Hyphenation ofcomprehensibility

Linguistic Analysis of "comprehensibility" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "comprehensibility" is pronounced /ˌkɒmprɪˌhɛnsɪˈbɪlɪti/ in General British English. It features multiple syllables and a complex vowel structure.

2. Syllable Division:

com-pre-hen-si-bil-i-ty

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: com- (Latin, meaning "with" or "together") - Intensifying prefix.
• Root: prehend (Latin, meaning "to grasp, seize, understand") - The core meaning of understanding.
• Suffix: -en- (Latin, adjectival suffix) - Forms an adjective.
• Suffix: -sibility (Latin, -sibilis + -ity) - Forms a noun denoting the quality of being able to be done or understood.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: /ˌkɒmprɪˌhɛnsɪˈbɪlɪti/. Secondary stress is on the first syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌkɒmprɪˌhɛnsɪˈbɪlɪti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-hen-" can sometimes be a point of syllabification ambiguity, but in this case, it's clearly a distinct syllable due to the vowel sound. The 'i' in 'bility' is often reduced to a schwa /ɪ/ in unstressed syllables.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Comprehensibility" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being comprehensible; the ease with which something can be understood.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: understandability, clarity, intelligibility, perceptibility
• Antonyms: obscurity, incomprehensibility, ambiguity
• Example Usage: "The comprehensibility of the instructions was greatly improved by the use of diagrams."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Similar structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.
• Accessibility: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty - Similar structure, stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
• Possibility: pos-si-bil-i-ty - Shorter, but shares the "-bility" suffix and similar syllabic structure.

The consistent presence of "-bility" dictates a similar syllabification pattern in these words. The differences in stress placement are due to the varying number of preceding syllables and the inherent stress rules of English.

Syllable Breakdown Details:

• com-: /kɒm/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.
• pre-: /prɪ/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.
• hen-: /hɛn/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.
• si-: /sɪ/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.
• bil-: /bɪl/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.
• i-: /ɪ/ - Open syllable, vowel. Rule: Vowel alone.
• ty-: /ti/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern.

Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.
• Vowel Alone: A single vowel constitutes a syllable.

Special Considerations:

The word's length and the presence of multiple vowels and consonants require careful application of syllabification rules. The Latinate origin influences the vowel sounds and syllable structure.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents General British English, some regional variations might exist in vowel quality or stress placement, but these variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.