Hyphenation ofself-complacently
Syllable Division:
self-com-pla-cent-ly
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/self ˈkɒmpləsəntli/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
00010
Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('cent'). The stress pattern is typical for adverbs formed with the '-ly' suffix.
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, vowel followed by consonants.
Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonants.
Open syllable, vowel preceded by consonant cluster and followed by consonants.
Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonants.
Open syllable, vowel followed by consonants.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix: self
Old English, reflexive pronoun functioning as a prefix.
Root: place
Latin *placere* - to please.
Suffix: complacent
Latin *complacēre* - to please oneself, adjective.
In a self-satisfied manner; smugly.
Examples:
"He smiled self-complacently, pleased with his accomplishment."
"She accepted the praise self-complacently."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Shares the '-ally' suffix and similar stress patterns.
Shares the '-ly' suffix and a similar syllable structure.
Shares the '-ly' suffix and a similar syllable structure.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Vowel-Consonant Division
Syllables are typically divided after vowels followed by consonants.
Consonant Cluster Division
Consonant clusters are maintained within a syllable unless a vowel follows immediately.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
The 'mpl' consonant cluster does not pose a syllabification challenge.
Regional variations in vowel quality may exist but do not alter the syllable division.
Summary:
The word 'self-complacently' is divided into five syllables: self-com-pla-cent-ly. The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable. It's an adverb formed from the adjective 'complacent' with the addition of the '-ly' suffix. Syllable division follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant boundaries.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "self-complacently" (English (GB))
1. Pronunciation Considerations:
The word "self-complacently" is pronounced with a relatively standard Received Pronunciation (RP) accent in British English. The 'l' sounds are typically alveolar lateral approximants, and vowel qualities are consistent with RP standards.
2. Syllable Division:
Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):
self-com-pla-cent-ly
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- Prefix: self- (Old English) - reflexive pronoun functioning as a prefix indicating the action is performed by the subject.
- Root: place (Latin placere - to please) - denoting satisfaction or contentment.
- Suffix: -complacent (Latin complacēre - to please oneself) - adjective meaning showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
- Suffix: -ly (Old English -lice) - adverbial suffix, converting the adjective "complacent" into an adverb.
4. Stress Identification:
The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: com-pla-cent-ly.
5. Phonetic Transcription:
/self ˈkɒmpləsəntli/
6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:
- self: /self/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). No special cases.
- com: /kɒm/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) and ending a syllable. No special cases.
- pla: /plɑː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel preceded by consonant cluster and followed by consonant(s). No special cases.
- cent: /sent/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) and ending a syllable. No special cases.
- ly: /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). No special cases.
7. Edge Case Review:
The sequence "mpl" is a common consonant cluster in English, and doesn't present a syllabification challenge. The vowel sounds are relatively straightforward and follow typical RP pronunciation.
8. Grammatical Role:
"Self-complacently" functions solely as an adverb. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.
9. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: In a self-satisfied manner; smugly.
- Grammatical Category: Adverb
- Synonyms: smugly, contentedly, self-satisfactorily, complacently
- Antonyms: humbly, modestly, unassumingly
- Examples: "He smiled self-complacently, pleased with his accomplishment." "She accepted the praise self-complacently."
10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:
Some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality (e.g., a more open 'a' in "pla"). However, these variations do not significantly alter the syllable division. American English pronunciation might show a reduced vowel in the unstressed syllables.
11. Phonological Comparison:
- Similarly: accidentally (ac-ci-den-tal-ly) - shares the "-ally" suffix and similar stress patterns.
- Similarly: particularly (par-tic-u-lar-ly) - shares the "-ly" suffix and a similar syllable structure.
- Similarly: especially (es-pec-ial-ly) - shares the "-ly" suffix and a similar syllable structure.
The syllable division in all these words follows the same principles: breaking the word at consonant-vowel boundaries or after vowel clusters, and maintaining the integrity of morphemic units. The presence of the "-ly" suffix consistently creates a final open syllable.
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