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
Dessa Dessa Tanya Pérez Alec K. Redfearn, New York Times, 12 June 2024
The rest were assigned to Japanese syllables or left blank.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024
Keweenaw Put the long E sound in the first syllable, not the second.
—Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 18 June 2020
Making a seamless record, where every note and syllable is in place and every bass drum is identical, is no trick.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for syllable 
Noun
But the pitch started sinking, the volume dimmed and syllables began to drop out like a radio not quite tuned to frequency.
—Dessa Dessa Tanya Pérez Alec K. Redfearn, New York Times, 12 June 2024
The rest were assigned to Japanese syllables or left blank.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024
Keweenaw Put the long E sound in the first syllable, not the second.
—Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 18 June 2020
Making a seamless record, where every note and syllable is in place and every bass drum is identical, is no trick.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for syllable
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'syllable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near syllable
Cite this Entry
“Syllable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syllable. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share