Every syllable must end in a vowel. No syllable can consist of more than three letters, one consonant and two vowels, the two vowels making a diphthong; as fai, mai, tau. Roots are sometimes monosyllabic, but mostly dissyllabic. Polysyllabic words are nearly all derived or compound words; as nofogata from nofo and gata, difficult of access; ta‘igaafi, from ta‘i, to attend to the fire, and afi, fire, the hearth.