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Hyphenation ofgood-lookingness

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

good-look-ing-ness

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

/ˈɡʊd ˈlʊkɪŋnəs/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

1010

Primary stress on the first syllable ('good') and the third syllable ('ing').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

good/ɡʊd/

Open syllable, primary stress.

look/lʊk/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

ing/ɪŋ/

Closed syllable, secondary stress.

ness/nəs/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

good(prefix)
+
look(root)
+
-ing(suffix)

Prefix: good

Old English origin, functions as an adjective modifying 'looking'.

Root: look

Old English origin, meaning 'to see or appear'.

Suffix: -ing

Old English origin, creating a participial adjective.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

The quality of being attractive or pleasing in appearance.

Examples:

"Her good-lookingness was undeniable."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

happinesshap-pi-ness

Shares the '-ness' suffix and similar stress pattern.

kindnesskind-ness

Shares the '-ness' suffix and similar stress pattern.

brightnessbright-ness

Shares the '-ness' suffix and similar stress pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) Rule

Syllables are divided before consonant clusters, as seen in 'look-ing'.

Compound Word Rule

Compound words are divided between constituent words, as seen in 'good-look'.

Suffix Rule

Suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables, as seen in '-ing' and '-ness'.

Special Considerations

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

The compound adjective 'good-looking' could theoretically be divided differently, but 'good-look' is the more common and natural division.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'good-lookingness' is a noun formed by combining the compound adjective 'good-looking' with the suffix '-ness'. It is syllabified as good-look-ing-ness, with primary stress on 'good' and secondary stress on 'ing'. The syllabification follows standard English rules for vowel nuclei, consonant clusters, and suffix separation.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "good-lookingness" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "good-lookingness" is a complex word formed through compounding and suffixation. Its pronunciation involves several vowel and consonant clusters, requiring careful syllabification. The typical pronunciation in US English is /ˈɡʊd ˈlʊkɪŋnəs/.

2. Syllable Division:

Following US English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows: good-look-ing-ness.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • good: Prefix (originally adjective, now functioning as part of a compound adjective). Origin: Old English gōd. Morphological function: modifies "looking".
  • look: Root. Origin: Old English locian (to look). Morphological function: base meaning of appearance.
  • -ing: Suffix. Origin: Old English -ing. Morphological function: progressive aspect marker, but here functions to create a participial adjective.
  • -ness: Suffix. Origin: Old English -nes. Morphological function: nominalization, creating a noun from an adjective.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the first syllable of "good" and the first syllable of "looking". This results in a stress pattern of 1 0 1 0.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈɡʊd ˈlʊkɪŋnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "-ing" suffix can sometimes be considered a weak syllable, but in this case, it receives secondary stress due to the length of the word and the need for rhythmic spacing. The "look" syllable is a closed syllable, ending in a consonant.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Good-lookingness" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical role (as it only has one).

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: The quality of being attractive or pleasing in appearance.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: attractiveness, beauty, comeliness, appeal
  • Antonyms: ugliness, unattractiveness, repulsiveness
  • Examples: "Her good-lookingness always turned heads." "The good-lookingness of the architecture was remarkable."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • happiness: hap-pi-ness. Similar structure with a suffix "-ness". Stress on the first syllable.
  • kindness: kind-ness. Similar structure with a suffix "-ness". Stress on the first syllable.
  • brightness: bright-ness. Similar structure with a suffix "-ness". Stress on the first syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the first syllable in these words demonstrates a common rule in English noun formation with the "-ness" suffix. "Good-lookingness" follows this pattern, but the compound adjective "good-looking" adds complexity.

10. Division Rules:

  • Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) Rule: Syllables are often divided before consonant clusters. Applied in "look-ing".
  • Compound Word Rule: Compound words are divided between the constituent words. Applied in "good-look".
  • Suffix Rule: Suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables. Applied in "-ing" and "-ness".
  • Onset-Rime Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel nucleus, with preceding consonants forming the onset and following consonants forming the rime.

11. Special Considerations:

The compound adjective "good-looking" presents a slight challenge. While it could theoretically be divided as "good-look-ing", the common pronunciation and semantic unity favor "good-look".

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel sounds (e.g., /ɡʊd/ vs. /ɡud/), but the syllabification remains consistent.

13. Short Analysis:

"Good-lookingness" is a noun formed from the compound adjective "good-looking" and the suffix "-ness". It is syllabified as good-look-ing-ness, with primary stress on the first syllable of "good" and "looking". The word follows standard English syllabification rules based on vowel nuclei, consonant clusters, and suffix separation.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/13/2025

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Hyphenation is the process of dividing words across lines in print or on websites. It involves inserting hyphens (-) where a word breaks to continue on the next line.

Proper hyphenation improves readability by reducing the unevenness of word spacing and unnecessary large gaps. It also helps avoid confusion that may occur when part of a word carries over. Ideal hyphenation should break words according to pronunciation and syllables. Most word processors and publishing apps have automated tools to handle hyphenation effectively based on language rules and dictionaries. Though subtle, proper hyphenation improves overall typography and reading comfort.