fireextinguishing
Syllables
fire-ex-tin-guish-ing
Pronunciation
/ˈfaɪə ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃɪŋ/
Stress
00010
Morphemes
ex- + ting- + -guish-
The word 'fire-extinguishing' is divided into five syllables: fire-ex-tin-guish-ing. The primary stress falls on 'guish'. It's a compound word with Latin and Old English roots, functioning as an adjective or gerund. Syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns and suffix separation.
Definitions
- 1
Relating to or used for putting out fires.
“The company specializes in fire-extinguishing systems.”
- 1
The act of putting out fires.
“Fire-extinguishing is a vital skill for all firefighters.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('guish'). This is due to the general rule of penultimate stress in -ing words being overridden by the length of the preceding syllable.
Syllables
fire — Open syllable, unstressed.. ex — Closed syllable, unstressed.. tin — Closed syllable, unstressed.. guish — Closed syllable, stressed.. ing — Closed syllable, unstressed.
Word Parts
ex-
Latin origin, meaning 'out of, from'. Creates a verb meaning 'to cause to cease'.
ting-
From *stinguish*, Old English *stingan* meaning 'to sting, quench'. Core meaning related to stopping or suppressing.
-guish-
Old English *gewiscan* meaning 'to make certain, distinguish'. Forms the verb stem.
Similar Words
Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) Rule
Applied in 'tin' and 'guish', where a vowel is followed by two consonants, creating a syllable break before the consonant cluster.
Open Syllable Rule
Applied in 'fire', where the syllable ends in a vowel sound, creating an open syllable.
Suffix Rule
The -ing suffix forms a separate syllable.
- The compound nature of the word (fire + extinguishing) doesn't significantly alter the syllabification.
- Regional variations in pronunciation might slightly affect the vowel sounds, but not the syllable division.
Nearby Words
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