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[ sil—uh-buhl ]

/ ˈsɪl ə bəl /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

noun

an uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a vowel sound, a diphthong, or a syllabic consonant, with or without preceding or following consonant sounds: “Eye,” “sty,” “act,” and “should” are English words of one syllable. “Eyelet,” “stifle,” “enact,” and “shouldn’t” are two-syllable words.

one or more written letters or characters representing more or less exactly such an element of speech.

the slightest portion or amount of speech or writing; the least mention: Do not breathe a syllable of all this.

verb (used with object), syl·la·bled, syl·la·bling.Chiefly Literary.

to utter in syllables; articulate.

to represent by syllables.

verb (used without object), syl·la·bled, syl·la·bling.Chiefly Literary.

to utter syllables; speak.

QUIZ

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Origin of syllable

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sillable, from Anglo-French; Middle French sillabe, from Latin syllaba, from Greek syllabḗ, equivalent to syl- prefix meaning “with, together” (see syl-) + lab- (base of lambánein “to take”) + -ē noun suffix

grammar notes for syllable

Spoken English is very flexible in its syllable structure. A vowel sound can constitute a syllable by itself—like the e in unequal (un·e·qual) —or can be preceded by up to three consonant sounds (as in strong or splint ) and followed by up to four consonant sounds, as in tempts or sixths (which ends with the sounds k+s+th+s). But the English sound system is not without rules. Some combinations of consonant sounds, like p+k, can never occur within a syllable, and others can occur only at one end or the other. For example, the combination s+f can occur at the beginning of a syllable (as in sphere ) but not at the end, while the reverse sequence f+s can occur at the end (as in laughs ) but not at the beginning. The language does stretch occasionally to accommodate borrowings from other languages, as for words like schlep and tsar that can be said with an initial consonant cluster not native to English. And in a broad sense, even certain meaningful utterances composed exclusively of consonant sounds can be regarded as syllables. Examples include shh (urging silence) and psst (used to attract someone’s attention).
Breaking a written word into syllables—as in a dictionary entry, where the purpose is to clarify the structure of the word and assist in understanding and pronunciation, or in a book, for the purpose of end-of-line hyphenation—involves additional considerations. While based primarily on sound, the syllable divisions in spelled-out forms are also influenced by long-established spelling conventions, the etymology of the word, and the lack of an exact correspondence between spelling and pronunciation. For example, in writing, multisyllabic words with double consonants are conventionally divided between the consonants, even though the consonant is pronounced only once: sudden is divided as sud·den, though pronounced suddn. But the word adding —formed by combining the word add with the suffix -ing, is divided as add·ing to show its constituent parts. And a word like exact (pronounced igzakt) cannot be divided purely phonetically, because the letter x itself would have to be split; it is traditionally divided as ex·act. This means that even when divisions in the spelled form and the pronunciation do not match, they are both correct.

OTHER WORDS FROM syllable

half-syl·la·bled, adjectiveun·syl·la·bled, adjective

Words nearby syllable

syllabicate, syllabicity, syllabify, syllabism, syllabize, syllable, syllable-timed, syllabogram, syllabography, syllabub, syllabus

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to syllable

affricate, click, consonant, diphthong, fricative, implosive, liquid, phone, plosive, sibilant, sonant, spirant, vocable

How to use syllable in a sentence

“Massachusetts,” my 4-year-old said, articulating every syllable as we crossed the state line.
Compared with some songbirds, “this ability to produce adultlike syllables seems to happen much quicker in bats,” she says, noting an abrupt rise in the number of adultlike syllables early in babbling.
It’s fun to see people, looking up, counting the syllables, Pisarra said.
His videos typically began selfie-style, with an enthusiastic “Good morning, TikTok family,” Doubman stretching out the greeting’s syllables before revealing the day’s landscape.

Coe delivered each line with a twang-less, overpronounced clarity, as if he were being paid by the syllable.
The extending out of one syllable is a great songwriting device.
The tone of this syllable swooped up briefly, and then down.
Forty thousand people were on their feet singing his name in a two-syllable mantra.
At the first syllable Obama uttered in its favor, the Republicans practically to a person would oppose it.
Things that sound almost like words but are just a syllable or two off.
Allcraft winced, as every syllable made known the speaker’s actual strength—his own dependence and utter weakness.
He placed the paper on the table, and, ere he read a syllable, he laboured to compose himself.
He spoke with an animation and earnestness that gave an exaggerated importance to every syllable he uttered.
In some English schools the first syllable in “panis” sounds “pan,” in others “pain.”
David had replied, in that short tone of self-sufficiency which conveys so much more than the syllable would seem to warrant.

