HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofworldly-mindedness

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

world-ly-mind-ed-ness

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

/ˈwɜːldli ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

10000

Primary stress falls on the first syllable ('world'). The remaining syllables are unstressed.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

world/wɜːld/

Closed syllable, CVC structure, primary stress.

ly/li/

Open syllable, VC structure, weak syllable.

mind/maɪnd/

Closed syllable, CVC structure.

ed/ɪd/

Closed syllable, VC structure, weak syllable.

ness/nəs/

Closed syllable, CVC structure.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

world(prefix)
+
mind(root)
+
edness(suffix)

Prefix: world

Old English origin, adjectival base.

Root: mind

Old English origin, noun base.

Suffix: edness

Combination of -ed (past participle/adjective forming) and -ness (noun forming) suffixes, Old English origin.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

The state of being concerned with worldly affairs and pleasures rather than spiritual ones.

Examples:

"His worldly-mindedness prevented him from appreciating the beauty of simple living."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

happinesshap-pi-ness

Similar CVC structure in the final syllables and suffixation.

kindnesskind-ness

Similar suffix structure and stress pattern.

thoughtfulnessthought-ful-ness

Similar compound structure and suffixation.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Consonant (VC)

Syllables often end in a vowel sound followed by a consonant.

Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC)

Syllables often contain a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant.

Stress Placement

Primary stress influences syllable prominence and can affect vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

Special Considerations

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

Non-rhoticity of 'r' in GB English.

Weak syllable reduction in '-ly', '-ed', and '-ness'.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'worldly-mindedness' is divided into five syllables: world-ly-mind-ed-ness. Primary stress falls on 'world'. It's a noun formed from the prefix 'world', root 'mind', and suffixes '-ed' and '-ness'. Syllabification follows standard English rules of VC and CVC structures, with considerations for weak syllable reduction and non-rhoticity.

Detailed Analysis:

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

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "worldly-mindedness" presents challenges due to the compound structure and the presence of multiple morphemes. British English pronunciation generally exhibits non-rhoticity, meaning the 'r' sound is not pronounced after a vowel unless followed by another vowel. Stress patterns are crucial for accurate syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: world- (Old English woruld, meaning "human existence, the earth, the universe"). Morphological function: Adjectival base.
  • Root: -mind- (Old English ge-mind, meaning "attention, memory, purpose"). Morphological function: Noun base.
  • Suffix: -ed- (Old English -ed). Morphological function: Past participle/adjective forming suffix.
  • Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes, from -nessu). Morphological function: Noun forming suffix.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the first syllable: world-ly-mind-ed-ness.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈwɜːldli ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

  • world /wɜːld/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) structure. Exception: The 'r' is not pronounced post-vocalically in GB English.
  • ly /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) structure. Exception: Often forms a weak syllable.
  • mind /maɪnd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: CVC structure.
  • ed /ɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) structure. Exception: This is a weak syllable, often reduced to /əd/ or /d/.
  • ness /nəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) structure.

7. Edge Case Review:

The compound nature of the word and the presence of suffixes can lead to ambiguity. However, the established rules of English syllabification, combined with stress patterns, provide a clear breakdown.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Worldly-mindedness" functions primarily as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: The state of being concerned with worldly affairs and pleasures rather than spiritual ones.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: materialism, secularism, worldliness, pragmatism
  • Antonyms: spirituality, asceticism, idealism
  • Examples: "His worldly-mindedness prevented him from appreciating the beauty of simple living."

10. Phonological Comparison:

  • happiness: hap-pi-ness. Similar CVC structure in the final syllables.
  • kindness: kind-ness. Similar suffix structure and stress pattern.
  • thoughtfulness: thought-ful-ness. Similar compound structure and suffixation.

The differences lie in the complexity of the initial morphemes. "Worldly-mindedness" has a more complex prefix and root than the other words, leading to a longer and more nuanced syllabification.

11. Division Rules:

  • Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables often end in a vowel sound followed by a consonant.
  • Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC): Syllables often contain a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant.
  • Stress Placement: Primary stress influences syllable prominence and can affect vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

12. Special Considerations:

The 'r' sound in "worldly" is non-rhotic in GB English, impacting the phonetic realization but not the orthographic syllabification. The weak syllables "-ly", "-ed", and "-ness" are prone to reduction in rapid speech.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/7/2025

The hottest word splits in English (GB)

See what terms are trending and getting hyphenated by users right now.

What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of dividing words across lines in print or on websites. It involves inserting hyphens (-) where a word breaks to continue on the next line.

Proper hyphenation improves readability by reducing the unevenness of word spacing and unnecessary large gaps. It also helps avoid confusion that may occur when part of a word carries over. Ideal hyphenation should break words according to pronunciation and syllables. Most word processors and publishing apps have automated tools to handle hyphenation effectively based on language rules and dictionaries. Though subtle, proper hyphenation improves overall typography and reading comfort.