surfacescratching
Syllables
sur-face-scratch-ing
Pronunciation
/ˈsɜːrfəs ˈskrætʃɪŋ/
Stress
0100
Morphemes
surface- + scratch + -ing
The word 'surface-scratching' is divided into four syllables: sur-face-scratch-ing. The primary stress falls on 'scratch'. It's a compound word with a prefix ('surface-'), a root ('scratch'), and a suffix ('-ing'). Syllable division follows the principles of maximizing onsets and respecting vowel sounds, typical of English phonology.
Definitions
- 1
Relating to or involving only a superficial examination or treatment of a subject.
“The report offered only a surface-scratching understanding of the problem.”
“His investigation was merely surface-scratching.”
- 1
The act of superficially examining or treating a subject.
“Surface-scratching is not enough to solve the problem.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the second syllable ('scratch'). This is typical for verb-derived gerunds/present participles in compounds.
Syllables
sur — Open syllable, vowel sound followed by a consonant.. face — Open syllable, vowel sound followed by a consonant.. scratch — Closed syllable, consonant cluster onset, vowel sound followed by a consonant.. ing — Closed syllable, nasal consonant coda.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Coda Rule
Syllables generally end with a vowel sound.
Maximizing Onsets
Consonant clusters are preferred at the beginning of syllables.
Consonant-Coda Rule
Syllables can end with consonants.
- The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morpheme boundaries.
- The non-rhoticity of GB English doesn't affect the syllable division.
Nearby Words
17 wordsTrending in English (GB)
Terms getting hyphenated by users right now.