British Dictionary definitions for syllable

noun

a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a sonant or vowel) and may or may not contain less sonorous elements (consonants or semivowels) flanking it on either or both sides: for example «paper» has two syllablesSee also open (def. 34b), closed (def. 6a)

(in the writing systems of certain languages, esp ancient ones) a symbol or set of symbols standing for a syllable

the least mention in speech or printdon’t breathe a syllable of it

in words of one syllable simply; bluntly

verb

to pronounce syllables of (a text); articulate

(tr) to write down in syllables

Word Origin for syllable

C14: via Old French from Latin syllaba, from Greek sullabē, from sullambanein to collect together, from sul- syn- + lambanein to take

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for syllable

A basic unit of speech generally containing only one vowel sound. The word basic contains two syllables (ba-sic). The word generally contains four (gen-er-al-ly). (See hyphen.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with syllable

see words of one syllable.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Источник

syllable

A syllable is a sequence of speech sounds (formed from vowels and consonants) organized into a single unit. Syllables act as the building blocks of a spoken word, determining the pace and rhythm of how the word is pronounced.

The three structural elements of a syllable are the nucleus, the onset, and the coda.

Syllables can be structured several ways, but they always contain a nucleus, which is (usually) formed from a vowel sound. The nucleus is the core of the syllable, indicating its individual “beat” within a word; the number of syllables in a word will be determined by the number of vowel sounds forming their nuclei.

syl·la·ble

(sĭl′ə-bəl)

a. A unit of spoken language consisting of a single uninterrupted sound formed by a vowel, diphthong, or syllabic consonant alone, or by any of these sounds preceded, followed, or surrounded by one or more consonants.

b. One or more letters or phonetic symbols written or printed to approximate a spoken syllable.

2. The slightest bit of spoken or written expression: Do not alter a syllable of this message.

tr.v. syl·la·bled, syl·la·bling, syl·la·bles

To pronounce in syllables.

[Middle English sillable, from Anglo-Norman, alteration of Old French sillabe, from Latin syllaba, from Greek sullabē, from sullabein, second aorist of sullambanein, to combine in pronunciation : sun-, syn- + lambanein, to take.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

syllable

(ˈsɪləbəl)

1. (Phonetics & Phonology) a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a sonant or vowel) and may or may not contain less sonorous elements (consonants or semivowels) flanking it on either or both sides: for example «paper» has two syllables. See also open^34b, closed^6a

2. (Linguistics) (in the writing systems of certain languages, esp ancient ones) a symbol or set of symbols standing for a syllable

3. the least mention in speech or print: don’t breathe a syllable of it.

4. in words of one syllable simply; bluntly

5. (Phonetics & Phonology) to pronounce syllables of (a text); articulate

6. (Linguistics) (tr) to write down in syllables

[C14: via Old French from Latin syllaba, from Greek sullabē, from sullambanein to collect together, from sul- syn- + lambanein to take]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

syl•la•ble

(ˈsɪl ə bəl)

n., v. -bled, -bling. n.

1. an uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a center of relatively great sonority with or without one or more accompanying sounds of relatively less sonority: “Dog,” “eye,” “strength,” and “sixths” are English words of one syllable; “doghouse” has two syllables.

2. one or more written letters or characters representing more or less exactly such an element of speech.

3. the slightest portion or amount of speech or writing; the least mention.

v.t.

4. to utter in syllables; articulate.

[1350–1400; < Anglo-French; Middle French sillabe < Latin syllaba < Greek syllabḗ, n. derivative of syllambánein to gather together =syl- + lambánein to take]

syllable

Past participle: syllabled
Gerund: syllabling

Imperative
syllable
syllable

Present
I syllable
you syllable
he/she/it syllables
we syllable
you syllable
they syllable

Preterite
I syllabled
you syllabled
he/she/it syllabled
we syllabled
you syllabled
they syllabled

Present Continuous
I am syllabling
you are syllabling
he/she/it is syllabling
we are syllabling
you are syllabling
they are syllabling

Present Perfect
I have syllabled
you have syllabled
he/she/it has syllabled
we have syllabled
you have syllabled
they have syllabled

Past Continuous
I was syllabling
you were syllabling
he/she/it was syllabling
we were syllabling
you were syllabling
they were syllabling

Past Perfect
I had syllabled
you had syllabled
he/she/it had syllabled
we had syllabled
you had syllabled
they had syllabled

Future
I will syllable
you will syllable
he/she/it will syllable
we will syllable
you will syllable
they will syllable

Future Perfect
I will have syllabled
you will have syllabled
he/she/it will have syllabled
we will have syllabled
you will have syllabled
they will have syllabled

