Hyphenation ofdevils-on-horseback
Syllable Division:
de-vils-on-horse-back
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/ˌdevɪlz ɒn ˈhɔːsbæk/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
01011
Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('horse'). Secondary stress on the first syllable ('de').
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, initial syllable, often stressed.
Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant cluster.
Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.
Closed syllable, primary stress.
Open syllable.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix:
Root: devil
Middle English from Old French *diable*, from Latin *diabolus*.
Suffix: s
English plural marker.
A savoury appetiser consisting of dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon, then baked or grilled.
Examples:
"We started the meal with some delicious devils-on-horseback."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Similar CVC-CVC syllable structure.
Similar CVC-CVC-CVC syllable structure.
Similar CVC-CVC syllable structure.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Vowel followed by a consonant
Syllables are often divided after a vowel when followed by a consonant.
Vowel followed by a consonant cluster
Syllables are divided before the consonant cluster.
Compound Noun Division
Compound nouns are divided based on the constituent morphemes and stress patterns.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
The hyphenated structure influences perceived syllable boundaries.
Regional variations in vowel pronunciation may occur.
Summary:
The word 'devils-on-horseback' is divided into five syllables: de-vils-on-horse-back. Primary stress falls on 'horse'. It's a compound noun with a complex morphemic structure, and syllable division follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "devils-on-horseback" (English (GB))
1. Pronunciation:
The word "devils-on-horseback" is pronounced as /ˌdevɪlz ɒn ˈhɔːsbæk/ in General British English.
2. Syllable Division:
The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only the original letters, is: de-vils-on-horse-back
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- devil: Root. Origin: Middle English from Old French diable, from Latin diabolus. Morphological function: Noun, referring to a malicious spirit.
- s: Suffix. Origin: English. Morphological function: Plural marker.
- on: Preposition. Origin: Old English ān. Morphological function: Indicates location or attachment.
- horseback: Compound noun. Origin: English. Morphological function: Noun, referring to the back of a horse. Composed of 'horse' (Old English hors) and 'back' (Old English bac).
4. Stress Identification:
The primary stress falls on the third syllable: 'horse'. The secondary stress falls on the first syllable: 'de'.
5. Phonetic Transcription:
/ˌdevɪlz ɒn ˈhɔːsbæk/
6. Syllable Analysis & Rule Application:
- de: /di/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. Exception: Initial syllable often receives stress.
- vils: /vɪlz/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant cluster.
- on: /ɒn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.
- horse: /hɔːs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. Primary stress.
- back: /bæk/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.
7. Edge Case Review:
The compound noun "horseback" is treated as a single unit for stress assignment, despite being composed of two morphemes. The hyphenated structure influences the perceived syllable boundaries.
8. Grammatical Role:
"Devils-on-horseback" functions solely as a noun (a culinary dish). Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical context, as it's a fixed phrase.
9. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: A savoury appetiser consisting of dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon, then baked or grilled.
- Grammatical Category: Noun (compound noun)
- Synonyms: Stuffed dates, bacon-wrapped dates
- Antonyms: (None applicable - it's a specific dish)
- Examples: "We started the meal with some delicious devils-on-horseback."
10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:
Regional variations in pronunciation might affect vowel quality (e.g., /ɑː/ instead of /ɔː/ in "horse"). However, the core syllable division remains consistent. Some speakers might reduce the vowel in "on" to a schwa /ən/.
11. Phonological Comparison:
- blackboard: black-board /blæk.bɔːd/ - Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC). Stress on the second syllable.
- headmaster: head-mas-ter /hed.mæs.tə/ - Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC-CVC). Stress on the second syllable.
- footsteps: foot-steps /fʊt.steps/ - Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC). Stress on the first syllable.
The differences in stress placement are due to the inherent prosodic weight of the morphemes and the overall rhythmic structure of the words. "Devils-on-horseback" has a more complex structure due to the preposition "on" and the compound noun "horseback", leading to a different stress pattern.
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