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What is the definition of syllables


Syllable Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

1 of 2

syl·​la·​ble ˈsi-lə-bəl 

1

: a unit of spoken language that is next bigger than a speech sound and consists of one or more vowel sounds alone or of a syllabic consonant alone or of either with one or more consonant sounds preceding or following

2

: one or more letters (such as syl, la, and ble) in a word (such as syl*la*ble) usually set off from the rest of the word by a centered dot or a hyphen and roughly corresponding to the syllables of spoken language and treated as helps to pronunciation or as guides to placing hyphens at the end of a line

3

: the smallest conceivable expression or unit of something : jot

4

: sol-fa syllables

syllable

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transitive verb

1

: to give a number or arrangement of syllables to (a word or verse)

2

: to express or utter in or as if in syllables

Synonyms

Noun

  • beans
  • bubkes
  • bupkes
  • bupkus
  • continental
  • damn
  • darn
  • durn
  • diddly [slang]
  • diddly-squat [slang]
  • doodley-squat
  • doodly-squat
  • fig
  • ghost
  • hoot
  • iota
  • jot
  • lick
  • modicum
  • rap
  • squat [slang]
  • tittle
  • whit
  • whoop

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Example Sentences

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

For LeRoy, this idea resonates with the concept of melismas, or a group of notes sung as one syllable that often express a feeling without words, that is also often used in gospel music. —Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2022 His vocal phrases and guitar solos glide over the meter, lagging behind the beat or charging ahead, bringing suspense to every note and syllable. —Jody Rosen, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2022 The 75 basis-point hike is pretty much guaranteed, but Wall Street (and journalists) will be parsing every syllable from the central bank chief’s mouth for clues about how long the tightening policy will last. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 1 Nov. 2022 While announcing her debut on TikTok, the actress also low-key corrected those who have been stressing the wrong syllable of her last name. —People Staff, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2022 Big isn’t big at all, and, although monosyllabic refers to words of but a single syllable, monosyllabic is composed of five syllables. —Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2022 Around him, the others in the crowd of 47,505 broke into a single-syllable chant. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2022 The most obvious comparison with Joy is Vaughan herself — the rich lower register, the baroque melodic ornamentation, swoops up and down octaves from word to word, multi-note melisma stretching one-syllable words to infinity. —Jon Garelick, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2022 Here’s the most labyrinthine but most useful spelling rule in U.S. English: Words ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel double the final consonant before the suffix if the accent falls on the last syllable of the root word. —Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'syllable. ' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French sillabe, silable, from Latin syllaba, from Greek syllabē, from syllambanein to gather together, from syn- + lambanein to take — more at latch

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of syllable was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Dictionary Entries Near

syllable

syllabize

syllable

syllabub

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

Style

MLAChicagoAPAMerriam-Webster

“Syllable. ” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syllable. Accessed 11 Jan. 2023.

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Kids Definition

syllable

noun

syl·​la·​ble

ˈsil-ə-bəl

1

: a unit of spoken language that consists of one or more vowel sounds alone or with one or more consonant sounds preceding or following

2

: one or more letters (as syl, la, and ble) in a word (as syl*la*ble) usually set off from the rest of the word by a centered dot or a hyphen and treated as guides to division at the end of a line

More from Merriam-Webster on

syllable

Nglish: Translation of syllable for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of syllable for Arabic Speakers

Britannica. com: Encyclopedia article about syllable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

Examples of syllable

syllable

Every syllable has a vowel at its core.

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