Syllable-forming consonants r, ŕ, l, ĺ
In Slovak, every syllable must contain a vowel or a diphthong:
| mám | one syllable |
| o-tec | two syllables |
| pí-sať | two syllables |
| cvi-če-nie | three syllables |
Beside vowels and diphthongs, the consonants r, ŕ, l, and ĺ can be "syllable-forming".
| stĺp | one syllable |
| vlk | one syllable |
| pr-šať | two syllables |
| vŕ-ba | two syllables |
| ja-bl-ko | three syllables |
| zmrz-li-na | three syllables |