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Hyphenation oftriskaidekaphobia

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

tris-ka-i-de-ka-pho-bi-a

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/ˌtrɪskəˌdeɪkəˈfoʊbiə/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

01001001

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable ('pho'). The stress pattern is trochaic, with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

tris/trɪs/

Open syllable, onset cluster 'tr'

ka/kə/

Open syllable

i/ɪ/

Open syllable

de/deɪ/

Open syllable, diphthong

ka/kə/

Open syllable

pho/foʊ/

Open syllable, diphthong

bi/bi/

Open syllable

a/ə/

Open syllable, schwa

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

tris-(prefix)
+
kaideka-(root)
+
-phobia(suffix)

Prefix: tris-

Latin origin, meaning 'three'

Root: kaideka-

From Greek 'deka' (ten) and 'kai' (and), representing 'thirteen'

Suffix: -phobia

Greek origin, meaning 'fear of'

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

Extreme or irrational fear of the number thirteen.

Examples:

"Her triskaidekaphobia meant she refused to stay on the thirteenth floor of the hotel."

"Many people with triskaidekaphobia avoid Friday the 13th."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

photographypho-to-gra-phy

Shares a similar structure with multiple syllables and consonant clusters.

psychologypsy-cho-lo-gy

Shares the '-ology' suffix, demonstrating a common morphological pattern.

hippopotamuship-po-po-ta-mus

Demonstrates a similar pattern of multiple syllables and vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Maximizing Onset Principle

Consonants are assigned to the following vowel whenever possible to create permissible syllable structures.

Vowel After Consonant

Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable.

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

The word's length and complex consonant clusters require careful application of the maximizing onset principle.

The schwa sound /ə/ in the final syllable is common in unstressed syllables in English.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

Triskaidekaphobia is an eight-syllable noun with primary stress on the penultimate syllable. Syllable division follows the maximizing onset principle and vowel-after-consonant rule. It's a complex word formed from Greek and Latin morphemes denoting 'fear of thirteen'.

Detailed Analysis:

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

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /ˌtrɪskəˌdeɪkəˈfoʊbiə/ in General British English.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets, is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: tris- (Latin, meaning "three")
  • Root: kaideka- (from Greek deka meaning "ten", combined with a form related to kai meaning "and") - representing "thirteen"
  • Suffix: -phobia (Greek, meaning "fear of")

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: /ˌtrɪskəˌdeɪkəˈfoʊbiə/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˌtrɪskəˌdeɪkəˈfoʊbiə/

6. Edge Case Review: This word is a complex compound, and syllable division relies heavily on recognizing the morphemic boundaries and applying sonority sequencing principles. There are no major exceptions to standard English syllabification rules.

7. Grammatical Role: "Triskaidekaphobia" functions solely as a noun. Stress remains consistent regardless of grammatical context (as it only has one grammatical role).

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Extreme or irrational fear of the number thirteen.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: None readily available; it's a very specific phobia.
  • Antonyms: None applicable.
  • Examples:
    • "Her triskaidekaphobia meant she refused to stay on the thirteenth floor of the hotel."
    • "Many people with triskaidekaphobia avoid Friday the 13th."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • Photography: pho-to-gra-phy. Similar in having multiple syllables and consonant clusters. "Triskaidekaphobia" has more complex clusters and a longer overall structure.
  • Psychology: psy-cho-lo-gy. Shares the "-ology" suffix, but differs in the complexity of the initial syllable.
  • Hippopotamus: hip-po-po-ta-mus. Demonstrates a similar pattern of multiple syllables and vowel reduction in unstressed syllables, but has a different stress pattern and syllable structure.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Syllable Division Rule Exceptions/Special Cases
tris /trɪs/ Open syllable, onset cluster "tr" Maximizing Onset Principle None
ka /kə/ Open syllable Vowel After Consonant None
i /ɪ/ Open syllable Vowel After Consonant None
de /deɪ/ Open syllable, diphthong Vowel After Consonant None
ka /kə/ Open syllable Vowel After Consonant None
pho /foʊ/ Open syllable, diphthong Vowel After Consonant None
bi /bi/ Open syllable Vowel After Consonant None
a /ə/ Open syllable, schwa Vowel After Consonant None

Syllable Division Rules Applied:

  1. Maximizing Onset Principle: Consonants are assigned to the following vowel whenever possible.
  2. Vowel After Consonant: Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable.

Exceptions/Special Cases Considered:

  • The word's length and complex consonant clusters require careful application of the maximizing onset principle.
  • The schwa sound /ə/ in the final syllable is common in unstressed syllables in English.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Minor variations in vowel quality (e.g., /ə/ vs. /ɪ/) might occur depending on regional accents, but these do not significantly alter the syllable division.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/9/2025

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What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.