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Hyphenation ofdimethylnitrosamine

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

di-me-thyl-ni-tro-sa-mine

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/ˌdaɪ.meθɪl.naɪˈtrɒs.ə.miːn/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0000101

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable ('tro'). The stress pattern is 0 (unstressed) - 0 (unstressed) - 0 (unstressed) - 0 (unstressed) - 1 (stressed) - 0 (unstressed) - 1 (stressed).

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

di/daɪ/

Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

me/meθ/

Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

thyl/θɪl/

Onset with consonant cluster /θr/, followed by vowel.

ni/naɪ/

Open syllable, vowel preceded by consonant.

tro/trɒ/

Onset with consonant cluster /tr/, followed by vowel.

sa/sə/

Open syllable, schwa vowel following consonant.

mine/miːn/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

di-(prefix)
+
methyl-(root)
+
-amine(suffix)

Prefix: di-

Greek origin, meaning 'two', indicates quantity.

Root: methyl-

Greek origin (*methylon*), denotes the chemical group.

Suffix: -amine

Germanic origin (*amin*), indicates a class of organic compounds.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

A yellowish, oily liquid; a potent carcinogen used in chemical research.

Examples:

"Dimethylnitrosamine is a known contaminant in some water supplies."

"Researchers use dimethylnitrosamine to induce liver cancer in animal models."

Synonyms: NDMA
Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

methamphetamineme-tham-phe-ta-mine

Similar structure with consonant clusters and schwa vowels.

chloramphenicolchlo-ram-phe-ni-col

Similar structure with consonant clusters.

dichloromethanedi-chlo-ro-me-thane

Similar prefix ('di-'), consonant clusters, and schwa vowels.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Maximize Onsets

Consonant clusters are generally kept together at the beginning of a syllable.

Avoid Stranded Consonants

Consonants are not left at the end of a syllable unless necessary.

Vowel-Consonant Division

Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

Non-rhoticity of GB English ('r' not pronounced after vowels unless followed by another vowel).

Potential reduction of schwa vowels in rapid speech.

The /θr/ cluster can be reduced in rapid speech.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

Dimethylnitrosamine is a seven-syllable word (di-me-thyl-ni-tro-sa-mine) with primary stress on the penultimate syllable. It's a complex word morphologically, composed of Greek and Germanic roots and affixes. Syllabification follows standard English rules prioritizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants. It functions as a noun denoting a chemical compound.

Detailed Analysis:

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

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "dimethylnitrosamine" presents challenges due to its length and the presence of multiple vowels and consonant clusters. British English pronunciation generally exhibits non-rhoticity, meaning the 'r' sound is not pronounced after a vowel unless followed by another vowel. Stress placement is crucial for accurate pronunciation.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, which prioritize maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable) and avoiding stranded consonants, the word is divided as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • di-: Prefix (Greek origin, meaning "two"). Morphological function: indicates quantity.
  • methyl-: Root (Greek origin, methylon meaning "new wine", later applied to alcohol). Morphological function: denotes the chemical group.
  • nitroso-: Root (Latin origin, nitrosus meaning "nitrous"). Morphological function: denotes the chemical group.
  • -amine: Suffix (Germanic origin, from amin meaning "nitrogenous"). Morphological function: indicates a class of organic compounds.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: di-me-thyl-ni-tro-sa-mine.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌdaɪ.meθɪl.naɪˈtrɒs.ə.miːn/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Syllable IPA Transcription Rule Explanation Potential Exceptions
di /daɪ/ Vowel followed by consonant. Open syllable. None
me /meθ/ Vowel followed by consonant. Open syllable. None
thyl /θɪl/ Consonant cluster (/θr/) followed by vowel. Maximizing onset. The /θr/ cluster is common in English, but can be reduced in rapid speech.
ni /naɪ/ Vowel preceded by consonant. Open syllable. None
tro /trɒ/ Consonant cluster (/tr/) followed by vowel. Maximizing onset. None
sa /sə/ Schwa vowel following consonant. Open syllable. Schwa can be reduced or elided in rapid speech.
mine /miːn/ Vowel followed by consonant. Closed syllable. None

7. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "nitroso" can sometimes be pronounced with a slightly reduced vowel in "so", but the standard pronunciation maintains a clear schwa. The 'r' in 'dimethyl' is non-rhotic in GB English.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Dimethylnitrosamine" functions primarily as a noun, specifically a chemical compound. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical context, as it's not inflected.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: A yellowish, oily liquid; a potent carcinogen used in chemical research.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: NDMA (abbreviation)
  • Antonyms: (None applicable - it's a specific chemical compound)
  • Examples: "Dimethylnitrosamine is a known contaminant in some water supplies." "Researchers use dimethylnitrosamine to induce liver cancer in animal models."

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents standard GB English, slight variations in vowel quality or stress intensity may occur depending on regional accents. American English pronunciation would likely be rhotic, pronouncing the 'r' sounds.

11. Phonological Comparison:

Word Syllables Syllable Structure Comparison
dimethylnitrosamine di-me-thyl-ni-tro-sa-mine Complex, with multiple consonant clusters and schwa vowels.
methamphetamine me-tham-phe-ta-mine Similar structure, with consonant clusters and schwa vowels. Stress pattern also falls on the penultimate syllable.
chloramphenicol chlo-ram-phe-ni-col Similar structure, with consonant clusters. Stress pattern is different, falling on the 'phe' syllable.
dichloromethane di-chlo-ro-me-thane Similar prefix ("di-"), consonant clusters, and schwa vowels. Stress pattern is different.

The syllable structures are comparable, all featuring consonant clusters and varying vowel qualities. Differences in stress placement are due to the inherent rhythmic patterns of each word.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/6/2025

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