Syllables

noun
1.
an uninterrupted segment of speech consisting of a vowel sound, a diphthong, or a syllabic consonant, with or without preceding or following consonant sounds:
“Eye,” “sty,” “act,” and “should” are English words of one syllable. “Eyelet,” “stifle,” “enact,” and “shouldn’t” are two-syllable words.
2.
one or more written letters or characters representing more or less exactly such an element of speech.
3.
the slightest portion or amount of speech or writing; the least mention:
Do not breathe a syllable of all this.
verb (used with object), syllabled, syllabling. Chiefly Literary.
4.
to utter in syllables; articulate.
5.
to represent by syllables.
verb (used without object), syllabled, syllabling. Chiefly Literary.
6.
to utter syllables; speak.
noun
1.
a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a sonant or vowel) and may or may not contain less sonorous elements (consonants or semivowels) flanking it on either or both sides: for example “paper” has two syllables See also open (sense 34b), closed (sense 6a)
2.
(in the writing systems of certain languages, esp ancient ones) a symbol or set of symbols standing for a syllable
3.
the least mention in speech or print: don’t breathe a syllable of it
4.
in words of one syllable, simply; bluntly
verb
5.
to pronounce syllables of (a text); articulate
6.
(transitive) to write down in syllables

syllable definition

A basic unit of speech generally containing only one vowel sound. The word basic contains two syllables (ba-sic). The word generally contains four (gen-er-al-ly). (See hyphen.)
see: words of one syllable