downattheheels
The word 'down-at-the-heels' is a phrasal adjective syllabified into four syllables: down-at-the-heels. Stress falls on 'heels'. Syllabification follows the vowel-consonant rule, and each component is treated independently due to the hyphenated structure.
Definitions
- 1
In a poor or dilapidated condition; ruined or degraded.
“The old house looked down-at-the-heels after years of neglect.”
“He was a down-at-the-heels gambler with nothing left to lose.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the final syllable, 'heels'.
Syllables
down — Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.. at — Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.. the — Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant. Schwa vowel reduction is common.. heels — Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant cluster. Long vowel 'ee' influences syllable weight.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Consonant Rule
Syllables are typically divided after vowels, especially when followed by a consonant.
Compound Word Syllabification
Each component of a compound word is syllabified independently.
- Hyphenated structure requires independent syllabification of components.
- Linking/intrusive 'r' sounds can occur in connected speech but do not affect syllabification.
Nearby Words
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Terms getting hyphenated by users right now.