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Hyphenation ofanti-intellectual

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

an-ti-in-tel-lec-tu-al

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

/ˌæntiˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0100101

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable ('lek'). The first and third syllables have secondary stress.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

an/æn/

Open syllable, initial syllable

ti/ti/

Closed syllable

in/ɪn/

Closed syllable

tel/tɛl/

Closed syllable

lec/lɛk/

Closed syllable

tu/tu/

Open syllable

al/əl/

Closed syllable

Morphemic Breakdown

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

anti-(prefix)
+
intel-(root)
+
-lect-(suffix)

Prefix: anti-

Greek origin, meaning 'against' or 'opposed to', negation

Root: intel-

Latin *intellectus*, past participle of *intelligere* 'to understand', core meaning related to intelligence

Suffix: -lect-

Latin *legere* 'to read, choose, gather', forming a noun related to the act of understanding

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Opposed to intellectual pursuits; characterized by a distrust or hostility toward intellect and intelligence.

Examples:

"The politician appealed to the anti-intellectual sentiment of the voters."

noun(grammatical role in sentences)

A person who is opposed to intellectual pursuits.

Examples:

"He was labeled an anti-intellectual by his colleagues."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

anti-establishmentan-ti-es-tab-lish-ment

Shares the 'anti-' prefix, demonstrating similar initial syllable structure.

intellectualizein-tel-lec-tu-al-ize

Shares the root 'intellect', illustrating how suffixes alter syllable division.

circumstantialcir-cum-stan-ti-al

Similar vowel-consonant structure in some syllables, but different overall morphemic composition.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset-Rime Division

Dividing syllables based on the consonant onset and the vowel-containing rime.

Consonant-Vowel Division

Separating syllables at vowel boundaries.

Vowel-Coda Division

Separating syllables based on vowel followed by a consonant coda.

Special Considerations

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

The prefix 'anti-' can lead to reduced vowel sounds.

The 'ti' sequence can be pronounced as /tʃ/ in some dialects.

The word's length and complexity require careful attention to syllable boundaries.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'anti-intellectual' is a seven-syllable adjective (an-ti-in-tel-lec-tu-al) with primary stress on the penultimate syllable. It's built from Greek and Latin morphemes and follows standard English syllabification rules, though regional variations in pronunciation exist.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "anti-intellectual"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "anti-intellectual" is pronounced as /ˌæntiˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/ in US English. It exhibits a complex syllable structure due to the prefix and the presence of multiple vowels and consonants.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: an-ti-in-tel-lec-tu-al

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: anti- (Greek origin, meaning "against" or "opposed to"). Morphological function: negation.
  • Root: intel- (Latin intellectus, past participle of intelligere "to understand"). Morphological function: core meaning related to intelligence.
  • Suffix: -lect- (Latin legere "to read, choose, gather"). Morphological function: forming a noun related to the act of understanding.
  • Suffix: -ual (Latin -alis, adjectival suffix). Morphological function: forming an adjective.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: /ˌæntiˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌæntiˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of the prefix "anti-" and the following vowel can sometimes lead to reduced vowel sounds. The "ti" sequence can be pronounced as /tʃ/ or /ti/ depending on the speaker and regional accent.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Anti-intellectual" primarily functions as an adjective. As an adjective, the stress pattern remains consistent. It can also function as a noun (referring to a person), but the syllable division and stress remain unchanged.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Opposed to intellectual pursuits; characterized by a distrust or hostility toward intellect and intelligence.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective, Noun
  • Synonyms: unscholarly, anti-academic, unintellectual, philistine
  • Antonyms: intellectual, scholarly, academic
  • Examples: "The politician appealed to the anti-intellectual sentiment of the voters." "He was labeled an anti-intellectual by his colleagues."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "anti-establishment": an-ti-es-tab-lish-ment. Similar prefix "anti-", but the subsequent syllable structure differs due to the different root.
  • "intellectualize": in-tel-lec-tu-al-ize. Shares the root "intellect", but the addition of the suffix "-ize" alters the syllable count and stress pattern.
  • "circumstantial": cir-cum-stan-ti-al. Similar vowel-consonant structure in some syllables, but the overall syllable division is different due to the different morphemes.

10. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Rule Applied Exceptions/Special Cases
an /æn/ Open syllable, initial syllable Onset-Rime division None
ti /ti/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel division Potential /tʃ/ pronunciation
in /ɪn/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel division None
tel /tɛl/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel division None
lec /lɛk/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel division None
tu /tu/ Open syllable Vowel-Coda division None
al /əl/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel division Syllable-final /l/

11. Division Rules Applied:

  • Onset-Rime Division: Dividing syllables based on the consonant onset and the vowel-containing rime.
  • Consonant-Vowel Division: Separating syllables at vowel boundaries.
  • Vowel-Coda Division: Separating syllables based on vowel followed by a consonant coda.

12. Special Considerations:

The prefix "anti-" often creates a slight pause or reduced vowel sound. The "ti" sequence can be pronounced as /tʃ/ in some dialects. The word's length and complexity require careful attention to syllable boundaries.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers may pronounce the "ti" as /tʃi/, leading to a slightly different phonetic realization. Regional accents may also influence vowel quality and stress placement.

14. Short Analysis:

"Anti-intellectual" is a complex word with seven syllables (an-ti-in-tel-lec-tu-al) and primary stress on the penultimate syllable. It's formed from the Greek prefix "anti-", the Latin root "intel-", and the suffixes "-lect-" and "-ual". Its syllable division follows standard English rules of onset-rime and vowel-consonant separation.

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

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