A syllable-timed language is a language whose syllables take approximately equal amounts of time to pronounce.

Two Portuguese students talking together in class

It can be compared with a stress-timed language, where there is approximately the same amount of time between stressed syllables. Learners whose first language can be described as syllable-timed often have problems recognising and then producing features of English such as contractions, main and secondary stress, and elision.

Example
French is described as a syllable-timed language, English as a stress-timed one.

In the classroom
Activities which can help learners with recognition of these features of English include counting the number of words in a spoken sentence, sorting long words according to stress patterns, and dictation.

See also:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/stress-timed

Further links:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/stress-timing
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/connected-speech
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/rhythm

Comments

Submitted by Khankhel on Mon, 03/05/2018 - 09:45

How can it be possible that all syllables have the same time for uttering as it will cause all the syllables to be either stressed or unstressed? What about this”NE DIS JAMAIS JATA’IME”? Are all the syllables stressed or unstressed?

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