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
syllabled; syllabling
ˈsi-lə-b(ə-)liŋ
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
Examples of syllable in a Sentence
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
Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Every single syllable, her emotional vocals capture the pain and culture, but her messages of resilience, of hope and light are a pathway towards healing.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2024
Nowadays when a name or title is very long, Koreans will often shorten it by stringing just the first syllables together.
—Regina Kim, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
At several points during his remarks onstage, Ramirez mispronounced Harris' first name, placing an emphasis on the second syllable instead of the first.
—Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for syllable 
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Noun
My hack for Maya is to add one or two syllables to a word everyone knows how to say.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
Every single syllable, her emotional vocals capture the pain and culture, but her messages of resilience, of hope and light are a pathway towards healing.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2024
Nowadays when a name or title is very long, Koreans will often shorten it by stringing just the first syllables together.
—Regina Kim, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
At several points during his remarks onstage, Ramirez mispronounced Harris' first name, placing an emphasis on the second syllable instead of the first.
—Rafael Carranza, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for syllable
Dictionary Entries Near syllable
Cite this Entry
“Syllable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syllable. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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