littlebylittle
The word 'little-by-little' is syllabified as lit-tle-by-lit-tle, with primary stress on the first syllable of each 'little'. It's an adverb formed by repeating the phrase 'little by little', with Old English roots. Syllabification follows standard V-C and C-V-C rules.
Definitions
- 1
Gradually; slowly; in small increments.
“He learned to play the piano little-by-little.”
“The patient recovered little-by-little.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the first syllable of each 'little' (LIT-tle-by-LIT-tle).
Syllables
lit — Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.. tle — Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant.. by — Open syllable, diphthong.. lit — Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.. tle — Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant.
Similar Words
V-C Rule
Vowels followed by consonants generally form a syllable.
C-V-C Rule
Consonant-vowel-consonant sequences are often divided into syllables.
Open Syllable Rule
Syllables ending in vowels are considered open.
Closed Syllable Rule
Syllables ending in consonants are considered closed.
- The hyphenated structure is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the repeated phrase.
Nearby Words
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