Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

syllepsis

/sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables
syllep-sis
IPA
/sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A figure of speech in which one word simultaneously modifies two or more other words such that the modification must be understood differently with respect to each modified word; often causing humorous incongruity.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Growth in which lateral branches develop from a lateral meristem, without the formation of a bud or period of dormancy, when the lateral meristem is split from a terminal meristem.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

From Latin syllepsis, from Ancient Greek σύλληψις (súllēpsis), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: syllepsis, σύλληψις

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/
  • British English: /sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

syllepses (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

sylleptic zeugma

Antonyms

prolepsis

Questions

How do you pronounce syllepsis?
The recorded pronunciation is /sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/.
What does syllepsis mean?
A figure of speech in which one word simultaneously modifies two or more other words such that the modification must be understood differently with respect to each modified word; often causing humorous incongruity.
Where does syllepsis come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce syllepsis

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “syllepsis”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/sɪˈlɛp.sɪs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “syllepsis”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “syllepsis” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.