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Hyphenation ofmisapprehensible

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

mis-ap-pre-hen-si-ble

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/ˌmɪsæprɪˈhɛnsɪbəl/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

001001

Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('pre'). The first and fifth syllables are unstressed, while the second, fourth and sixth syllables have secondary stress.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

mis/mɪs/

Closed syllable, vowel-consonant-consonant (VCC) pattern.

ap/æp/

Open syllable, vowel-consonant (VC) pattern.

pre/prɛ/

Open syllable, vowel-consonant (VC) pattern.

hen/hɛn/

Closed syllable, vowel-consonant-consonant (VCC) pattern.

si/sɪ/

Open syllable, vowel-consonant (VC) pattern.

ble/bəl/

Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern.

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

mis-(prefix)
+
apprehend(root)
+
-ible(suffix)

Prefix: mis-

Old English origin, meaning 'wrongly, badly'. Negation.

Root: apprehend

Latin *apprehendere* origin, meaning 'to seize, grasp, understand'.

Suffix: -ible

Latin *-bilis* origin, adjective formation, meaning 'capable of being'.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Not capable of being understood; incomprehensible.

Examples:

"His handwriting was completely misapprehensible."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

impenetrableim-pen-e-tra-ble

Similar structure with a prefix and complex root; stress pattern.

incomprehensiblein-com-pre-hen-si-ble

Very similar structure and syllabification; stress pattern.

apprehensibleap-pre-hen-si-ble

Base form without the 'mis-' prefix; identical syllabification.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC)

Syllable division occurs before the first consonant in a VCC pattern (e.g., 'mis').

Vowel-Consonant (VC)

Syllable division occurs after the vowel in a VC pattern (e.g., 'ap', 'pre').

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

The word's length and multiple morphemes make it complex, but it adheres to standard English syllabification rules without significant exceptions.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'misapprehensible' is divided into six syllables: mis-ap-pre-hen-si-ble. It consists of the prefix 'mis-', the root 'apprehend', and the suffix '-ible'. Primary stress falls on the third syllable. Syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "misapprehensible"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "misapprehensible" is pronounced /ˌmɪsæprɪˈhɛnsɪbəl/ (General American English). It's a relatively complex word with multiple morphemes and potential syllabic ambiguities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word divides as follows: mis-ap-pre-hen-si-ble.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: mis- (Old English) - meaning "wrongly, badly". Morphological function: negation.
  • Root: apprehend (Latin apprehendere - to seize, grasp) - meaning to understand or perceive. Morphological function: core meaning.
  • Suffix: -ible (Latin -bilis) - meaning "capable of being". Morphological function: adjective formation.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ˌmɪsæprɪˈhɛnsɪbəl/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌmɪsæprɪˈhɛnsɪbəl/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-pre-" can sometimes lead to ambiguity, but in this case, the vowel sound clearly separates "ap" and "pre". The "-hensible" ending is a common adjectival suffix and doesn't present significant issues.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Misapprehensible" functions solely as an adjective. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Not capable of being understood; incomprehensible.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: incomprehensible, unintelligible, obscure, ambiguous
  • Antonyms: comprehensible, understandable, clear, lucid
  • Example Usage: "His handwriting was completely misapprehensible."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • Comparable Word 1: impenetrable - Syllables: im-pen-e-tra-ble. Similar structure with a prefix and a complex root. Stress falls on the third syllable, mirroring "misapprehensible".
  • Comparable Word 2: incomprehensible - Syllables: in-com-pre-hen-si-ble. Very similar structure and syllabification. Stress falls on the third syllable.
  • Comparable Word 3: apprehensible - Syllables: ap-pre-hen-si-ble. The base form without the 'mis-' prefix. Syllabification is identical except for the missing prefix. Stress falls on the third syllable.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Rule Applied Exceptions/Special Cases
mis /mɪs/ Closed syllable Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) pattern. Syllable division occurs before the first consonant cluster. None
ap /æp/ Open syllable Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern. None
pre /prɛ/ Open syllable Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern. None
hen /hɛn/ Closed syllable Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) pattern. None
si /sɪ/ Open syllable Vowel-Consonant (VC) pattern. None
ble /bəl/ Closed syllable Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) pattern. None

Exceptions/Special Cases for the Word as a Whole:

The word's length and multiple morphemes make it a complex case, but it adheres to standard English syllabification rules without significant exceptions.

Differences in Syllabification based on Part of Speech:

As "misapprehensible" is exclusively an adjective, there are no variations in syllabification based on grammatical function.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the first syllable (/mɪs/ to /məs/), but this doesn't affect the syllable division.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/12/2025

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What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of dividing words across lines in print or on websites. It involves inserting hyphens (-) where a word breaks to continue on the next line.

Proper hyphenation improves readability by reducing the unevenness of word spacing and unnecessary large gaps. It also helps avoid confusion that may occur when part of a word carries over. Ideal hyphenation should break words according to pronunciation and syllables. Most word processors and publishing apps have automated tools to handle hyphenation effectively based on language rules and dictionaries. Though subtle, proper hyphenation improves overall typography and reading comfort.