HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofheavy-heartedness

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

heav-y-heart-ed-ness

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

/ˈhɛvi ˈhɑːrtɪd nəs/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

10100

Primary stress falls on the first syllable ('heav'), and secondary stress on the 'heart' syllable. The remaining syllables are unstressed.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

heav/hɛv/

Open syllable, onset 'h', rime 'ɛv'

y/i/

Open syllable, vowel only

heart/hɑːrt/

Closed syllable, onset 'h', rime 'ɑːrt'

ed/ɪd/

Closed syllable, onset 'd', rime 'ɪd'

ness/nəs/

Closed syllable, onset 'n', rime 'əs'

Morphemic Breakdown

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

heavy(prefix)
+
heart(root)
+
-ed(suffix)

Prefix: heavy

Old English *hefig*, meaning 'weighty, difficult'. Adjectival modifier.

Root: heart

Old English *heorte*, meaning 'the organ of feeling and thought'. Noun.

Suffix: -ed

Old English *-ed*, past tense/participle marker, functioning as an adjectival modifier.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

A state of deep sadness or sorrow.

Examples:

"She felt a profound heavy-heartedness after the loss of her friend."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

happinesshap-pi-ness

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

sadnesssad-ness

Shares the '-ness' suffix and a similar simple structure.

bitternessbit-ter-ness

Shares the '-ness' suffix and a compound adjective structure.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel Team Division

When two vowels appear together, they are typically split between syllables (e.g., heav-y).

Consonant-Vowel Division

A consonant followed by a vowel usually creates a syllable boundary (e.g., heart-ed).

Suffix Division

Suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables (e.g., -ed-ness).

Special Considerations

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

The compound adjective 'heavy-hearted' is treated as a single unit before the addition of the suffix '-ness'.

Regional variations may affect vowel sounds but not syllable division.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'heavy-heartedness' is divided into five syllables: heav-y-heart-ed-ness. It's formed from the prefix 'heavy', the root 'heart', and the suffixes '-ed' and '-ness'. Primary stress falls on the first syllable. The syllable division follows standard vowel team, consonant-vowel, and suffix division rules.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "heavy-heartedness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "heavy-heartedness" is pronounced as /ˈhɛvi ˈhɑːrtɪd nəs/ in General American English. It's a complex word formed through compounding and suffixation.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: heav-y-heart-ed-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: heavy- (Old English hefig, meaning "weighty, difficult"). Adjectival modifier.
  • Root: heart (Old English heorte, meaning "the organ of feeling and thought"). Noun.
  • Suffix: -ed (Old English -ed, past tense/participle marker, here functioning as an adjectival modifier).
  • Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes, forms abstract nouns denoting a state or quality).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the first syllable: /ˈhɛvi/. A secondary stress appears on the 'heart' syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈhɛvi ˈhɑːrtɪd nəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of "-ed" and "-ness" can sometimes lead to ambiguity in pronunciation, but in this case, the "-ed" functions to create an adjective ("heavy-hearted") before the addition of "-ness".

7. Grammatical Role:

"Heavy-heartedness" functions primarily as a noun. The syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: A state of deep sadness or sorrow.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: grief, sorrow, melancholy, despondency
  • Antonyms: happiness, joy, cheerfulness
  • Examples: "She felt a profound heavy-heartedness after the loss of her friend."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • happiness: hap-pi-ness (similar suffixation, stress on the first syllable)
  • sadness: sad-ness (simpler structure, but shares the "-ness" suffix and stress pattern)
  • bitterness: bit-ter-ness (compound adjective + suffix, similar syllable structure)

The syllable division in "heavy-heartedness" is more complex due to the compound adjective "heavy-hearted" before the addition of "-ness". The other words are simpler in structure.

10. Division Rules:

  • Vowel Team Division: heav-y (two vowels together, typically split between syllables)
  • Consonant-Vowel Division: heart-ed (consonant followed by a vowel, creating a syllable boundary)
  • Suffix Division: -ed-ness (suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables)
  • Onset-Rime Division: The remaining syllables follow the basic onset-rime structure.

11. Special Considerations:

The compound adjective "heavy-hearted" is treated as a single unit before the addition of the suffix "-ness". This is a common pattern in English morphology.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel sounds (e.g., /ɑː/ vs. /ɑ/ in "heart"), but the syllable division remains consistent.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/9/2025

The hottest word splits in English (US)

See what terms are trending and getting hyphenated by users right now.

What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.