syllable
noun
an uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a vowel sound, a diphthong, or a syllabic consonant, with or without preceding or following consonant sounds.
syllables
-
pluralof syllable.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
-
present tense formof syllable (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
syllablenounan uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a vowel sound, a diphthong, or a syllabic consonant, with or without preceding or following consonant sounds.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In “Hey Jude,” a cycle of syllables describes taking a sad song and making it better.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
“Get your hands warmed up—we’re going to clap the syllables, ready?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
They identified 100 distinct "behavioral syllables," which are short, repeating actions that form the basic elements of how the fish move and rest.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026
News channel YTN lavished praise on Kang's "heartfelt message to Korea", referring to the movie by its affectionate shorthand "Kedehun", a combination of the title's first three syllables.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
She actually said the letters B-T-W, which I wanted to point out required more syllables than just saying “by the way,” but she was clearly locked into something.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
