Hyphenation ofindecipherability

Linguistic Analysis of "indecipherability"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "indecipherability" is pronounced /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪfərəˈbɪləti/ in US English. It's a relatively complex word with multiple morphemes and a challenging syllable structure.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only the original letters, is: in-de-ci-pher-a-bil-i-ty

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: cipher (Latin cifra via Arabic sifr meaning "zero") - To interpret or decode.
• Suffixes:
  • -able (Latin -abilis) - Capable of being.
  • -ity (Latin -itas) - State or quality of.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪfərəˈbɪləti/. There is secondary stress on the fifth syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɪndɪˈsaɪfərəˈbɪləti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-pher-" can sometimes be a point of variation, but in this case, it's consistently pronounced with /fər/. The vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is typical for US English.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Indecipherability" functions solely as a noun. The syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context (as it's not inflected).

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of being impossible to decipher or interpret.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: incomprehensibility, unreadability, obscurity
• Antonyms: comprehensibility, readability, clarity
• Examples: "The code's indecipherability frustrated the cryptographers." "The doctor was concerned about the indecipherability of the patient's handwriting."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Improbability: im-prob-a-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix structure (-ability/ity). Stress pattern is also similar (im-pro-BA-bi-li-ty).
• Incompatibility: in-com-pat-i-bil-i-ty - Shares the in- prefix and -ity suffix. Stress pattern is similar (in-com-PAT-i-bi-li-ty).
• Accessibility: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty - Shares the -ibility suffix. Stress pattern differs (ac-ces-si-BI-li-ty). The difference in stress is due to the number of preceding syllables and the weight of the initial syllables.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables typically end in a vowel sound. Division occurs after the vowel.
2. Consonant-Vowel (CV): Syllables typically begin with a consonant sound. Division occurs before the first vowel.
3. Diphthong Rule: Diphthongs (two vowel sounds within one syllable) are treated as a single vowel sound for syllabification.

Special Considerations:

The word's length and complex morphology make it prone to mis-syllabification. The presence of schwa vowels and the "ph" digraph require careful consideration.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided pronunciation is standard US English, slight variations in vowel quality might occur depending on regional accents. These variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.