synalepha

S1Y4N1A1L1E1P3H4A1

noun

The suppression of a vowel at the end of word when it is followed by another word beginning with a vowel.

OriginAncient Greek συναλοιφή →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounsynalepha (countable and uncountable, plural synalephas)

plural synalephas · alternative synalœpha · alternative synaloepha

  1. countablerhetoricuncountablehuman sciencesThe suppression of a vowel at the end of word when it is followed by another word beginning with a vowel.
  2. countablerhetoricuncountablehuman sciencesThe melding into a single syllable of two vowels from two different syllables.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσυναλοιφή“a coalescing, confluence”
  2. Englishsynalepha

Borrowed from Ancient Greek συναλοιφή (sunaloiphḗ, “a coalescing, confluence”) (< Ancient Greek συν- (sun-) + ἀλοιφή (aloiphḗ)).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish synalefa
  • synalefamelding of separate vowels into a single syllable
French synalèphe
  • synalèphemelding of separate vowels into a single syllable
Italian sinalefe
  • sinalefemelding of separate vowels into a single syllable
Portuguese sinalefa
  • sinalefamelding of separate vowels into a single syllable
Spanish sinalefa
  • sinalefamelding of separate vowels into a single syllable
Cite this entry
APA

synalepha. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/synalepha

MLA

“synalepha.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/synalepha. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “synalepha,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/synalepha.

Source: synalepha on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.