What term is used to describe the language in which syllables take approximately equal amounts of time to pronounce?

What term is used to describe the language in which syllables take approximately equal amounts of time to pronounce?

• A. Syllable-timed language
• B. Stress-timed language
• C. Mora-timed language
• D. Rhythm-timed language

Answer: (A)

In syllable-timed languages, each syllable tends to be spoken for about the same amount of time, which gives the speech a steady, even rhythm. This contrasts with stress-timed languages, where rhythm is organized around regular intervals between stressed syllables and many unstressed syllables vary in length, making the pace feel more irregular. Mora-timed languages use roughly equal time for each mora (a timing unit smaller than a syllable), producing a different kind of rhythm, such as in Japanese. The term rhythm-timed isn’t typically used to describe this pattern. So the language described is syllable-timed.

In syllable-timed languages, each syllable tends to be spoken for about the same amount of time, which gives the speech a steady, even rhythm. This contrasts with stress-timed languages, where rhythm is organized around regular intervals between stressed syllables and many unstressed syllables vary in length, making the pace feel more irregular. Mora-timed languages use roughly equal time for each mora (a timing unit smaller than a syllable), producing a different kind of rhythm, such as in Japanese. The term rhythm-timed isn’t typically used to describe this pattern. So the language described is syllable-timed.