maidsinwaiting
The word 'maids-in-waiting' is a compound noun divided into four syllables: maids-in-wait-ing. The primary stress falls on 'wait'. Syllable division follows the vowel-consonant rule. The morphemes include the root 'maids', preposition 'in', and root/suffix 'waiting'.
Definitions
- 1
Female attendants or companions to a royal or noble lady.
“The queen was surrounded by her maids-in-waiting.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the third syllable, 'wait'. The first two syllables ('maids' and 'in') are unstressed, and the final syllable ('ing') is also unstressed.
Syllables
maids — Closed syllable, contains a diphthong and voiced alveolar fricative.. in — Closed syllable, short vowel and nasal consonant.. wait — Closed syllable, diphthong and voiceless alveolar stop. Primary stress.. ing — Closed syllable, short vowel and velar nasal.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Consonant (VC)
Syllables are typically divided after a vowel when followed by a consonant.
Diphthong-Consonant
Diphthongs function as a single vowel sound and are followed by consonant(s) to form a syllable.
- The hyphenated nature of the phrase introduces a slight ambiguity, but the division reflects natural speech patterns.
Nearby Words
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