syllabify

IPA/sɪˈlæb.ɪ.faɪ/
IPA/sɪˈlæb.ə.faɪ/

syllabify — verb

  • syllabifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • syllabifies3rd person singular
  • syllabifying-ing form
  • syllabifiedpast simple

1. to break a word into the separate speech units (syllables) it contains, such as

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to break a word into the separate speech units (syllables) it contains, such as dividing 'computer' into com-pu-ter

例句

Tomás had to syllabify each word on the spelling test before writing it down.

transitive pattern: syllabify + noun phrase

The teacher asked Karim to syllabify 'understanding' on the whiteboard for the class.

同義詞
  • syllabicate

    a less common variant with the same meaning

  • segment

    broader term; can apply to any unit, not just syllables

文法句型

syllabify + noun phrase

用法筆記

Always transitive. The object is nearly always a word or a string of letters. Distinguish from sense 2, where the subject itself (a sound or letter) forms the syllable.

常見錯誤

The teacher syllabified the sentence into words.
The teacher syllabified the word into syllables.
💡syllabifying produces syllables, not words or letters.

2. (of speech sounds or letters) to join together and form a syllable or contribute

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

(of speech sounds or letters) to join together and form a syllable or contribute to making one, as when 'p' and 'i' combine into 'pi'

例句

In Japanese, the sounds 's' and 'a' syllabify into a single unit: sa.

intransitive pattern: syllabify + into

Mira explained how consonant clusters syllabify differently in English than in Polish.

同義詞
  • coalesce

    more formal; used across many domains, not only linguistics

  • combine

    everyday term; much broader and less technical

文法句型

syllabify + into + noun

syllabify + adverb

用法筆記

Intransitive. The subject is typically a sound, a letter, or a cluster of sounds or letters. Often followed by 'into', 'as', 'together', or 'differently'.

常見錯誤

She syllabified the sound into the word.
The sound syllabified into a syllable.
💡in sense 2 the sound itself is the subject; you do not syllabify something else.