syllabic

/sɪˈlæb.ɪk/

//sɪˈlæb.ɪk// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"syllabic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“syllabic” is uncommon English (frequency #64,044 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,044
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

Corpus desk

Index EN-syllabic · syllabic · English

syllabic · rank #64,044 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,044
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sux

Nearest frequency peer: sux (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “syllabic”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “syllabic” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for syllabic
PropertyValue
Headwordsyllabic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/sɪˈlæb.ɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#64,044
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “syllabic” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).syllabicfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “sux” (#64,043), “Syme” (#64,045), “sumac” (#64,042). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “syllabic” is #64,044. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

syllabic is uncommon English at frequency #64,044 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /sɪˈlæb.ɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for syllabic in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin syllabicus, from Ancient Greek συλλαβικός (sullabikós), from συλλαβή (sullabḗ, “syllable”). The correct English form is syllabic, spelled S-Y-L-L-A-B-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.
  2. 2
    Pronounced with every syllable distinct.
  3. 3
    Designating a sound that is or can be the most sonorant segment of a syllable, as a vowel or a resonant. In the word riddle ([ɹɪdl̩]), the two syllabic sounds are [ɪ] and [l̩].
  4. 4
    Of, or being a form of verse, based on the number of syllables in a line rather than on the arrangement of accents or quantities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how syllabic appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Most final consonants have been lost, resulting in a tonal language with a rich consonantal and vocalic inventory, but with a relatively simple syllabic structure..

Etymology

From Medieval Latin syllabicus, from Ancient Greek συλλαβικός (sullabikós), from συλλαβή (sullabḗ, “syllable”).

This word in other languages

silábico(Español)syllabique(Français)Silben-(Deutsch)silábico(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "syllabic"?
"syllabic" is spelled S-Y-L-L-A-B-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈlæb.ɪk/.
What does "syllabic" mean?
As an adjective, "syllabic" means: Of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.
How do you pronounce "syllabic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "syllabic" is /sɪˈlæb.ɪk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "syllabic"?
From Medieval Latin syllabicus, from Ancient Greek συλλαβικός (sullabikós), from συλλαβή (sullabḗ, “syllable”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "syllabic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stumping#64,039teahouse#64,053thresher#64,061timidity#64,064

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list