indefensibleness
Syllables
in-de-fen-si-ble-ness
Pronunciation
/ˌɪn.dəˈfen.sɪ.bl̩.nəs/
Stress
000100
Morphemes
in- + defend + -ible
The word 'indefensibleness' is divided into six syllables: in-de-fen-si-ble-ness. It consists of the prefix 'in-', the root 'defend', and the suffixes '-ible' and '-ness'. Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('si'). The syllable 'ble' contains a syllabic /l/. The word functions as a noun denoting the state of being undefendable.
Definitions
- 1
The quality or state of being undefendable; impossibility of being defended against attack or criticism.
“The politician's arguments were met with accusations of indefensibleness.”
“The city's indefensibleness made it a target for invasion.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('si'), indicated by '1'. The remaining syllables are unstressed, indicated by '0'.
Syllables
in — Closed syllable, consisting of a vowel followed by a consonant.. de — Open syllable, consisting of a vowel followed by a consonant.. fen — Closed syllable, consisting of a consonant-vowel-consonant structure.. si — Closed syllable, consisting of a consonant followed by a vowel.. ble — Syllable with a syllabic consonant /l/ functioning as the nucleus.. ness — Closed syllable, consisting of a consonant-vowel-consonant structure.
Word Parts
Vowel-Consonant (VC)
Syllables typically end in a vowel sound. This rule is applied to syllables like 'in' and 'de'.
Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC)
Consonant clusters are often split around vowels. This rule is applied to syllables like 'fen' and 'ness'.
Syllabic Consonant
/l/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/ can function as syllable nuclei after a consonant, as seen in 'ble'.
- The syllabic /l/ in 'ble' requires careful consideration as it functions as a syllable nucleus.
- The word's length and complex morphology make it prone to mis-syllabification.
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