Meaning & use
monosyllable
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A word that has only one syllable.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a monosyllable or two monosyllables.
Patterns
- a monosyllable
- in monosyllables
'Yes' and 'no' are common monosyllables in English.
The teacher asked the children to find five monosyllables in the poem.
Many everyday words, such as 'book' and 'run', are monosyllables.
nouncountable
A very short answer, often one word, that shows unwillingness to talk.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural in the phrase 'in monosyllables' to describe a way of speaking.
Patterns
- answer in monosyllables
- reply in monosyllables
He answered in monosyllables, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.
She replied in monosyllables and left the room.
The witness gave his evidence in monosyllables, making it hard to learn anything.
Word forms
| plural | monosyllables |
|---|
Common combinations
- in monosyllables
- He spoke in monosyllables throughout dinner.
- answer in monosyllables
- She answered in monosyllables, so I knew she was upset.
- a common monosyllable
- 'The' is a very common monosyllable.
- reply in monosyllables
- He replied in monosyllables and turned away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- one-syllable word
- A plain descriptive phrase with the same meaning, but it is not a single noun.
Opposites
Word family
- monosyllabic adjective
- Having one syllable; also describing someone who gives very short answers.
- monosyllabically adverb
- In a way that uses only one-syllable words.
Commonly confused: monosyllable or syllable? monosyllable or monologue?
monosyllable vs syllable
A syllable is any unit of sound in a word, while a monosyllable is a whole word that has just one syllable.
monosyllable vs monologue
A monologue is a long speech by one person; a monosyllable is a short one-syllable word.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'monosyllable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Monosyllable' means a word with one syllable, so 'cat' is correct. 'Elephant' has three syllables, a long speech is not a monosyllable, and 'in monosyllables' means short answers, not long sentences.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monosyllable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.