Hyphenation ofresponsibilities

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

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "responsibilities" is a noun in British English. Its pronunciation involves multiple syllables and a complex interplay of vowel and consonant sounds. The stress pattern is crucial for accurate syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English (GB) syllabification rules, the word divides as follows: re-spon-si-bil-i-ties.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: re- (Latin, meaning "again," "back"). Morphological function: intensifier/repetition.
• Root: spond- (Latin spondere, meaning "to pledge," "to promise"). Morphological function: core meaning related to taking on obligations.
• Suffixes:
  • -sible- (Latin, adjectival suffix indicating capability or possibility). Morphological function: forms an adjective from the root.
  • -i- (connecting vowel, often used after sible before adding another suffix). Morphological function: facilitates pronunciation.
  • -ties- (English, pluralizing suffix for nouns). Morphological function: indicates multiple responsibilities.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: re-spon-si-bil-i-ties.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/rɪˌspɒn.sɪˈbɪl.ɪ.tiːz/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-sible-" can sometimes be a point of variation, but in this case, it's a well-established morpheme and doesn't present a significant edge case. The final "-ties" is a common plural suffix and doesn't cause issues.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Responsibilities" primarily functions as a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to derive a verb ("to responsibilize"), it's extremely rare and would likely shift the stress pattern. The noun form's syllabification is standard.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Things that one is responsible for.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (plural, countable)
• Synonyms: duties, obligations, commitments, tasks
• Antonyms: freedoms, liberties, non-obligations
• Examples: "She juggled her work and family responsibilities." "Taking on new responsibilities can be challenging."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Possibilities: /ˌpɒs.ɪˈbɪl.ɪ.tiːz/ - Syllable division: pos-si-bil-i-ties. Similar structure with "-sible-" and "-ties". Stress falls on the third syllable.
• Sensibilities: /ˌsen.sɪˈbɪl.ɪ.tiːz/ - Syllable division: sen-si-bil-i-ties. Again, the "-sible-" and "-ties" pattern is consistent. Stress on the third syllable.
• Responsibilities: /rɪˌspɒn.sɪˈbɪl.ɪ.tiːz/ - Syllable division: re-spon-si-bil-i-ties. The initial consonant cluster "resp-" differs from the others, influencing the first syllable's structure.

10. Division Rules:

• Vowel Rule: Each syllable generally contains one vowel sound.
• Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are often split, but attempts are made to keep affixes intact.
• Morpheme Boundary Rule: Syllable division often respects morpheme boundaries.
• Stress-Timing Rule: English is a stress-timed language, influencing syllable duration and prominence.

11. Special Considerations:

The initial "re-" prefix is a common element, and its separation is standard. The "-sible" suffix is a relatively stable unit. The final "-ties" is a straightforward pluralization. No major exceptions are present.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents a standard GB pronunciation, slight variations in vowel quality (e.g., /ɒ/ vs. /ɔ/) might occur depending on regional accents. These variations wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.