Each syllable in a word becomes an integral portion of a sonnet, as they are part of the general iambic pentameter, which gives the wording structure to the poem. The imbs in the iambic pentameter mean two syllables, the first one unstressed and melodic, the second stressed and harsh. Each line is comprised of 10 syllables, 14 lines in all.
A specific amount of lines must be used when creating a sonnet -- 14 lines to be exact. The lines are generally grouped in to four to five rhyming patterns, creating a cohesive feel to the poem. The first 12 lines are divided in to three groups of four lines; the two finishing lines are added to complete it.
The three types of rhyme schemes utilized in sonnets are all static. The most standard is the Elizabethan, or Shakesperean, sonnet, made famous by William Shakespere. It utilizes three quatrains and one couplet. Italian sonnets, also called Petrarchan, uses one octave and a sestet. The Spenserian sonnet utilizes repetitive rhymes.
While the structure of a sonnet is integral to the skeleton of a sonnet, a formulaic argument becomes the flesh. A sonnet can also become part of a sequence of sonnets, to tell several sections of a story. The main theme is given in the beginning, and the argument is built up through the following lines and finally reaches a climax in the last third of the sonnet, followed by the conclusion.