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Meaning & use

syllable

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈsɪləbl/
US/ˈsɪləbl/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A part of a word that is pronounced as one beat and usually has one vowel sound.

    Grammar: Counted with numbers: the word banana has three syllables.

    Patterns

    • a word of two syllables
    • stress on the first syllable

    The word elephant has three syllables.

    In English the stress often falls on the second syllable of a verb.

    Clap once for each syllable to feel the rhythm of the word.

  2. nouncountablefigurative

    The smallest amount of speech, used mainly in negatives to show that someone said nothing.

    Grammar: Mostly in negative sentences: not utter a syllable.

    Patterns

    • not utter a syllable
    • not say a syllable

    He didn't say a syllable during the entire meeting.

    She wouldn't change a syllable of her speech.

    I never heard a syllable of complaint from him.

Word forms

pluralsyllables

Common combinations

stressed syllable
The stressed syllable in photograph is the first one.
unstressed syllable
An unstressed syllable is often pronounced with a weak vowel.
final syllable
The final syllable of the word is almost silent.
open syllable
The word go ends in an open syllable.
one-syllable word
Cat is a one-syllable word.
count the syllables
Poets count the syllables in every line of a haiku.

Synonyms and how they differ

beat
Beat is a more general rhythm word, while syllable is the proper linguistic term for a unit of a word.
utterance
Utterance is something spoken of any length, while a syllable is only a very small unit.
word
A word can contain several syllables, so the two are not interchangeable.

Word family

syllabic adjective
relating to syllables
syllabify verb
to divide a word into syllables
syllabification noun
the division of a word into syllables
monosyllable noun
a word with just one syllable
polysyllabic adjective
having several syllables

Commonly confused: syllable or syllabus?

syllable vs syllabus

A syllabus is the outline of topics in a course; it has nothing to do with sounds in a word, although the spelling is similar.

Practice

How many syllables does the word computer have?

Make it your own

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