polysyllabic word
- noun
- /ˌpɑːlɪˈsɪləbɪk wɜːrd/
:
palabra polisilábica
- A polysyllabic word like 'unbelievable' can be challenging for young readers.
- polysyllabic words reading
Examples
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Mrs. Arnold could repeat this phrase every time Rashan was trying to decode a polysyllabic word, and he could learn to repeat it himself.
Academic text (2014) -
Mrs. Arnold modeled polysyllabic word reading while repeating her precise, simple language.
Academic text (2014) -
Overall, the strategies for polysyllabic word reading and the fluency practice had the desired effect.
Academic text (2014) -
Losing polysyllabic words will mean a corresponding loss of eloquence and precision.
Academic text (2012) -
The present study opted to test a large number of participants on a relatively small sample of prototypically stressed polysyllabic words.
Academic text (2012) -
Purpose: Accurate production of lexical stress within English polysyllabic words is critical for intelligibility and is affected in many speech-language disorders.
Academic text (2012) -
Syllables from polysyllabic words rather than bisyllabic words were used to avoid syllable-final vowel-lengthening effects.
Academic text (2012) -
The inevitable proliferation and technological improvements of translating devices will mean more plainspeak, more monosyllabic words, and fewer polysyllabic words.
Academic text (2012) -
Children often struggle to pronounce a polysyllabic word correctly during their early years of language development.
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Teachers encourage students to learn the meanings of polysyllabic words to enhance their vocabulary.
Antonyms
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'polysyllabic' means 'having several syllables' and simply modifies 'word', so a learner who knows both constituents will infer 'a word with multiple syllables.' This adjective+noun construction follows standard composition patterns (and equivalents exist in many languages), making the meaning directly accessible.
Etymology
The term polysyllabic word comes from two parts: poly- ('many') and -syllabic ('syllables'). Imagine clapping once for each syllable — if you clap more than three times you have a polysyllabic word, so the phrase means a word with more than three syllables.
