syllable

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsɪləb(ə)l/

noun

  • a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word; for example, there are two syllables in water and three in inferno.
  • a character or characters representing a syllable.
  • [usually with negative] the least amount of speech or writing; the least mention of something: I’d never have breathed a syllable if he’d kept quiet

verb

[with object]
  • pronounce (a word or phrase) clearly, syllable by syllable.

Phrases

in words of one syllable

using very simple language; expressed plainly.

Derivatives

syllabled

adjective
[usually in combination]: many-syllabled words

Origin:

late Middle English: from an Anglo-Norman French alteration of Old French sillabe, via Latin from Greek sullabē, from sun- 'together' + lambanein 'take'

Grammar

English words consist of one or more syllables. Each syllable always contains one speech vowel. This may have one or more speech consonants before and/or after it. In the examples that follow, the words are broken into syllables:

1syllableyachthousea
2syllableshap-pylang-uageprac-tice
3syllablesbi-cy-clesen-si-bleac-cid-ent

Spelling help

Spell syllable with a double l in the middle; the ending is -able.