syllable
/ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.32 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants.
noun
The written representation of a given pronounced syllable.
Example Sentences
- "I wanted to look up velleity and quotidian and memorize the fuckers for all time, spell them, learn them, pronounce them syllable by syllable—vocalize, phonate, utter the sounds, say the words for all they're worth."
- "Then let them caſt backe their eyes vnto former generations of men, and marke what was done in the prime of the world. Seth, Enoch, Noah, Sem, Abraham, Iob, and the reſt that liued before any ſyllable of the law of God was written, did they not ſinne as much as wee doe in euery action not commanded?"
- "Th'Archbyſhop Is the Kings hand, and tongue, and who dare ſpeak One ſyllable againſt him?"
- "In none of my travels did I ever meet him or learn a syllable of his whereabouts."
- "[A] thouſand fantaſies Begin to throng into my memorie Of calling ſhapes, and beckning ſhadows dire, And ayrie tongues, that ſyllable mens names On Sands, and Shoars, and deſert Wilderneſſes."
Etymology
From Middle English syllable, sillable, syllabylle, sylabul, from Anglo-Norman sillable, from Old French sillebe, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή (sullabḗ), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō, “to gather together”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/
- British English: /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/