syllable-timed (adj.)

A very general term used in PHONETICS to characterize the pronunciation of LANGUAGES displaying a particular type of RHYTHM; it is opposed to STRESS-TIMED languages. In syllable-timed languages, the SYLLABLES are said to occur at regular intervals of time, as in French; this characteristic is sometimes referred to as isosyllabism or isosyllabicity. However, very little work has been done on the accuracy or general applicability of such properties, and the usefulness of the typology has been questioned.