countervallation
Syllables
coun-ter-val-la-tion
Pronunciation
/ˌkaʊntərˌvæləˈteɪʃən/
Stress
01001
Morphemes
counter- + vall- + -ation
The word 'countervallation' is a noun with five syllables, divided as coun-ter-val-la-tion. It's formed from the prefix 'counter-', the root 'vall-', and the suffix '-ation'. Primary stress is on the third-to-last syllable. Syllabification follows standard English rules.
Definitions
- 1
A work or fortification constructed to oppose the approaches of an enemy attacking a siege work.
“The engineers began construction of a countervallation to protect the city from the invading army.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the third-to-last syllable (/ˌkaʊntərˌvæləˈteɪʃən/).
Syllables
coun — Open syllable. Vowel followed by consonant.. ter — Closed syllable. Vowel followed by consonant cluster.. val — Open syllable. Vowel followed by consonant.. la — Open syllable. Schwa followed by consonant.. tion — Closed syllable. Vowel followed by consonant cluster.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Maximal Onset Principle
Applied where possible, constrained by legal English onsets.
Avoid Illegal Clusters
Syllables were divided to avoid illegal consonant clusters at syllable boundaries.
Vowel Hiatus Avoidance
Consonants assigned to the following syllable when it created a legal onset.
- The presence of the schwa /ə/ in "-la-" is common in unstressed syllables.
- The consonant cluster "-tion" is a common suffix and doesn't present a syllabification challenge.
Nearby Words
17 wordsTrending in English (US)
Terms getting hyphenated by users right now.