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.
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.]
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 open34b, closed6a
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
vb
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]
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]
word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning"
a word or part of a word usually containing a vowel sound. `Cheese' has one syllable, `but-ter' two and `mar-ga-rine' three. lettergreep مَقْطَع сричка sílaba slabika die Silbe stavelse συλλαβήsílaba silp هجا tavu syllabeהברה अक्षर slog szótag suku kata atkvæði sillaba 音節 음절 skiemuo zilbe suku kata` lettergreepstavelsesylaba هجا sílaba silabă слог slabika zlog slog stavelse พยางค์ hece 音節 слово; склад لفظ کا وہ ٹکڑا جو ایک بار میں ادا ہو âm tiết 音节
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