underachievement
Syllables
un-der-a-chieve-ment
Pronunciation
/ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvmənt/
Stress
00010
Morphemes
under- + achieve + -ment
“Underachievement” is a five-syllable word (un-der-a-chieve-ment) with primary stress on the fourth syllable (/ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvmənt/). It's morphologically composed of the prefix “under-”, the root “achieve”, and the suffix “-ment”. Syllable division follows vowel-following and consonant cluster rules. It functions as a noun denoting a lack of expected success.
Definitions
- 1
The fact of not doing as well as one is capable of; failure to reach one's potential.
“His underachievement in mathematics was a source of concern.”
“The school is trying to address the problem of student underachievement.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('chieve'). The first three and last syllables are unstressed.
Syllables
un — Open syllable, unstressed.. der — Open syllable, unstressed.. a — Open syllable, unstressed.. chieve — Closed syllable, stressed.. ment — Closed syllable, unstressed.
Word Parts
Vowel-Following Rule
Syllables are generally divided after vowels.
Consonant Cluster Rule
Consonant clusters are often maintained within a syllable, unless they are easily separable.
Stress Placement Rule
Stress typically falls on the root syllable or a syllable within the root.
- Potential division of 'chieve' as 'chi-eve', but 'a-chieve' is more common.
- Regional variations in pronunciation might lead to slight differences in syllable boundaries.
Nearby Words
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