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Hyphenation ofdextroamphetamine

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

dex-tro-am-phe-ta-mine

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

/ˌdɛkstroʊæmˈfɛtəmiːn/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

010010

Primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable (/ˈfɛtəmiːn/), and secondary stress on the first syllable (/dɛks/). The remaining syllables are unstressed.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

dex/dɛks/

Open syllable, initial consonant cluster.

tro/troʊ/

Open syllable, diphthong.

am/æm/

Closed syllable.

phe/fɛ/

Open syllable.

ta/tə/

Open syllable, schwa.

mine/miːn/

Closed syllable, long vowel.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

dextro-(prefix)
+
amphetamine(root)
+
(suffix)

Prefix: dextro-

Latin origin, meaning 'right' or 'right-handed', indicates stereoisomer.

Root: amphetamine

Coined from 'amph-' (both) and 'phen-' (phenyl), a functional group.

Suffix:

None; the word is a compound.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

A stimulant drug, specifically the dextrorotatory isomer of amphetamine.

Examples:

"The doctor prescribed dextroamphetamine to help manage his ADHD."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

Multivitaminmul-ti-vi-ta-min

Similar length and complexity, multiple syllables.

Pharmacokineticsphar-ma-co-ki-net-ics

Similar length and complexity, multiple syllables.

Electroencephalograme-lec-tro-en-ceph-a-lo-gram

Longer word with a similar pattern of vowel-centric syllables.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-centric Syllable Division

Syllables are generally built around vowel sounds.

Onset-Rime Division

Syllables are divided into an onset (initial consonant(s)) and a rime (vowel and any following consonants).

Consonant Cluster Analysis

Consonant clusters are analyzed to determine where syllable breaks occur.

Special Considerations

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

The word's length and uncommon structure make it a relatively complex case.

The stress pattern is not typical of many English words, requiring attention to the morphemic structure.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

Dextroamphetamine is a six-syllable word (dex-tro-am-phe-ta-mine) with primary stress on the penultimate syllable. It's morphologically composed of the prefix 'dextro-' (right) and the root 'amphetamine'. Syllabification follows vowel-centric rules, with consideration for consonant clusters and diphthongs.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "dextroamphetamine"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "dextroamphetamine" is pronounced /ˌdɛkstroʊæmˈfɛtəmiːn/ (General American English). It's a complex word with multiple syllables and a relatively uncommon stress pattern.

2. Syllable Division:

dex-tro-am-phe-ta-mine

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: dextro- (Latin, meaning "right" or "right-handed"). Indicates the specific stereoisomer.
  • Root: amphetamine (coined from amph- meaning "both" and phen- relating to phenyl, a benzene ring, and -amine a functional group).
  • Suffix: None. The word is a compound.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: /ˌdɛkstroʊæmˈfɛtəmiːn/. Secondary stress is on the first syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌdɛkstroʊæmˈfɛtəmiːn/

6. Edge Case Review:

The syllable division is relatively straightforward, following typical English vowel-centric syllable division. However, the presence of diphthongs (e.g., /aʊ/ in "amphetamine") and the complex consonant clusters require careful consideration.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Dextroamphetamine" primarily functions as a noun (a specific chemical compound). It doesn't typically change form to function as other parts of speech. Therefore, the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: A stimulant drug, specifically the dextrorotatory isomer of amphetamine.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: Dexedrine, d-amphetamine
  • Antonyms: (Depending on effect) Sedatives, depressants
  • Examples: "The doctor prescribed dextroamphetamine to help manage his ADHD."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • Multivitamin: mul-ti-vi-ta-min. Similar in length and complexity. Stress falls on the second syllable.
  • Pharmacokinetics: phar-ma-co-ki-net-ics. Similar in length and complexity, with multiple syllables. Stress falls on the third syllable.
  • Electroencephalogram: e-lec-tro-en-ceph-a-lo-gram. A longer word with a similar pattern of vowel-centric syllables. Stress falls on the fourth syllable.

The key difference is the presence of the diphthong /aʊ/ in "dextroamphetamine" and the specific consonant clusters, which influence the precise phonetic realization of each syllable.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Rule Applied Exceptions/Special Cases
dex /dɛks/ Open syllable, initial consonant cluster. Onset-Rime division, Vowel-centric syllable division. None
tro /troʊ/ Open syllable, diphthong. Vowel-centric syllable division. Diphthong treated as a single vowel sound.
am /æm/ Closed syllable. Vowel-centric syllable division. None
phe /fɛ/ Open syllable. Vowel-centric syllable division. None
ta /tə/ Open syllable, schwa. Vowel-centric syllable division. Schwa vowel is common in unstressed syllables.
mine /miːn/ Closed syllable. Vowel-centric syllable division. Long vowel sound.

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

The word's length and uncommon structure make it a relatively complex case. The stress pattern is not typical of many English words, requiring attention to the morphemic structure to determine the correct placement.

Division Rules Applied:

  1. Vowel-centric Syllable Division: Syllables are generally built around vowel sounds.
  2. Onset-Rime Division: Syllables are divided into an onset (initial consonant(s)) and a rime (vowel and any following consonants).
  3. Consonant Cluster Analysis: Consonant clusters are analyzed to determine where syllable breaks occur.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/9/2025

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