What is Dissyllabic? Definition and Examples

Dissyllabic refers to a word or phrase that consists of two or more syllables that are pronounced separately, rather than as a single unit. In other words, it is a word or phrase that has a break between its syllables.

For example, the word "dis-syllabic" itself is dissyllabic because it has two syllables, "dis" and "syllabic," that are pronounced separately. Similarly, the phrase "the United States" is dissyllabic because it consists of two syllables, "the" and "United States," that are pronounced separately.

In contrast, a monosyllabic word or phrase is one that consists of only one syllable, such as "cat" or "dog." A polysyllabic word or phrase is one that consists of three or more syllables, such as "elephant" or "philosophy."