One. If you have problems like this, just clap it out. That is how I learned. does that help?
two syllables house*wives
The word "wives" has one syllable.
All the words except banjos have one syllable. Banjos has two syllables.
Thoth has many wives.
There are three Chinese syllables in the word "syllables."
5 wives
he had no wives
He had 7 wives.
There are 3 syllables in symphony:sym/pho/ny
there are 2 syllables in stomach. To see why, search 'How many syllables in attack?'
4 syllables am- phi- bi- an
there are 3 syllables