Hyphenation ofgood-neighbourhood

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

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "good-neighbourhood" presents a compound structure. "Good" is a common adjective. "Neighbourhood" is a compound noun formed from "neighbour" and the suffix "-hood". The pronunciation involves a potential linking 'r' between "good" and "neighbour" depending on dialect.

2. Syllable Division:

Following US English syllabification rules, the word divides as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: None
• Root: "good" (Old English, adjective, denoting positive quality)
• Suffix: "-neighbour-" (Old English "nēah" - near + "burh" - fortified place, becoming a noun denoting proximity) and "-hood" (Old English "-hād", denoting state or condition).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable of "neighbourhood".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɡʊdˈneɪbərˌhʊd/

6. Edge Case Review:

The hyphenated nature of "good-neighbourhood" is a slight edge case. Hyphens often encourage separation, but the compound nature suggests a closer connection. The linking 'r' is a regional variation.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word functions primarily as a noun. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of grammatical function.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The area where one lives; the people living nearby.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: community, vicinity, locale
• Antonyms: isolation, remoteness
• Examples: "She grew up in a quiet good-neighbourhood." "The community organized a block party in the good-neighbourhood."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "understand": un-der-stand (CVC-CVC-CVC). Similar in having multiple closed syllables. "good-neighbourhood" has more complex vowel sounds.
• "happiness": hap-pi-ness (CVC-CVC-CVC). Similar in having multiple syllables with consonant clusters.
• "waterfall": wa-ter-fall (CVC-CVC-CVC). Similar in compound structure, but simpler vowel sounds.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant Rule: Syllables are typically divided after vowels.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.
3. Compound Word Rule: Compound words are divided based on the constituent morphemes.

Special Considerations:

• The linking 'r' between "good" and "neighbour" is a potential variation.
• Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is common.
• The spelling "neighbour" is a British English variant; "neighbor" is more common in US English, which would slightly alter the phonetic transcription.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers may pronounce "neighbour" with a more distinct 'r' sound, affecting the syllable division slightly.

Syllable Division Consistency:

The syllable division follows consistent patterns with other multi-syllabic words in English. The presence of consonant clusters and diphthongs is typical.