Syllable

['sɪləb(ə)l] or ['sɪləbl]

Definition

(noun.) a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme; 'the word `pocket' has two syllables'.

Checker: Neil--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) An elementary sound, or a combination of elementary sounds, uttered together, or with a single effort or impulse of the voice, and constituting a word or a part of a word. In other terms, it is a vowel or a diphtong, either by itself or flanked by one or more consonants, the whole produced by a single impulse or utterance. One of the liquids, l, m, n, may fill the place of a vowel in a syllable. Adjoining syllables in a word or phrase need not to be marked off by a pause, but only by such an abatement and renewal, or reenforcement, of the stress as to give the feeling of separate impulses. See Guide to Pronunciation, /275.

(n.) In writing and printing, a part of a word, separated from the rest, and capable of being pronounced by a single impulse of the voice. It may or may not correspond to a syllable in the spoken language.

(n.) A small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle.

(v. t.) To pronounce the syllables of; to utter; to articulate.

Edited by Babbage

Definition

n. several letters taken together so as to form one sound: a word or part of a word uttered by a single effort of the voice: a small part of a sentence.—v.t. to express by syllables to utter.—n. Syll′abary a list of characters representing syllables—also Syllabā′rium.—adjs. Syllab′ic -al consisting of a syllable or syllables.—adv. Syllab′ically.—vs.t. Syllab′icāte Syllab′ify (pa.t. and pa.p. syllab′ified) to form into syllables—ns. Syllabicā′tion Syllabificā′tion; Syll′abism syllabic character representation of syllables.

Inputed by Avis