Italian words are divided into syllables as follows:

A single consonant goes with the following vowel.

Italian	English
ca–sa	house
po–si–ti–vo	positive

Double consonants are divided.

Italian	English
bab–bo	dad
ros–so	red
bel–lo	beautiful
at–to	act

Two consonants, the first of which is l, m, n, or r, are divided.

Italian	English
al–ber–go	hotel
con–ten–to	contented
am–pio	ample
for–tu–na	fortune

Otherwise, a combination of two consonants belongs to the following syllable.

Italian	English
ba–sta	enough
fi–glio	son
pa–dre	father
ba–gno	bath
so–pra	above
sa–cro	sacred

The first of three consonants, except s, goes with the preceding syllable.

Italian	English
sem–pre	always
fel–tro	felt
mem–bro	member
men–tre	while

BUT

Italian	English
fi–ne–stra	window
pe–sche	peaches
mi–ne–stra	soup
mo–stro	monster

Diphthongs and triphthongs are never divided.

Italian	English
nuo–vo	new
mie–le	honey
per–fi–dia	spite
uo–mo	man
mai	never
lin–gua	language
suoi	his
pi–gliai	I took

Diphthongs may occur in stressed or unstressed syllables. However, when a diphthong is broken by stress (the vowel i or u directly bears the stress), then the two vowels break into separate syllables.

Italian	English
mi–o	mine
tu–o	yours
spi–a	spy
ma–ni–a	mania
rin–vi–o	postponement
te–ra–pi–a	therapy
al–le–gri–a	joy
far–ma–ci–a	pharmacy