Hyphenation ofdisembarrassment
Syllable Division:
dis-em-bar-rass-ment
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/ˌdɪsɪmˈbærəsmənt/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
00010
Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('rass'). The first syllable ('dis') receives secondary stress, while the remaining syllables are unstressed.
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, lightly stressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Open syllable, unstressed.
Closed syllable, stressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix: dis
Old French origin, negative prefix.
Root: barrass
Old French origin, meaning 'to obstruct'.
Suffix: ment
Old French/Latin origin, forms a noun.
The state of being freed from embarrassment or constraint.
Examples:
"She felt a great sense of disembarrassment after explaining the misunderstanding."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Shares the root 'barrass' and the suffix 'ment', exhibiting similar syllabic structure.
Shares the prefix 'dis' and the suffix 'ment', demonstrating consistent prefix/suffix syllabification.
Shares a similar prefix structure and the suffix 'ing', illustrating common English syllabic patterns.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Vowel-Following Consonant Division
Syllables are divided after a vowel when followed by a consonant (e.g., em-, bar-, ment-).
Consonant Cluster Division
Syllables are divided before consonant clusters (e.g., dis-, rass-).
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
Potential for reduced vowel in the first syllable ('dis') in some dialects.
The word's length and multiple consonant clusters require careful application of syllabification rules.
Summary:
The word 'disembarrassment' is divided into five syllables: dis-em-bar-rass-ment. The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('rass'). It's morphologically composed of the prefix 'dis-', the root 'barrass', and the suffix 'ment'. Syllable division follows standard English rules based on vowel-following consonants and consonant clusters.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "disembarrassment" (English (GB))
1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /ˌdɪsɪmˈbærəsmənt/ in General British English.
2. Syllable Division: dis-em-bar-rass-ment
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- Prefix: dis- (Old French, meaning "not" or "opposite of") - negative prefix.
- Root: barrass (Old French embarrasser, meaning "to obstruct, hinder") - to impede or cause difficulty.
- Suffix: -ment (Old French –ment, from Latin –mentum) - forms a noun denoting a state, action, or result.
4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: /ˌdɪsɪmˈbærəsmənt/.
5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˌdɪsɪmˈbærəsmənt/
6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:
- dis-: /dɪs/ - Syllable division occurs before a consonant cluster (s). Rule: Consonant Cluster Division. Potential exception: Some speakers might pronounce this as a single syllable /dɪs/ due to weak stress.
- em-: /ɪm/ - Syllable division occurs after a vowel. Rule: Vowel-Following Consonant Division.
- bar-: /bær/ - Syllable division occurs after a vowel. Rule: Vowel-Following Consonant Division.
- rass-: /ræs/ - Syllable division occurs before a consonant cluster (s). Rule: Consonant Cluster Division.
- ment: /mənt/ - Syllable division occurs after a vowel. Rule: Vowel-Following Consonant Division.
7. Edge Case Review: The word contains multiple consonant clusters, requiring careful application of the consonant cluster division rule. The stress pattern is relatively standard for words of this length and morphological structure.
8. Grammatical Role: "Disembarrassment" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.
9. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: The state of being freed from embarrassment or constraint.
- Grammatical Category: Noun
- Synonyms: relief, ease, liberation, discomfiture removal
- Antonyms: embarrassment, constraint, awkwardness
- Examples: "She felt a great sense of disembarrassment after explaining the misunderstanding."
10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: Some speakers, particularly in American English, might reduce the vowel in the first syllable to a schwa /dɪsɪmˈbærəsmənt/. This doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.
11. Phonological Comparison:
- embarrassment: em-bar-rass-ment - Similar structure, stress on the third syllable.
- disagreement: dis-a-gree-ment - Similar prefix, stress on the second syllable.
- misunderstanding: mis-un-der-stand-ing - Similar prefix, longer word, stress on the third syllable.
The syllable division rules are consistently applied across these words, demonstrating the regularity of English syllabification. The primary difference lies in the stress placement, which is influenced by the length and morphological complexity of each word.
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