Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
morae
Noun
/ˈmɔːr.aɪ/
Definition
Morae are units of measurement in phonology that indicate the length of a syllable or vowel sound.
Examples
- A short vowel can be a single mora, while a long vowel counts as two morae.
- In Japanese, the word ‘sushi’ has two morae: ‘su’ and ‘shi’.
- Some languages use morae to create rhythm and patterns in poetry.
Meaning
In linguistics, morae help to distinguish between short and long segments of speech, affecting the pronunciation and meaning of words.
Synonyms
- syllable unit
- phonological unit
