Meaning & use
nonsense syllables
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Meaning
nounpluraltechnicalspecialist
Short groups of sounds that look like words but have no meaning, used in experiments on memory and learning.
Grammar: Plural; the singular is 'nonsense syllable'.
Patterns
- memorize nonsense syllables
Participants memorized lists of nonsense syllables such as 'bik' and 'tez'.
Early memory studies used nonsense syllables to avoid meaning helping recall.
The child chanted nonsense syllables while she played.
Word forms
| singular | nonsense syllable |
|---|
Common combinations
- memorize nonsense syllables
- Students had to memorize nonsense syllables in order.
- list of nonsense syllables
- The researcher read a list of nonsense syllables aloud.
- recall nonsense syllables
- Participants could recall fewer nonsense syllables after a day.
- learning nonsense syllables
- Learning nonsense syllables is harder than learning real words.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gibberish
- Gibberish is everyday speech that makes no sense, while nonsense syllables are controlled units used in tests.
- pseudowords
- Pseudowords are invented words that follow a language's sound rules, but nonsense syllables are usually simpler and shorter.
Opposites
Word family
- syllable noun
- a unit of sound in a word
- syllabic adjective
- relating to syllables
- nonsense noun
- words or ideas without meaning
- nonsensical adjective
- making no sense
Commonly confused: nonsense syllables or nonsense words?
nonsense syllables vs nonsense words
Nonsense words can be longer invented words, while nonsense syllables are single sound units.
Practice
Early memory researchers used ___ so that earlier knowledge would not help people remember.
Choose one answer.
Nonsense syllables have no meaning, so they test memory without help from existing knowledge. The other options carry meaning and would help recall.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nonsense syllables”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.