1. A unit of spoken language consisting of a single uninterrupted sound formed by a vowel, diphthong, or syllabic consonant alone, or by any of these sounds preceded by, followed by, or surrounded by one or more consonants: The word "doctor" has two syllables and the first syllable is stressed when it is pronounced.

One or more letters, or phonetic symbols, are written or printed to approximate a spoken syllable.

2.Etymology: from Anglo-French sillable, from Old French sillabe, from Latin syllaba, from Greek syllabe, "a syllable, several sounds or letters taken together"; literally, "a taking together" from syn-, "together" + stem of lambanein, "to take".