# syllable

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ · frequency rank #19,224

## Definitions
1. A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants.
2. The written representation of a given pronounced syllable.
3. A small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle.

## Etymology
From Middle English syllable, sillable, syllabylle, sylabul, from Anglo-Norman sillable, from Old French sillebe, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή (sullabḗ), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō, “to gather together”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”).

## Easily confused with
- **syllabus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/syllable-vs-syllabus)
- **syllables** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/syllable-vs-syllables)
- **scalable** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scalable-vs-syllable)
- **solvable** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/solvable-vs-syllable)

## Common misspellings (12)
`slylable`, `ssyllable`, `sylable`, `sylalble`, `syllabble`, `syllabel`, `syllablle`, `syllalbe`, `syllbale`, `syllible`, `syyllable`, `ysllable`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/syllable