Hyphenation ofincomprehensibleness

Linguistic Analysis of "incomprehensibleness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "incomprehensibleness" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a relatively consistent application of vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets, is as follows (using only original letters): in-com-pre-hen-si-ble-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: comprehend (Latin comprehendere - to grasp entirely) - To understand.
• Suffix: -sible (Latin -bilis) - Adjective forming suffix, meaning "capable of".
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes) - Noun forming suffix, denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: hen. The stress pattern is indicative of the word's complex structure, with the root receiving the strongest emphasis.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɪnˌkɑmprɪˈhɛnsɪblnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-sible" can sometimes be a point of variation, but in this case, it's a standard syllable division. The final "-ness" is a common suffix and doesn't present any unusual syllabification challenges.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word functions solely as a noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if the word were to be used in a different grammatical role, as it is not adaptable to other parts of speech.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The state of being impossible to understand.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: unintelligibility, obscurity, incomprehensibility
• Antonyms: comprehensibility, clarity, understandability
• Examples: "The sheer incomprehensibleness of the quantum physics lecture left many students bewildered."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Similar structure with "-ibility" suffix. Stress on the third syllable.
• Accessibility: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty - Similar structure with "-ibility" suffix. Stress on the third syllable.
• Comprehensible: com-pre-hen-si-ble - Shares the root "comprehend" and "-ible" suffix. Stress on the third syllable.

The consistent stress pattern in these words (root syllable) highlights the importance of the root morpheme in determining prosodic prominence. The syllable division rules are also consistently applied, maximizing onsets where possible.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable Division Rules Applied:

1. Maximize Onsets: Attempt to include as many consonants as possible in the onset of a syllable.
2. Vowel-Consonant (VC) Pattern: Syllables typically end with a vowel sound.
3. Consonant Cluster Division: Consonant clusters are divided based on sonority hierarchy, favoring the inclusion of initial consonants in the onset.

Special Considerations:

The word's length and complex morphology require careful application of syllable division rules. The consistent vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is a characteristic of US English pronunciation.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents the most common US English pronunciation, slight variations in vowel quality or stress intensity may occur depending on regional accents. These variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.