Counting Syllables

[AbstractEden]

I've been having a tough time trying to figure this one out. Wrote a couple of notes on my phone and ended up with this as a result:

import java.io.*;
import java.util.Scanner;

public class Assignment1
{
   //Returning if a character is a vowel or not.
   public static boolean isVowel(char c)
   {
      boolean bVowel = false;

      String temp = (c+"").toLowerCase();
        c = temp.charAt(0);

      /*
      Switch is checking each char setting the variable bVowel to true
      or false. After that, the method returns the variable bVowel to
      the main method.
      */
        switch(c)                                                                                                                                                                 //Used to check each character within the word to determine if
        {                                                                                                                                                                            //there is a vowel. If not the default statement will return a false.
            case 'a':
            case 'e':
            case 'i':
            case 'o':
            case 'u':
            case 'y':
                bVowel = true;                                                                                                                                                    //If any of the characters within the string proves to be a vowel it will
            default:                                                                                                                                                                 //return true.
                bVowel = false;                                                                                                                                                //The opposite effect will happen if the character within the string is a constant.
        }
      return bVowel;
   }

   //Returning the number of syllables in a word.
   public static int countSyllables(String word)
   {
      int count = 0;

      for(int i = 0; i < word.length()-1; i++)
      {
         if(isVowel(word.charAt(i)))
         {
            if(isVowel(word.charAt(i)) == false && isVowel(word.charAt(i+1)) == true)
               count++;
         }
         if(i == word.length() && word.charAt(i) == 'e')
            count = count;    
      }

      return count;
   }

   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
      System.out.println("Welcome to my program. \n"
                            +"My name is Shanel Fowler from class CSC-210. \n"
                            +"I worked very hard to get this program to work, so I hope you enjoy.\n\n");


        /**
         *This section will attempt to create a file reader object that will allow
         *the words from the dictionary textfile to be read. Afterwards, the syllables
         *calculated will be stored into a text document called syllables.
         */
        String fileName = "dictionary.txt";
        try
        {
         /**
         *I've created a new file reader variable that can store each line
         *and a buffered reader to constantly update. Afterwards, a string name line
         *is placed there in order to temporarily store each value that is read
         *from the dictionary document.
         */
            FileReader inputSyllables = new FileReader(fileName);                   
            BufferedReader bufferSyllables = new BufferedReader(inputSyllables);                    

            String line;

            while((line = bufferSyllables.readLine()) != null)                                                                                                                                                              //If the line is not null the list will continue on.
            {                                                                                                                                                                                                                         //The buffer allows me to constantly update the words
                System.out.println(line+"                       Syllables: "+countSyllables(line));
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       //within the dictionary text file.
         }                                                                                                  
            bufferSyllables.close();
        }catch(Exception e)
        {
            System.out.println("There was an error while reading the file line by line."+ e.getMessage());
        }   

   }
}

I believe I am missing something in my countSyllable method. If anyone could give suggestions it would be much appreciated.

[JamesCherrill]

Check your switch, and remember that execution wuill drop through to the next clause unless you execute a break or a return...

[AbstractEden]

Thanks for the response. I was able to fix that portion of my code then tried to edit my counting syllables method, but I know I'm missing another if-check.

//Returning the number of syllables in a word.
   public static int countSyllables(String word)
   {
      int count = 0;

      for(int i = 0; i < word.length()-1; i++)
      {
         if(isVowel(word.charAt(i)) == false && isVowel(word.charAt(i+1)) == true)
            count++;
         if(count == 0)
            count = 1;
         if(i == word.length()-1 && word.charAt(i) == 'e')
            count = count;           
      }
      return count;
   }

Words like zygote are being counted as one extra syllable than it actually is.

[JamesCherrill]

Personally I have never seen a definition of "syllable" that was logically sound - the original is based on how people happen to speak the word. Do you have a definitive algorithm/specification for "syllable" in the context of this exercise?

[AbstractEden]

I already turned it in, knowing I wasn't able to please the requirements but here's the rules:

1. Each sequence of adjacent vowels a,e,i,o,u,y
2. Except for the last e in a word, is a syllable.
3. However if the algorithm yields count of 0, change it to 1.

[Armand_2]

   public static int syllables(String s) {
      final Pattern p = Pattern.compile("([ayeiou]+)");
      final String lowerCase = s.toLowerCase();
      final Matcher m = p.matcher(lowerCase);
      int count = 0;
      while (m.find())
         count++;

      if (lowerCase.endsWith("e"))
         count--;

      return count < 0 ? 1 : count;
   }

[alex205]

is this also work in one or two syllables count or any changes make to it.