polysyllable
Word with many syllables
A polysyllable is a word with multiple syllables—typically three or more.
The term appears mainly in discussions of language, poetry, and readability: Polysyllables slow down prose.
English favors shorter words in casual speech, so heavy use of polysyllables can sound formal or pretentious.
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- multisyllabicHaving many syllables
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
- unwieldyAwkward to manipulate
- cumbersomeAwkwardly heavy or bulky
tongue-twister · mouthful · elaborate · ornate · latinate · technical · jargon · bureaucratese
Study of structural forms
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- etymologyWord origin study
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
- lexicographyCompiling word reference books
philology · syntax · phonetics · sociolinguistics · pragmatics · discourse · syllabification · multisyllabic
Device that measures usage
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- accentuationStress placed on syllables
intonation · prosody · scansion · verse · iamb · trochee · dactyl · anapest
In agreement with
- vowelUnobstructed speech sound
- diphthongComplex vowel gliding between positions
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- articulationClear vocal expression
pronunciation · enunciation · schwa · elision · liaison · alveolar · velar · labial
sesquipedalian
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- multisyllabicHaving many syllables
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
- unwieldyAwkward to manipulate
cumbersome · tongue-twister · mouthful · elaborate · ornate · latinate · technical · jargon · bureaucratese · legalese
morphology
Study of structural forms
lexicography · philology · syntax · phonetics · sociolinguistics · pragmatics · discourse · syllabification · multisyllabic · trisyllable
meter
Device that measures usage
accentuation · intonation · prosody · scansion · verse · iamb · trochee · dactyl · anapest · spondee
consonant
In agreement with
- vowelUnobstructed speech sound
- diphthongComplex vowel gliding between positions
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
articulation · pronunciation · enunciation · schwa · elision · liaison · alveolar · velar · labial · plosive
- syllablessyllabification, syllabication, trisyllable, multisyllabic, onset
- syllables & metertrisyllable, two syllables, three syllables, meter, iambic