Hyphenation ofpara-aminophenol

Linguistic Analysis of "para-aminophenol" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "para-aminophenol" presents challenges due to its complex morphology and the presence of multiple vowels and consonants. The pronunciation in British English (GB) will be the basis of this analysis.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English (GB) syllabification rules, the word is divided as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: para- (Greek origin, meaning "beside," "near," or "similar to"). Morphological function: indicates position or similarity.
• Root: amino- (Latin/Greek origin, relating to ammonia or nitrogenous compounds). Morphological function: core meaning relating to amine groups.
• Suffix: -phenol (Greek origin, meaning "appearing like phenol"). Morphological function: indicates a compound structurally similar to phenol.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: pa-ra-a-mi-no-phe-nol.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌpærəˈæmɪnoʊˌfiːnɒl/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• pa-: /pə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'p' is the onset, 'ə' is the rhyme. No exceptions.
• ra-: /rə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'r' is the onset, 'ə' is the rhyme. No exceptions.
• a-: /æ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Single vowel constitutes a syllable. No exceptions.
• mi-: /ˈmɪ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'm' is the onset, 'ɪ' is the rhyme. Stress is applied here.
• no-: /noʊ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'n' is the onset, 'oʊ' is the rhyme.
• phe-: /fiː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'f' is the onset, 'iː' is the rhyme.
• nol: /nɒl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'n' is the onset, 'ɒl' is the rhyme.

7. Edge Case Review:

The compound nature of the word and the presence of multiple vowels require careful consideration. The division aims to reflect the natural prosodic grouping of the syllables.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Para-aminophenol" primarily functions as a noun, referring to a specific chemical compound. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: An organic compound with the chemical formula C6H7NO. It is a derivative of phenol, containing an amino group in the para position.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: p-Aminophenol
• Antonyms: (Not applicable - it's a specific chemical compound)
• Examples: "Para-aminophenol is a key intermediate in the production of paracetamol."

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents a standard GB pronunciation, slight variations may occur. Some speakers might reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables. This would not significantly alter the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• Acetaminophen: a-ce-ta-mi-no-phe-nol. Similar syllable structure, stress on the 'mi' syllable.
• Phenol: phe-nol. Simpler structure, but shares the '-nol' syllable.
• Aminophenol: a-mi-no-phe-nol. Similar structure, lacking the 'para-' prefix.

The consistent presence of the '-nol' syllable demonstrates a common pattern in compounds containing phenol derivatives. The addition of the 'para-' prefix simply adds two initial syllables, following standard English syllabification rules.