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Hyphenation ofunmelancholically

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

un-mel-an-chol-i-cal-ly

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

/ʌnˌmɛlənˈkɒlɪkli/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0000100

Primary stress falls on the fifth syllable (/ˈkɒlɪ/).

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

un-/ʌn/

Open syllable, unstressed.

mel-/mɛl/

Open syllable, unstressed.

an-/ən/

Open syllable, unstressed.

chol-/kɒl/

Open syllable, unstressed.

i-/ɪ/

Open syllable, unstressed.

cal-/kəl/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

ly-/kli/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

un-(prefix)
+
melancholy(root)
+
-ically(suffix)

Prefix: un-

Old English, negation

Root: melancholy

Middle French from Greek, state of pensive sadness

Suffix: -ically

Latin -ice + English -ally, adverbial suffix

Meanings & Definitions
adverb(grammatical role in sentences)

In a sad or gloomy manner; in a way that shows melancholy.

Examples:

"She spoke unmelancholically about her past, surprisingly."

"He didn't react unmelancholically to the news."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

historicallyhis-tor-i-cal-ly

Shares the '-ically' suffix.

economicallye-co-nom-i-cal-ly

Shares the '-ically' suffix.

logicallylog-i-cal-ly

Shares the '-ically' suffix.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset-Rhyme Division

Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant sound(s)) and the rhyme (vowel and any following consonants).

Vowel as a Syllable

A single vowel can form a syllable on its own.

Consonant-Vowel Division

When a consonant is followed by a vowel, the syllable is typically divided between them.

Special Considerations

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

The prefix 'un-' is consistently separated.

The root 'melancholy' is divided based on its inherent morphemic structure and vowel sounds.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'unmelancholically' is a seven-syllable adverb with primary stress on the fifth syllable. Syllable division follows standard onset-rhyme principles, with each vowel forming a syllable. It's formed from the prefix 'un-', the root 'melancholy', and the suffix '-ically'.

Detailed Analysis:

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

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

2. Syllable Division: un-mel-an-chol-i-cal-ly

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: un- (Old English) - Negation.
  • Root: melancholy (Middle French from Greek melas 'black' + kholē 'bile') - A state of pensive sadness.
  • Suffix: -ically (Latin -ice + English -ally) - Adverbial suffix, forming adverbs from adjectives.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable: /ʌnˌmɛlənˈkɒlɪkli/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ʌnˌmɛlənˈkɒlɪkli/

6. Edge Case Review: The sequence "-chol-" can sometimes be a point of variation, but the standard pronunciation maintains a clear distinction between the syllables.

7. Grammatical Role: The word functions solely as an adverb. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of context.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: In a sad or gloomy manner; in a way that shows melancholy.
  • Grammatical Category: Adverb
  • Synonyms: sadly, gloomily, dejectedly, mournfully
  • Antonyms: cheerfully, happily, joyfully
  • Examples: "She spoke unmelancholically about her past, surprisingly." "He didn't react unmelancholically to the news."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • Historically: /hɪsˈtɒrɪkli/ (Historically) - 4 syllables, stress on the third. Similar suffix -ically but a different root.
  • Economically: /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪkli/ (Economically) - 5 syllables, stress on the third. Similar suffix -ically but a different root.
  • Logically: /ˈlɒdʒɪkli/ (Logically) - 3 syllables, stress on the first. Similar suffix -ically but a different root.

The syllable structure of "unmelancholically" is more complex due to the prefix and the length of the root "melancholy". The other words have simpler root structures. The consistent application of the -ically suffix maintains a similar syllabic pattern in the final portion of each word.

10. Syllable Analysis with Rules:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Rule Applied Exceptions/Special Cases
un- /ʌn/ Open syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, vowel followed by consonant None
mel- /mɛl/ Open syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, vowel followed by consonant None
an- /ən/ Open syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, vowel followed by consonant None
chol- /kɒl/ Open syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, vowel followed by consonant None
i- /ɪ/ Open syllable, unstressed Vowel as a syllable None
cal- /kəl/ Closed syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, consonant followed by vowel and consonant None
ly- /kli/ Closed syllable, unstressed Onset-Rhyme division, consonant followed by vowel and consonant None

11. Division Rules Applied:

  • Onset-Rhyme Division: Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant sound(s)) and the rhyme (vowel and any following consonants).
  • Vowel as a Syllable: A single vowel can form a syllable on its own.
  • Consonant-Vowel Division: When a consonant is followed by a vowel, the syllable is typically divided between them.

12. Special Considerations: The prefix "un-" is consistently separated as its own syllable. The root "melancholy" is divided based on its inherent morphemic structure and vowel sounds.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the given pronunciation is standard for GB English, some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel sounds in unstressed syllables. This wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.

14. Short Analysis: "unmelancholically" is a seven-syllable adverb formed from the prefix "un-", the root "melancholy", and the suffix "-ically". The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable. Syllable division follows standard onset-rhyme principles, with each vowel forming a syllable.

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

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