Hyphenation ofcounter-clockwise

Analysis of "counter-clockwise" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation: In British English, "counter-clockwise" is typically pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The 'r' in 'counter' is often not pronounced unless followed by a vowel sound in connected speech.

2. Syllable Division: coun-ter-clock-wise

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: counter- (From Middle French contre, ultimately from Latin contra meaning "against"). Function: Indicates opposition or reversal.
• Root: clock (Old English clocca, from Latin clocca meaning "bell"). Function: Refers to a timekeeping device, and by extension, direction.
• Suffix: -wise (Old English wīse meaning "in the manner of"). Function: Forms adverbs indicating direction or manner.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the third syllable: 'clock'.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˌkaʊntəˈklɒkwaɪz/

6. Edge Case Review: Compound words like this can sometimes have variable stress patterns, but the given pattern is the most common in GB English. The linking 'r' is a potential variation.

7. Grammatical Role: "Counter-clockwise" primarily functions as an adverb. It can also function as an adjective (e.g., "counter-clockwise direction"). Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of the part of speech.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Moving or turning in the opposite direction to that which is usual or conventional.
• Grammatical Category: Adverb, Adjective
• Synonyms: anticlockwise, leftward, reverse
• Antonyms: clockwise
• Examples:
  • "Drive counter-clockwise around the roundabout."
  • "The hands of the clock move counter-clockwise in this demonstration."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• clockwise: clock-wise (/ˈklɒkwaɪz/) - Similar structure, stress on 'clock'. The absence of the 'counter-' prefix simplifies the syllable division.
• sunwise: sun-wise (/ˈsʌnwaɪz/) - Similar suffix '-wise', stress on the root. Demonstrates the consistent application of the suffix rule.
• lifewise: life-wise (/ˈlaɪfwaɪz/) - Again, the '-wise' suffix follows the same pattern.

10. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

• coun-: /kaʊn/ - Open syllable, ending in a vowel sound. Rule applied: Vowel-CVC syllable division. Potential exception: The 'ou' diphthong could be considered a single unit, but is commonly divided.
• -ter: /tə/ - Weak syllable, schwa vowel. Rule applied: Consonant-Vowel syllable division. Potential exception: The 't' could potentially be linked to the following syllable in rapid speech.
• -clock: /klɒk/ - Closed syllable, ending in a consonant sound. Rule applied: CVC syllable division. No exceptions.
• -wise: /waɪz/ - Diphthong followed by a consonant. Rule applied: Vowel-C syllable division. No exceptions.

11. Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel-CVC: Syllables are divided after a vowel sound followed by one or more consonants, provided the vowel is not part of a diphthong.
• Consonant-Vowel: Syllables are divided between consonants and vowels.
• CVC: Closed syllables are formed when a vowel is followed by one or more consonants.
• Vowel-C: Syllables are divided between vowels and consonants.

12. Special Considerations: The compound nature of the word and the potential for linking 'r' in connected speech are the main considerations. However, the syllabification remains consistent based on the orthographic form.

13. Short Analysis: "Counter-clockwise" is a four-syllable adverb/adjective derived from Latin and Old English roots. Stress falls on the third syllable ('clock'). Syllabification follows standard English rules, dividing the word based on vowel-consonant boundaries.