syllabification would be easy; but sometimes two or more vowels are
found either between consonants, or at the beginning or at the end of
a word. When such is the case, intricacies arise, for sometimes the
contiguous vowels are pronounced in a single syllable and sometimes
they are divided into separate syllables.

The contiguous vowels may belong to a single word (see A); or they may
be the final vowel or vowels of one word and the initial vowel or
vowels of a following word or words (see B).

A. _Diphthongization_,--If two contiguous vowels of a single word are
pronounced in but one syllable they form a diphthong, e.g. _hu^esped_.

B. _Synalepha_.--If two or more contiguous vowels belonging to two or
more words are pronounced in a single syllable, they form synalepha.

Ex. _Yo sé^un himno gigante y^extraño_, p. 164, I, l. 1.

Since Spanish verse depends upon a determined number of syllables per
line, _diphthongization_ and _synalepha_ are important factors in
versification.


A. DIPHTHONGIZATION

Mute _h_ between vowels is disregarded and does not prevent
diphthongization, e.g. _a^h^ora_, _re^h^usar_.

The separation of two vowels that are usually united in one syllable
is called _diaeresis_, e.g. _vi|oleta_.