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# syllable

«syllable» in Mova's school dictionary: **a part of a word that has one vowel sound; you can count…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a syllable, syllables)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A syllable is a part of a word that has one vowel sound; you can count syllables by clapping a word: «di-no-saur» has three syllables. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#m1)

2) A word with one syllable, like «cat», is called a one-syllable word or monosyllable. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#m2)

3) Not a syllable means not a single word at all. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In English and phonics lessons pupils clap and count syllables to help with reading and spelling long words. In poetry lessons syllables matter for rhythm: a haiku has three lines of five, seven and five syllables. Phrases: «stressed syllable» (the one said strongest: «TA-ble»), «not one syllable» (not a single word: «he didn't say a syllable»).

### examples

- «Elephant» has three syllables: el-e-phant. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x1)
- Clap the syllables in your name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x2)
- «Dog» has one syllable. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x3)
- A haiku has five syllables in the first line. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x4)
- In «banana», the middle syllable is stressed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x5)
- Break long words into syllables to spell them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x6)
- «Hippopotamus» has five syllables. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x7)
- He did not answer a syllable, but went on eating, and afterwards returned to his work. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/#x8)

### note

Plural «syllables». Spelling: double «l», ending «-able». Count vowel sounds, not vowel letters: «cake» has one syllable even with two vowel letters. Do not confuse with «syllabus» (a list of topics for a course).

### In the corpora

- [A syllable is a beat in a word with one vowel sound; long words are read chunk by chunk, sand-wich.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/2-blending-segmenting-and-the-year-1-check/19/)
- [In longer words, double only if the stress falls on the last syllable: begin, beginning; but garden, gardening.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/7-adding-ed-and-ing-doubling-and-dropping-e/21/)
- [Rhythm is the pattern of beats in a line, made by strong and weak syllables; clapping helps you feel it.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/45-poetry-rhyme-and-rhythm/7/)
- [In English schools a haiku is usually three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables; the form comes from Japan.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/47-poetry-forms-haiku-limerick-kenning-acrostic-performing/5/)
- [DYAkuyu means thank you; the stress falls on the first syllable, DYA-kuyu.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/ukrainian-street/3-please-thank-you-sorry-okay/5/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «syllable» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/syllable/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.