Hyphenation ofincombustibility

Linguistic Analysis of "incombustibility"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "incombustibility" is pronounced /ɪnˌkʌmbʌstɪˈbɪlɪti/ in US English. It's a relatively long word with multiple syllables, posing some challenges in syllabification due to consonant clusters.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: in-com-bus-ti-bil-i-ty

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: combust- (Latin, combustus - past participle of combure "to burn") - Relating to burning.
• Suffix: -ibility (Latin, -ibilitas) - Denotes the capacity or possibility of being.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: /ɪnˌkʌmbʌstɪˈbɪlɪti/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɪnˌkʌmbʌstɪˈbɪlɪti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The consonant cluster "-bst-" is a potential edge case. However, English allows consonant clusters at the beginning and end of syllables, and this cluster doesn't violate any major phonotactic constraints.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of being incapable of being burned.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: non-combustibility, fireproofness, flame resistance
• Antonyms: combustibility, flammability
• Example Usage: "The fire-resistant coating provided excellent incombustibility to the wooden structure."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Similar syllable structure, stress on the third-to-last syllable.
• Accessibility: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix -ibility, stress pattern.
• Combustion: com-bus-tion - Shares the root combust, demonstrating consistent syllabification of that morpheme.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC) Rule: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant (e.g., in, com, bus).
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they are easily separable based on phonotactic constraints (e.g., -bst- remains in "bus").
3. Open Syllable Rule: A syllable ending in a vowel is considered open (e.g., i).

Special Considerations:

• The word's length and complex morphology require careful application of syllabification rules.
• The "-bst-" cluster, while not unusual, requires consideration to ensure it doesn't violate English phonotactics.
• Regional variations in pronunciation might slightly alter the perceived syllable boundaries, but the core syllabification remains consistent.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Minor variations in vowel quality (e.g., /ʌ/ vs. /ə/) might occur depending on regional accents, but these variations do not significantly impact the syllable division.

Short Analysis:

"Incombustibility" is a seven-syllable noun derived from Latin roots. It's syllabified as in-com-bus-ti-bil-i-ty, with primary stress on the fourth syllable. The syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns and consonant cluster maintenance.