What is a mora in phonology?

In phonology, a mora (plural morae or moras; often symbolized as μ) is a unit of time within a syllable. It serves to account for the timing or weight of a syllable, typically associated with the length of a vowel or the presence of a consonant. It constitutes a fundamental property of the timing unit in certain spoken languages, equivalent to or shorter than a syllable. For instance, a short syllable like “ba” consists of one mora (monomoraic), whereas a long syllable like “baa” comprises two (bimoraic). Extra-long syllables with three moras (trimoraic) are relatively uncommon. These metrics are also denoted as syllable weight. In some languages, the contrast between short and long vowels or the timing of consonants is expressed in terms of morae. The concept is employed to analyze and elucidate the rhythmic and timing patterns inherent in syllables.