Which term describes a language with roughly equal syllable-length distribution, commonly called syllable-timed language?

• A. Diphthong
• B. Schwa
• C. Syllable-timed language
• D. Polysemy

Answer: (C)

Rhythm patterns in languages: in syllable-timed languages, syllables tend to have roughly equal duration, so the cadence feels even and the timing is governed by syllables rather than by stressed beats. This contrasts with stress-timed languages, where the rhythm centers on stressed syllables and the lengths of other syllables vary more.

Describing a language with a roughly equal syllable-length distribution uses the term syllable-timed language. The other terms refer to unrelated concepts: a diphthong is a vowel sound that glides within a single syllable, schwa is the neutral unstressed vowel sound, and polysemy is when a single word has multiple meanings.