syllabic

[ si-lab-ik ]

/ sɪˈlæb ɪk /

Save This Word!

adjective

of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

pronounced with careful distinction of syllables.

of, relating to, or noting poetry based on a specific number of syllables, as distinguished from poetry depending on stresses or quantities.

(of chanting) having each syllable sung to one note only.

Phonetics.

(of a consonant) forming a syllable by itself, as the (n) in button [buht-n] /ˈbʌt n/ or the (l) in bottle [bot-l]. /ˈbɒt l/.
(of a vowel) dominating the other sounds in a syllable; sonantal.

noun

Phonetics. a syllabic sound.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of syllabic

1720–30; <Late Latin syllabicus<Greek syllabikós.See syllable, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM syllabic

syl·lab·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby syllabic

syli, syll., syllabarium, syllabary, syllabi, syllabic, syllabicate, syllabicity, syllabify, syllabism, syllabize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use syllabic in a sentence

Hence, both the Vey and the Cherokee, the two latest coinages in the way of alphabets, are both syllabic.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
In prism, schism the m may have syllabic value; it then does the work usually performed by a vowel.
The Sounds of Spoken English|Walter Rippmann
In English, the syllable is generally carried by vowels; sometimes also by liquids and nasals, which are then called syllabic.
The Sounds of Spoken English|Walter Rippmann
No letters can represent the nasal intonation of this syllabic inquiry, and no words the supreme indifference of the boy's tone.
Corporal Cameron|Ralph Connor

"To Morvah," explained Enid, with a syllabic emphasis meant for one pair of ears.
The Pillar of Light|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for syllabic

syllabic

/ (sɪˈlæbɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to syllables or the division of a word into syllables

denoting a kind of verse line based on a specific number of syllables rather than being regulated by stresses or quantities

(of a consonant) constituting a syllable

(of plainsong and similar chanting) having each syllable sung to a different note

noun

a syllabic consonant

Derived forms of syllabic

syllabically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012