length
Plural
lengths
1
the distance from one end to the other end of an object that shows how long it is
- What is the length of the hallway?
- The length of the swimming pool is twenty-five meters.
- She measured the length of the rope to ensure it was long enough.
- Please provide the length of the box so I can choose the right packaging.
- The length of the football field is one hundred yards.
2
continuance in time
Synonyms:
3
the property of being the extent of something from beginning to end
4
size of the gap between two places
Synonyms:
5
a section of something that is long and narrow
6
the duration of a speech sound, whether it is a vowel or a consonant
Length, in the context of phonetics, refers to the duration or amount of time a sound is held during pronunciation. It can apply to both vowels and consonants, affecting the overall quality of speech. Long sounds are held for a greater duration than short sounds, which can change the meaning of words in some languages. For example, in Japanese, the difference between a short vowel sound and a long vowel sound can change a word's meaning, such as "biru" (beer) versus "biiru" (building). Understanding length is important for accurate pronunciation and comprehension in various languages.