Synalepha is a phonological phenomenon in poetry, especially prominent in Spanish and Italian versification, where two adjacent vowels across word boundaries are pronounced as a single syllable, thereby preserving metrical count and fluidity; for example, “la alma” becomes one syllable instead of two; this elision is crucial for maintaining the intended rhythm in syllabic meters and reflects the interplay between orthography and orality, allowing poets to achieve seamless cadence while adhering to strict formal constraints, as in the hendecasyllabic lines of Garcilaso or the terza rima of Dante.

Elision of vowels between words for metrical smoothness. Classical prosody technique adapted to English. Essential for scanning Romance language verse and Latin.