nonsyllabic

adjective

1. not forming a syllable or the nucleus of a syllable; consisting of a consonant sound accompanied in the same syllable by a vowel sound or consisting of a vowel sound dominated by other vowel sounds in a syllable (as the second vowel in a falling diphthong)

- the nonsyllabic `n' in `botany' when it is pronounced `botny'

- the nonsyllabic `i' in `oi'

Similar word(s): unsyllabled, unsyllabic

2. (of speech sounds) not forming or capable of forming the nucleus of a syllable

- initial `l' in `little' is nonsyllabic