syllable

US /ˈsɪl.ə.bᵻl/ UK /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #24785

Meanings

1

noun
A single unit of sound in a word, usually one vowel sound with consonants around it.

The word 'pocket' has two syllables.
2

noun
The written form of a spoken syllable.

Children learn to read by sounding out each syllable.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms syllables

Derived forms ambisyllabicdecasyllabledisyllabledodecasyllableduodecasyllableduosyllableenneasyllableforesyllablehendecasyllableheptasyllablehexasyllableintersyllable

Related forms syllabus

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”).

*sem- Proto-Indo-European syllable Middle English sillable xno sillebe Old French syllaba Latin συλλαβή Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

External links

# syllable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈsɪl.ə.bᵻl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/
**Frequency rank:** 24785

## Meanings
1. A single unit of sound in a word, usually one vowel sound with consonants around it.
2. The written form of a spoken syllable.

## Examples
- The word 'pocket' has two syllables.
- Children learn to read by sounding out each syllable.

## Derived Forms
- ambisyllabic
- decasyllable
- disyllable
- dodecasyllable
- duodecasyllable
- duosyllable
- enneasyllable
- foresyllable
- hendecasyllable
- heptasyllable
- hexasyllable
- intersyllable

## Related Forms
- syllabus

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sem-
- Root: syllable
- Root: sillable
- Root: sillebe
- Root: syllaba
- Root: συλλαβή

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Syllable is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean a single unit of sound in a word, usually one vowel sound with consonants around it, or the written form of a spoken syllable.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

markdown

syllable

Meanings

Thesaurus

Common collocations

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback