selfrighteousness
The word 'self-righteousness' is divided into four syllables: self-right-eous-ness. The primary stress falls on 'eous'. The syllabification follows standard English rules prioritizing vowel-consonant patterns and maximizing onsets. The word is morphologically complex, comprising a prefix, root, and two suffixes.
Definitions
- 1
The quality of feeling or showing that one is morally superior to other people.
“Her self-righteousness was infuriating.”
“He spoke with an air of self-righteousness.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('eous'). The stress pattern is typical for words with the '-eous' suffix.
Syllables
self — Open syllable, initial syllable.. right — Open syllable, containing a diphthong.. eous — Closed syllable, containing a long vowel and schwa.. ness — Closed syllable, containing a schwa.
Word Parts
Similar Words
V-C-V Pattern
Syllable division occurs before the vowel when a vowel is followed by a consonant and then another vowel.
Maximize Onsets
Prioritizes creating syllables with consonant clusters at the beginning (onsets).
Avoid Stranded Consonants
Avoids leaving single consonants at the end of a syllable without a following vowel.
- The schwa sound (/ə/) in 'eous' and 'ness' can lead to variations in perceived syllable boundaries, but the division remains consistent with phonological principles.
- Non-rhoticity in GB English affects the pronunciation of /r/ after vowels, but does not alter the syllable division.
Nearby Words
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