Hyphenation ofnoncomprehendible

Linguistic Analysis of "noncomprehendible"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "noncomprehendible" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a relatively straightforward application of English phonological rules, though the length and complexity can lead to variations in stress and vowel reduction.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): non-com-pre-hen-di-ble

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
• Root: comprehend (Latin comprehendere - to grasp entirely). Morphological function: core meaning of understanding.
• Suffix: -ible (Latin -ibilis). Morphological function: adjective formation, indicating capability or possibility.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: non-com-pre-hen-di-ble. This is determined by the general rule that stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ible.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑnˌkɑmprɪˈhendɪbəl/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence of consonants "nd" in "hendible" doesn't present a significant edge case, as English allows for consonant clusters in this position. The initial "non" is a common prefix and doesn't alter the standard syllabification.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Noncomprehendible" functions exclusively as an adjective. As an adjective, the stress pattern remains consistent. There are no syllabification or stress shifts based on grammatical function.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Not capable of being understood.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: unintelligible, incomprehensible, unfathomable
• Antonyms: comprehensible, understandable, intelligible
• Examples: "The professor's lecture was noncomprehendible to most of the students." "The instructions were so poorly written that they were noncomprehendible."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Impenetrable: im-pen-e-tra-ble. Similar structure with a prefix and -able suffix. Stress on the third syllable.
• Incomprehensible: in-com-pre-hen-si-ble. Very similar, differing only in the final syllable. Stress on the fourth syllable.
• Responsible: re-spon-si-ble. Shares the -ible suffix. Stress on the second syllable.

The differences in stress placement are due to the length and complexity of the preceding syllables. Longer and more complex prefixes or roots tend to push the stress further towards the end of the word, especially when combined with the -ible suffix.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC) Rule: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant (e.g., "com," "pre," "di").
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: When a consonant cluster occurs between vowels, the syllable division typically occurs within the cluster, preserving the original spelling (e.g., "comprehend").
3. Prefix/Suffix Rule: Prefixes and suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables (e.g., "non," "-ible").

Special Considerations:

The length of the word and the presence of multiple morphemes contribute to the complexity of its syllabification. However, the rules applied are standard for English and do not present any significant exceptions.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables (e.g., /ˌnɑn kɑmprɪˈhendɪbəl/), but this doesn't affect the syllable division.