syllable_count(word):
    count = 0
    vowels = "aeiouy"
    if word[0] in vowels:
        count += 1
    for index in range(1, len(word)):
        if word[index] in vowels and word[index - 1] not in vowels:
            count += 1
            if word.endswith("e"):
                count -= 1
    if count == 0:
        count += 1
    return count

---

TEST

print(syllable_count("HAIRY"))

Expected: 2

Received: 1

Answer 1

The problem is that you're giving it an uppercase string, but you only compare to lowercase values. This can be fixed by adding word = word.lower() to the start of your function.

def syllable_count(word):
    word = word.lower()
    count = 0
    vowels = "aeiouy"
    if word[0] in vowels:
        count += 1
    for index in range(1, len(word)):
        if word[index] in vowels and word[index - 1] not in vowels:
            count += 1
    if word.endswith("e"):
        count -= 1
    if count == 0:
        count += 1
    return count

print(syllable_count('HAIRY'))  # prints "2"

Answer 2

There are certain rules for syllable detection, you can view the rules from the website: Counting Syllables in the English Language Using Python

Here's the python code:

import re
def sylco(word) :
    word = word.lower()

    # exception_add are words that need extra syllables
    # exception_del are words that need less syllables

    exception_add = ['serious','crucial']
    exception_del = ['fortunately','unfortunately']

    co_one = ['cool','coach','coat','coal','count','coin','coarse','coup','coif','cook','coign','coiffe','coof','court']
    co_two = ['coapt','coed','coinci']

    pre_one = ['preach']

    syls = 0 #added syllable number
    disc = 0 #discarded syllable number

    #1) if letters < 3 : return 1
    if len(word) <= 3 :
        syls = 1
        return syls

    #2) if doesn't end with "ted" or "tes" or "ses" or "ied" or "ies", discard "es" and "ed" at the end.
    # if it has only 1 vowel or 1 set of consecutive vowels, discard. (like "speed", "fled" etc.)

    if word[-2:] == "es" or word[-2:] == "ed" :
        doubleAndtripple_1 = len(re.findall(r'[eaoui][eaoui]',word))
        if doubleAndtripple_1 > 1 or len(re.findall(r'[eaoui][^eaoui]',word)) > 1 :
            if word[-3:] == "ted" or word[-3:] == "tes" or word[-3:] == "ses" or word[-3:] == "ied" or word[-3:] == "ies" :
                pass
            else :
                disc+=1

    #3) discard trailing "e", except where ending is "le"  

    le_except = ['whole','mobile','pole','male','female','hale','pale','tale','sale','aisle','whale','while']

    if word[-1:] == "e" :
        if word[-2:] == "le" and word not in le_except :
            pass

        else :
            disc+=1

    #4) check if consecutive vowels exists, triplets or pairs, count them as one.

    doubleAndtripple = len(re.findall(r'[eaoui][eaoui]',word))
    tripple = len(re.findall(r'[eaoui][eaoui][eaoui]',word))
    disc+=doubleAndtripple + tripple

    #5) count remaining vowels in word.
    numVowels = len(re.findall(r'[eaoui]',word))

    #6) add one if starts with "mc"
    if word[:2] == "mc" :
        syls+=1

    #7) add one if ends with "y" but is not surrouned by vowel
    if word[-1:] == "y" and word[-2] not in "aeoui" :
        syls +=1

    #8) add one if "y" is surrounded by non-vowels and is not in the last word.

    for i,j in enumerate(word) :
        if j == "y" :
            if (i != 0) and (i != len(word)-1) :
                if word[i-1] not in "aeoui" and word[i+1] not in "aeoui" :
                    syls+=1

    #9) if starts with "tri-" or "bi-" and is followed by a vowel, add one.

    if word[:3] == "tri" and word[3] in "aeoui" :
        syls+=1

    if word[:2] == "bi" and word[2] in "aeoui" :
        syls+=1

    #10) if ends with "-ian", should be counted as two syllables, except for "-tian" and "-cian"

    if word[-3:] == "ian" : 
    #and (word[-4:] != "cian" or word[-4:] != "tian") :
        if word[-4:] == "cian" or word[-4:] == "tian" :
            pass
        else :
            syls+=1

    #11) if starts with "co-" and is followed by a vowel, check if exists in the double syllable dictionary, if not, check if in single dictionary and act accordingly.

    if word[:2] == "co" and word[2] in 'eaoui' :

        if word[:4] in co_two or word[:5] in co_two or word[:6] in co_two :
            syls+=1
        elif word[:4] in co_one or word[:5] in co_one or word[:6] in co_one :
            pass
        else :
            syls+=1

    #12) if starts with "pre-" and is followed by a vowel, check if exists in the double syllable dictionary, if not, check if in single dictionary and act accordingly.

    if word[:3] == "pre" and word[3] in 'eaoui' :
        if word[:6] in pre_one :
            pass
        else :
            syls+=1

    #13) check for "-n't" and cross match with dictionary to add syllable.

    negative = ["doesn't", "isn't", "shouldn't", "couldn't","wouldn't"]

    if word[-3:] == "n't" :
        if word in negative :
            syls+=1
        else :
            pass   

    #14) Handling the exceptional words.

    if word in exception_del :
        disc+=1

    if word in exception_add :
        syls+=1     

    # calculate the output
    return numVowels - disc + syls