critical thinking
The compound word 'critical thinking' is divided into five syllables: crit-i-cal think-ing. Both 'critical' and 'thinking' are stressed on their first syllables. The word's morphemic structure reveals Latin and Greek roots, and its syllabification follows standard English vowel and consonant cluster rules.
Definitions
- 1
The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
“Critical thinking is essential for problem-solving.”
“The course aims to develop students' critical thinking skills.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the first syllable of both 'critical' and 'thinking'.
Syllables
crit — Open syllable, stressed.. i — Closed syllable, unstressed.. cal — Closed syllable, unstressed.. think — Closed syllable, stressed.. ing — Closed syllable, unstressed.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel Rule
Each vowel sound generally forms a syllable.
Consonant Cluster Rule
Syllable breaks typically occur before consonant clusters.
Open/Closed Syllable Rule
Syllables can be open (ending in a vowel sound) or closed (ending in a consonant sound).
- The 'ic' in 'critical' could potentially be a separate syllable, but 'crit-i-cal' is the common syllabification.
- The '-ing' suffix is generally treated as a single syllable.
Nearby Words
17 wordsTrending in English (US)
Terms getting hyphenated by users right now.