Future Continuous
I will be syllabling
you will be syllabling
he/she/it will be syllabling
we will be syllabling
you will be syllabling
they will be syllabling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been syllabling
you have been syllabling
he/she/it has been syllabling
we have been syllabling
you have been syllabling
they have been syllabling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been syllabling
you will have been syllabling
he/she/it will have been syllabling
we will have been syllabling
you will have been syllabling
they will have been syllabling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been syllabling
you had been syllabling
he/she/it had been syllabling
we had been syllabling
you had been syllabling
they had been syllabling

Conditional
I would syllable
you would syllable
he/she/it would syllable
we would syllable
you would syllable
they would syllable

Past Conditional
I would have syllabled
you would have syllabled
he/she/it would have syllabled
we would have syllabled
you would have syllabled
they would have syllabled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

syllable

A single unit of sound made in the pronunciation of a word.

Translations

slabika

stavelse

tavu

slog

szótag

atkvæîi

音節

음절

silabinisskiemeninisskiemuo

zilbe

slabika

zlog

slog

stavelse

พยางค์

âm tiết

syllable

[ˈsɪləbl] N → sílaba f
I will explain it in words of one syllable → te lo explico como a un niño

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

syllable

n → Silbe f; a two-syllable(d) word → ein zweisilbiges Wort; in words of one syllable (hum) → in einfachen Worten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

syllable

(ˈsiləbl) noun

a word or part of a word usually containing a vowel sound. `Cheese’ has one syllable, `but-ter’ two and `mar-ga-rine’ three.

syllabic (-ˈlӕ-) adjective

syllable

→ مَقْطَعٌ لَفْظِيّ slabika stavelse Silbe συλλαβή sílaba tavu syllabe slog sillaba 音節 음절 lettergreep stavelse sylaba sílaba слог stavelse พยางค์ hece âm tiết 音节

Источник

Noun

The word “doctor” has two syllables.

“Doctor” is a two-syllable word.

The first syllable of the word “doctor” is given stress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not one syllable of intelligible language is spoken, but the choral anguish of generations subjugated to colonial cruelty rings loud through every wordless frame.

—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023

Lindsay Lohan also recently joined the ever-growing list of celebrities who corrected fans on the saying of her name, quietly revealing that followers have been stressing the wrong syllable in her last name.

—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2023

His deep, booming voice is relaxed and unhurried, every dragging syllable weighted with heavy breaths and slick with saliva.

—Max Bell, SPIN, 23 Feb. 2023

Too often, though, it’s fussed over, as if every syllable were held up with a jeweler’s loupe and assessed for shine and heft.

—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2023

The melody is sparse and prettily melancholic, but Ferry’s singing is chilly and detached, with every syllable enunciated.

—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 1 Jan. 2023

Every syllable was an opportunity for a new artistic choice, as though words exist in isolation and sentences have no relation to one another.

—Mimi Kramer, Vulture, 10 May 2022

On average, for every syllable spoken in Japanese, 11 more are spoken in English.

—Jennifer Walter, Discover Magazine, 4 Sep. 2019

No artifice, no forcing one syllable to spread itself thin along many notes.

—Gene Seymour, The New Republic, 15 Feb. 2023

See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘syllable.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Источник

Other forms: syllables

A syllable can be made up of just a vowel — «a» can be a syllable — or a vowel and one or more consonants — «skip» is one syllable, but three sounds, or phonemes: sk-i-p.

When you’re figuring out how many syllables a word has, you have to listen to how it’s pronounced, not look at the spelling. Household is two syllables — which you’ll hear when you say the word — even though it’s got four vowels. Elephant is three syllables, and hippopotamus is five. You can also use syllable for the tiniest bits of language: «I loved every syllable of your speech,» or «Please don’t repeat a syllable of what I told you.»

Definitions of syllable

noun

a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme

“the word `pocket’ has two
syllables”

see moresee less

types:

show 12 types…

hide 12 types…

ultima

the last syllable in a word

penult, penultima, penultimate

the next to last syllable in a word

antepenult, antepenultima, antepenultimate

the 3rd syllable of a word counting back from the end

reduplication

the syllable added in a reduplicated word form

solfa syllable

one of the names for notes of a musical scale in solmization

do, doh, ut

the syllable naming the first (tonic) note of any major scale in solmization

ray, re

the syllable naming the second (supertonic) note of any major scale in solmization

mi

the syllable naming the third (mediant) note of any major scale in solmization

fa

the syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization

so, soh, sol

the syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization

la, lah

the syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization

si, te, ti

the syllable naming the seventh (subtonic) note of any musical scale in solmization

type of:

language unit, linguistic unit

one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed

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