How Do You Spell NONSYLLABIC?

Pronunciation: [nˌɒnsɪlˈabɪk] (IPA)

The adjective "nonsyllabic" means not forming a syllable. It is pronounced /nɒn.sɪˈlab.ɪk/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with the first syllable being "non" and the second syllable being "syllabic". The letter "s" is repeated twice in the middle of the word because it is pronounced as a separate sound in between the syllables, represented by the dot underneath it in the phonetic transcription. Overall, "nonsyllabic" is a word that can be tricky to spell correctly due to its unique structure and pronunciation.

NONSYLLABIC Meaning and Definition

1. Nonsyllabic refers to the quality or characteristic of being without syllables. It is an adjective derived from the combination of the prefix "non-" meaning "not" or "without," and the word "syllabic" which relates to syllables, the units of sound that make up words or parts of words in a language.

   In linguistics, the term nonsyllabic is used to describe a phonetic element or a speech sound that does not constitute a separate syllable. Generally, syllables are the basic units of spoken language, consisting of a vowel sound or a combination of consonant and vowel sounds. Therefore, a nonsyllabic phoneme is one that is not considered as forming an independent syllable when spoken.

   Nonsyllabic sounds are often observed in languages with specific phonological rules, where certain speech sounds intervene between consonants and vowels without creating new syllables. For instance, in English, some unstressed vowels such as the "schwa" sound [ə] in words like "bottle" or "sofa" are nonsyllabic because they occur within a syllable but do not serve as the nucleus of that syllable.

   In music, the term nonsyllabic can also describe a vocal style or technique, typically characterized by the singing or vocalization of sounds or phonetic elements that lack distinct syllabic value. This may be seen in various forms of vocalizations, such as humming, scat singing, or producing vocal sounds solely for artistic or rhythmic purposes without clear linguistic meaning.

Common Misspellings for NONSYLLABIC

• bonsyllabic
• jonsyllabic
• honsyllabic
• ninsyllabic
• nknsyllabic
• nlnsyllabic
• npnsyllabic
• n0nsyllabic
• n9nsyllabic
• nobsyllabic
• nomsyllabic
• nojsyllabic
• nohsyllabic
• nonayllabic
• nonzyllabic
• nonxyllabic
• nondyllabic
• noneyllabic
• nonwyllabic

Etymology of NONSYLLABIC

The word "nonsyllabic" is derived from two components: "non-" and "syllabic".

The prefix "non-" in English is derived from the Latin word "non", meaning "not". It is commonly used to indicate negation or absence.

The term "syllabic" comes from the Latin "syllaba" and the Greek "syllabē", both meaning "a syllable". It refers to a unit of sound in a spoken language, consisting of one or more phonemes and constituting a word or part of a word.

Combining "non-" and "syllabic", we get "nonsyllabic", which means "not having syllables" or "not forming syllables".