Hyphenation ofintercommunicability

Linguistic Analysis of "intercommunicability"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "intercommunicability" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a relatively smooth flow, with stress falling on a later syllable.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: inter- (Latin, meaning "between" or "among") - Function: Indicates reciprocity or exchange.
• Root: communic- (Latin, communicare - "to share") - Function: Core meaning of conveying information.
• Suffix: -ability (French/Latin, -abilitas - "state or quality of being") - Function: Forms a noun denoting capability or potential.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: in-ter-com-mu-ni-ca-bil-i-ty.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɪntərkəˌmjuːnɪkəˈbɪləti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-icab-" can be tricky, as it doesn't follow a typical consonant-vowel pattern. However, the stress pattern and the morphemic structure dictate the division.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Intercommunicability" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or capability of communicating with each other; mutual communicativeness.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: communicativeness, interchangeability, connectedness
• Antonyms: isolation, disconnection, incommunicability
• Examples: "The intercommunicability of different departments was crucial for the project's success."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Probability: /ˌprɑːbəˈbɪləti/ - Syllable division: pro-ba-bil-i-ty. Similar suffix -ity and stress pattern.
• Accessibility: /ˌækˌsɛsəˈbɪləti/ - Syllable division: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty. Similar suffix -ity and stress pattern.
• Responsibility: /rɪˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/ - Syllable division: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty. Similar suffix -ity and stress pattern.

The consistent presence of the -ity suffix and the tendency for stress to fall on the penultimate syllable are common features in these words. "Intercommunicability" differs in the complexity of its prefix and root, leading to a longer word and more syllable divisions.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown & Rules:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables generally end with a vowel sound.
2. Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC): Consonant clusters are often split around vowels.
3. Vowel Rule: Single vowels often form their own syllable.

Special Considerations:

The sequence "inter-" can sometimes be treated as a single unit, but separating it into "in-ter" is more consistent with standard syllabification practices. The "-icab-" sequence is unusual but is resolved by the stress pattern and morphemic structure.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel sounds in unstressed syllables, but this doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.