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Hyphenation ofexperimentalists

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

ex-per-i-men-tal-ists

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

/ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəlɪsts/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

000100

Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable, '-men-'. The stress pattern is typical for words of this length and structure.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

ex/ɪks/

Open syllable, onset maximization.

per/pɜː/

Open syllable, onset maximization.

i/ɪ/

Open syllable, vowel nucleus.

men/mɛn/

Closed syllable, consonant coda.

tal/təl/

Open syllable, onset maximization.

ists/ɪsts/

Closed syllable, consonant coda.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

ex(prefix)
+
periment(root)
+
al(suffix)

Prefix: ex

Latin origin, derivational, meaning 'out of' or 'thoroughly'.

Root: periment

From Latin *perire* 'to try, attempt', lexical base.

Suffix: al

Latin origin, derivational, forming adjectives.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

People who conduct experiments.

Examples:

"The experimentalists published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

optimistsop-ti-mists

Shares the '-ists' suffix and similar syllable structure.

realistsre-a-lists

Shares the '-ists' suffix and similar syllable structure.

materialistsma-te-ri-a-lists

Shares the '-ists' suffix and similar syllable structure, demonstrating consistent syllabification despite a longer root.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset Maximization

Syllables are formed to maximize the number of consonants in the onset, where phonotactically permissible.

Vowel Nucleus

Each syllable must contain a vowel sound, which serves as the nucleus.

Coda Permissibility

Consonant clusters are allowed in the coda (final position) of a syllable, subject to phonotactic constraints.

Special Considerations

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

The consonant cluster '-sts' is a common and accepted syllable-final sequence in English.

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation may occur, but do not significantly alter the syllabification.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'experimentalists' is divided into six syllables: ex-per-i-men-tal-ists. The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('-men-'). Syllabification follows the principles of onset maximization and vowel nucleus formation, with a permissible consonant cluster in the coda. The word is morphologically complex, comprising a prefix, root, and two suffixes.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "experimentalists" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "experimentalists" is pronounced with a relatively consistent articulation across most GB English dialects. The 'x' is typically pronounced /ks/, and the stress falls on the fourth syllable.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets, is as follows: ex-per-i-men-tal-ists.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: ex- (Latin, meaning "out of," "from," or "thoroughly"). Morphological function: Derivational.
  • Root: periment- (from Latin perire "to try, attempt"). Morphological function: Lexical base.
  • Suffix: -al (Latin, forming adjectives). Morphological function: Derivational.
  • Suffix: -ists (Greek, denoting people associated with a particular practice or belief). Morphological function: Inflectional (forming a noun).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the syllable "-men-".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəlɪsts/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

  • ex-: /ɪks/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset maximization. No exceptions.
  • per-: /pɜː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset maximization. No exceptions.
  • i-: /ɪ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel as syllable nucleus. No exceptions.
  • men-: /mɛn/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster permissible in coda. No exceptions.
  • tal-: /təl/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset maximization. No exceptions.
  • ists: /ɪsts/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster permissible in coda. No exceptions.

7. Edge Case Review:

The consonant cluster "-sts" at the end of the word is a common occurrence in English and doesn't present a significant syllabification challenge.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Experimentalists" functions primarily as a noun. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of grammatical function.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: People who conduct experiments.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: Researchers, investigators, scientists
  • Antonyms: None directly applicable.
  • Examples: "The experimentalists published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal."

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables, but this doesn't affect the core syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

  • optimists: op-ti-mists - Similar structure with a final "-ists" suffix. Syllabification is consistent.
  • realists: re-a-lists - Similar structure with a final "-ists" suffix. Syllabification is consistent.
  • materialists: ma-te-ri-a-lists - Similar structure with a final "-ists" suffix. Syllabification is consistent. The longer root vowel doesn't affect the syllable division rules.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/13/2025

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