Hyphenation ofincommensurability

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

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /ɪn.kɒmˈmensjʊrəbɪlɪti/ in General British English.

2. Syllable Division: in-com-men-sur-a-bil-i-ty

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: commensur- (Latin, commensurare - to measure together) - Relating to a common measure.
• Suffix: -ability (Latin, -abilitas) - Denotes a quality or state of being.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable: sur.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ɪn.kɒmˈmensjʊrəbɪlɪti/

6. Edge Case Review: The sequence "-sur-" can sometimes be ambiguous, but the stress pattern and morphological structure clearly indicate this division. The 'i' at the end of 'ability' is a weak vowel and often reduced.

7. Grammatical Role: The word functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The state of being incapable of being measured or compared by a common standard.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: incomparability, disproportion
• Antonyms: comparability, equivalence
• Examples: "The incommensurability of their experiences made it difficult to find common ground."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Improbability: im-prob-a-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix structure, stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
• Incompatibility: in-com-pat-i-bil-i-ty - Similar prefix and suffix, stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix structure, stress on the antepenultimate syllable.

The key difference in "incommensurability" is the longer root and the resulting shift in stress to the fifth syllable. The other words have shorter roots, leading to stress on the antepenultimate syllable.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• in: /ɪn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Initial syllable, vowel followed by consonant. No exceptions.
• com: /kɒm/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster. Potential exception: could be considered open if the following syllable is heavily reduced, but the clear articulation of /kɒm/ makes it closed.
• men: /mens/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster. No exceptions.
• sur: /ˈsɜːr/ - Stressed, open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: Stress placement.
• a: /ə/ - Open, unstressed syllable. Rule: Single vowel sound. No exceptions.
• bil: /bɪl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster. No exceptions.
• i: /ɪ/ - Open, unstressed syllable. Rule: Single vowel sound. No exceptions.
• ty: /ti/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. No exceptions.

Exceptions/Special Cases:

• The stress pattern is somewhat unusual for a word of this length, but it is consistent with the morphological structure and historical pronunciation.
• The vowel reduction in the unstressed syllables (e.g., 'a' to /ə/) is a common feature of English pronunciation.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant Division: Syllables are often divided between vowels and consonants (e.g., in-com).
2. Consonant Cluster Division: Consonant clusters are often kept together within a syllable (e.g., com-, men-).
3. Stress-Based Division: Stress placement influences syllable perception and can sometimes override other rules.
4. Morpheme Boundary Consideration: Syllable boundaries often align with morpheme boundaries (e.g., in-com-).