Hyphenation oftough-mindedness

Analysis of "tough-mindedness" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation: In General British (GB) English, "tough-mindedness" is typically pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. The 'gh' in 'tough' is silent, resulting in a /tʌf/ sound.

2. Syllable Division: tou-gh-mi-ne-dness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: None
• Root: tough (Old English tōh - meaning strong, resilient, difficult) - Adjective
• Suffix: -minded (Middle English gemindede - having a particular disposition) - Adjective-forming suffix, derived from mind (Old English ge-mind - intellect, memory)
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes - state or quality of) - Noun-forming suffix

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the third syllable: mi-ne-dness.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /tʌf ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/

6. Edge Case Review: The 'gh' in 'tough' presents a common orthographic-phonetic discrepancy. The vowel sound in 'tough' can vary slightly depending on regional accents, but the syllabification remains consistent.

7. Grammatical Role: "tough-mindedness" functions solely as a noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if the word were to hypothetically function as another part of speech.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being resolute, determined, and pragmatic; a firm and uncompromising disposition.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: determination, resilience, fortitude, pragmatism, firmness
• Antonyms: weakness, indecisiveness, flexibility, sensitivity
• Examples: "Her tough-mindedness helped her overcome numerous obstacles." "The negotiator's tough-mindedness was essential to reaching a favorable agreement."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• kindness: kin-dness - Similar structure with a root and -ness suffix. Stress falls on the first syllable. Difference: 'kind' is a simpler root structure than 'tough'.
• willingness: wil-ling-ness - Contains a root and two suffixes. Stress falls on the second syllable. Difference: 'willingness' has a more complex morphological structure.
• boldness: bold-ness - Similar structure with a root and -ness suffix. Stress falls on the first syllable. Difference: 'bold' is a monosyllabic root, while 'tough' is a potentially disyllabic root (though pronounced as one).

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant Division: Syllables are often divided after vowels, especially when followed by consonants (e.g., tou-gh, mi-ne).
2. Silent Letter Rule: Silent letters (like 'gh' in 'tough') do not typically create separate syllables.
3. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are easily separable based on pronunciation (e.g., dness).

Special Considerations:

• The silent 'gh' in 'tough' is a historical spelling feature that doesn't affect syllabification.
• The pronunciation of 'tough' as /tʌf/ is crucial for accurate syllabification.
• The suffix '-ness' is consistently treated as a single syllable unit.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the given pronunciation is standard for GB English, some regional variations might exist in vowel quality. However, these variations are unlikely to significantly alter the syllabification.

Short Analysis:

"tough-mindedness" is a noun formed from the root "tough" and suffixes "-minded" and "-ness". It is syllabified as tou-gh-mi-ne-dness, with primary stress on the third syllable. The silent 'gh' in 'tough' is a key orthographic feature. The word's structure is similar to other -ness nouns like "kindness" and "boldness", but differs in the complexity of its root.