Hyphenation ofimmeasurableness

Linguistic Analysis of "immeasurableness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "immeasurableness" is pronounced /ɪmˈmɛʒərəblnəs/ in US English. It presents challenges due to its length, multiple morphemes, and potential for varying stress interpretations.

2. Syllable Division:

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

im-meas-ur-a-ble-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: im- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: measure (Latin mensurare - to measure) - The core meaning of the word.
• Suffix: -able (Latin -abilis) - Adjective forming suffix, meaning "capable of being".
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes) - Noun forming suffix, denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: im-meas-ur-a-ble-ness. This is consistent with the general rule of stressing the root syllable in words with multiple suffixes.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɪmˈmɛʒərəblnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "sur" can sometimes be a point of syllabification ambiguity. However, in this case, the vowel sound is clearly part of the "ur" syllable, and separating it would disrupt the natural flow of pronunciation. The final "-ness" is a common suffix and is consistently treated as a separate syllable.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Immeasurableness" functions solely as a noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if it were to function as another part of speech, as it is a derived noun.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being immeasurable; the state of being unable to be measured or quantified.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: immensity, vastness, boundlessness, infinitude
• Antonyms: measurability, limit, finiteness
• Examples: "The immeasurableness of the universe is awe-inspiring." "He felt the immeasurableness of his grief."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Measurable: im-meas-ur-a-ble (similar structure, stress on "ur")
• Comparable: com-par-a-ble (similar suffix "-able", stress on the root syllable)
• Reasonableness: rea-son-a-ble-ness (similar suffix "-ness", stress on the root syllable)

The syllable division in these words follows the same principles: vowel sounds generally form the core of syllables, and suffixes are typically separated into their own syllables. The length of the word and the number of morphemes influence the number of syllables, but the underlying rules remain consistent.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Rule: Each syllable must contain at least one vowel sound.
2. Onset-Rime Rule: Syllables are divided into an onset (initial consonant(s)) and a rime (vowel and any following consonants).
3. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they can be naturally divided based on pronunciation.
4. Suffix Rule: Suffixes are typically separated into their own syllables.

Special Considerations:

The word's length and complex morphology require careful consideration of stress placement and syllable boundaries. The "ur" sequence is a potential point of ambiguity, but the pronunciation clearly indicates it belongs to a single syllable.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the primary pronunciation is /ɪmˈmɛʒərəblnəs/, some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables. This would not significantly alter the syllable division.

Short Analysis:

"Immeasurableness" is a noun with six syllables (im-meas-ur-a-ble-ness), primary stress on the third syllable ("ur"), and is formed from the prefix "im-", root "measure", and suffixes "-able" and "-ness". Syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel sounds and suffix separation.