0 a single unit of speech, either a whole word or one of the parts into which a word can be separated, usually containing a vowel
1 a single unit of speech, in English usually containing a vowel, consisting of either a whole word or one of the parts into which a word is separated when it is spoken or printed:
The word 'button' has two syllables.
If the final syllable does not have a long vowel or end in two or more consonants, the initial syllable is stressed.
If there is no such syllable, the syllable with a single coda consonant is stressed.
At the same time, stressed syllables are more 'powerful' than unstressed ones.
The best way to elicit a schwa is to direct attention away from it and on to the stressed syllable of the word.
This is because vowels in both primarily and secondarily stressed syllables are rendered strong and not weakened.
Under this approach it is stressed and adjacent syllables that are expected to surface in children's early words.
