meritriciousness
Syllables
mer-i-tri-cious-ness
Pronunciation
/ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəsnəs/
Stress
01001
Morphemes
mer- + etric- + -ious
The word 'meretriciousness' is divided into five syllables: mer-i-tri-cious-ness. It features a Latin-derived root and suffixes, with primary stress on the third syllable. Syllabification follows standard English vowel-consonant division rules, accounting for consonant clusters and digraphs.
Definitions
- 1
The quality of being showy or superficially attractive; flashiness; gaudiness.
“The meretriciousness of the ballroom masked the emptiness of the party.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('tri'). The first and fourth syllables are unstressed, while the second and fifth are also unstressed.
Syllables
mer — Open syllable, initial consonant cluster.. i — Open syllable, single vowel.. tri — Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant cluster.. cious — Closed syllable, 'ci' digraph.. ness — Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant cluster.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Consonant Division
A vowel followed by a consonant typically forms a syllable boundary.
Open Syllable Rule
A syllable ending in a vowel is considered open.
Consonant Cluster Rule
Consonant clusters are often maintained within a syllable, especially when permissible in English phonotactics.
- The 'cious' syllable presents a challenge due to the 'ci' digraph representing /ʃ/.
- Potential for schwa reduction in the final syllable in some dialects.
Nearby Words
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