Aphetic is a term used to describe the loss of an unstressed initial syllable in a word. However, there are several synonyms that can be used in its place. These include 'syncopic', which refers to shortening a word by dropping a letter or sound, or 'eliding', which is the omission of a sound or syllable when speaking. Other synonyms include 'truncating', which involves cutting off the end of a word, and 'clipping', which refers to the shortening of a word by removing one or more syllables. Finally, 'apocopating' is another synonym, which describes the shortening of a word by removing the final syllable.