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Word Analysis

counteroffensive

Complete linguistic analysis including syllable division, pronunciation, morphology, and definitions.

5 syllables
16 characters
English (US)
Enriched
5syllables

counteroffensive

Linguistic Analysis

Syllables

coun-ter-of-fen-sive

Pronunciation

/ˌkaʊn.tər.əˈfɛn.sɪv/

Stress

20010

Morphemes

counter- + offens- + -ive

Counteroffensive is a five-syllable compound word (coun-ter-of-fen-sive) with the prefix 'counter-' (against) + 'offensive'. Primary stress falls on 'fen' (/ˈfɛn/), secondary stress on 'coun' (/ˌkaʊn/). Morpheme boundaries govern syllable division, overriding purely phonotactic rules. IPA: /ˌkaʊn.tər.əˈfɛn.sɪv/.

Definitions

noun
  1. 1

    A military attack or strategic response launched to counter an enemy's offensive; a retaliatory campaign aimed at reclaiming lost ground or neutralizing an attack

    “The army launched a counteroffensive to reclaim the occupied territory.”

    “After weeks of retreat, the allies mounted a successful counteroffensive.”

    syn:counterattackcounterstrikeretaliationcounterthrust
    ant:offensiveattackassaultaggression

Stress pattern

Secondary stress on first syllable 'coun', primary stress on fourth syllable 'fen', remaining syllables unstressed

Syllables

5
coun/kaʊn/
ter/tər/
of/ə/
fen/fɛn/
sive/sɪv/

coun — Closed syllable with diphthong /aʊ/, carries secondary stress. ter — Closed syllable with schwa, unstressed, ends prefix morpheme. of — Open syllable reduced to schwa, unstressed. fen — Closed syllable, carries primary stress. sive — Closed syllable ending in /v/, unstressed

Word Parts

pre

counter-

Latin via Old French 'contre-', meaning 'against' or 'in opposition to'

root

offens-

Latin 'offendere' meaning 'to strike against, attack'

suf

-ive

Latin suffix '-ivus' forming adjectives/nouns indicating tendency or quality

Similar Words

coun­ter­at­tackof­fen­sivecoun­ter­meas­ure

Morpheme Boundary Rule

The prefix 'counter-' is separated at its morphological boundary before 'offensive'

Maximal Onset Principle

Single consonants between vowels attach to the following syllable when they form legal onsets (e.g., /f/ to 'fen', /s/ to 'sive')

Compound Word Rule

Syllable boundaries respect the join between compound elements 'counter' and 'offensive'

Closed Syllable Rule

Syllables ending in consonants (coun, ter, fen, sive) are closed

  • Compound word with clear morphological boundary between 'counter-' and 'offensive'
  • British English may preserve /ɒ/ in 'of-' rather than reducing to schwa
  • No stress shift between noun and adjectival usage
  • The spelling 'counteroffensive' (no hyphen) is standard, but syllabification treats it as compound
Analysis by claude · 12/30/2025

Nearby Words

17 words
counteroffensive(current)
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