A monosyllable is a word you say in one beat. Clap as you say it: cat, go, sun, and even through get one clap, so they are monosyllables. Though actually, “one beat” is not the same as “short” or “easy to spell”. Strengths is still one syllable, but it is a heavy little pile of sounds. Teachers, poets, and people who study language use this word when they talk about how English is built. You will also hear a looser use: if someone “answers in monosyllables”, they give tiny replies like yes, no, fine — they are not in the mood to talk. That is about short answers, not about counting beats. The usual adjective is monosyllabic.

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