Syllable weight

Syllable weight refers to how "heavy" or "light" a syllable feels in terms of its length and complexity. It’s determined mainly by the number of sounds or beats within the syllable. A light syllable typically has a simple structure with fewer sounds, like a single vowel or consonant-vowel pattern (e.g., "pa"). A heavy syllable contains more sounds or a longer vowel, making it more substantial (e.g., "pa-per" or "ba-nana"). Syllable weight influences pronunciation rhythms and plays a role in poetry and language meters, affecting the flow and emphasis of speech.