Syllabe (en. Syllable)

silab

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

A unit of sound in a word, consisting of a single vowel or a vowel accompanied by consonants.

The word 'cat' has one syllable.

Le mot 'chat' a une syllabe.

Part of a word that can be pronounced in one breath.

The word 'elephant' has three syllables.

Le mot 'éléphant' a trois syllabes.

Delegation of a rhythmic unit in poetry.

Each syllable must be accented in this verse.

Chaque syllabe doit être accentuée dans ce vers.

Comes from the Latin 'syllaba', which itself is derived from the Greek 'sullabē' meaning 'that which is said together'.

break a syllable

To separate the syllables of a word.

casser une syllabe

count the syllables

To evaluate the number of syllables in a word or a verse.

compter les syllabes

tonic syllable

Syllable that carries the accent in a word.

syllabe tonique

phoneme

Minimal sound unit in a language.

phonème

accent

Prosodic feature that changes the meaning of words.

accent

prosody

Study of the rhythmic and melodic elements of speech.

prosodie

A beat or a rhythmic phrase that is easy to remember.

It's called a 'clap syllable' when doing slam poetry.

On l'appelle la 'syllabe claque' quand on fait du slam.

To express something in a concise manner.

'It's a syllable, no need to make a big deal out of it!'

'C'est une syllabe, pas besoin d'en faire tout un plat !'