What is a syllable ? A syllable is a unit of pronunciation that usually contains a vowel sound and/or one or more consonant sounds. Notice that we say a “sound,” not just a vowel or consonant itself. A vowel sound includes the vowel and any surrounding consonants that create a single sound. For example, the word blanket has two syllables: blan + ket. The first syllable is formed from the bl, ay, and n sounds from “blan,” and the second syllable comes from the k, eh, and t sounds in ... What is a syllable in English? A syllable is a unit of spoken language that forms an entire word or parts of words. Syllables are usually made up of a single vowel sound and any surrounding consonant sounds. For instance, the word ‘butter’ contains two syllables: ‘but’ and ‘ter’. What Is a Syllable ? We will begin with a basic definition of the syllable : A syllable is a section of a word. The number of syllables equals the number of sections that the word can be split into. The number of syllables in a word corresponds to the number of sections that ‘stand out’ inside that word. The sounds that stand out are the vowels and syllabic consonants l, m, n. When a vowel sound stands out inside a word (is prominent), it has a kind of magnetic attraction, which is capable ... 6 meanings: 1. a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a.... Click for more definitions.