Mora

/ˈmɔːrə/ noun

Definition

In linguistics, the basic unit of sound that determines rhythm and stress in a language.

Etymology

From Latin 'mora' meaning 'delay or hesitation'. Linguists borrowed the term because each mora represents a unit of timing or 'delay' in speech rhythm.

Kelly Says

A mora is to rhythm what a beat is to music—different languages weight sounds differently, which is why Japanese sounds so different from English even when people speak at similar speeds!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.