What is a syllable?

A syllable is a unit of sound minimally composed of a vowel, but with optional beginning and ending consonants. Syllables are often bearers of other phonetic features such as stress, tone, and pitch.

• Concept module: syllable
• In overview module: Glossary (Literacy): S
• In modular book: Glossary of literacy terms
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 26 October 1995

© 1999 SIL International