How can a compound joined by a covalent bond from ions when it dissolves in water?

Answer 1

Covalent compounds have only a slight tendency to ionize, but remember, water itself does ionize into H+ and OH- (with an ionization constant of 10-14). Any molecule will have some tendency, however slight, to come apart under the stress of normal thermal vibration.

Answer 2

When a covalent compound dissolves in water, the individual covalent bonds within the compound are not broken. Instead, the covalent compound interacts with the water molecules through intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonding or dipole-dipole interactions. This results in the compound forming a solution in water without dissociating into ions like ionic compounds do.