HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofnonincriminating

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

non-in-crim-i-nat-ing

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

/ˌnɑnɪnˈkrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0 0 0 1 0 0

Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('nat'). Stress pattern follows the general rule of penultimate syllable stress in -ing words, unless another syllable is more prominent.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

non/nɑn/

Open syllable, initial syllable.

in/ɪn/

Closed syllable.

crim/krɪm/

Closed syllable.

i/ɪ/

Open syllable, short vowel sound.

nat/neɪt/

Open syllable.

ing/ɪŋ/

Closed syllable, adjectival suffix.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

non-(prefix)
+
crim-(root)
+
-inating(suffix)

Prefix: non-

Latin origin, meaning 'not', functions as a negation.

Root: crim-

Latin *crimen* meaning 'crime, accusation', core meaning.

Suffix: -inating

Latin origin, from *incriminare* 'to accuse', adjectival formation.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Not providing evidence that shows someone is guilty of a crime.

Examples:

"The witness provided nonincriminating testimony."

"The evidence was deemed nonincriminating and was excluded from the trial."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

uninterestingun-in-ter-est-ing

Similar structure with a prefix and suffix.

uncomplicatedun-com-pli-cat-ed

Similar prefix, different root.

disapprovingdis-ap-prov-ing

Different prefix, but similar -ing suffix.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset-Rime Division

Dividing syllables based on the onset (initial consonant(s)) and rime (vowel and following consonants).

Vowel Sound Rule

Each syllable generally contains one vowel sound.

Closed Syllable Rule

Syllables ending in a consonant are considered closed.

Special Considerations

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

The initial 'non-' can sometimes be pronounced as a single syllable /nɑn/ in some dialects.

The stress pattern is influenced by the length and complexity of the root morpheme.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'nonincriminating' is divided into six syllables: non-in-crim-i-nat-ing. It consists of the prefix 'non-', the root 'crim-', and the suffix '-inating'. Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('nat'). Syllabification follows standard English onset-rime division and vowel sound rules.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "nonincriminating"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "nonincriminating" is an adjective meaning not incriminating. Its pronunciation in US English is approximately /ˌnɑnɪnˈkrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/. It presents challenges due to the initial consonant cluster and the presence of multiple vowels.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word divides as follows (using only original letters): non-in-crim-i-nat-ing

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
  • Root: crim- (Latin crimen meaning "crime, accusation"). Morphological function: core meaning.
  • Suffix: -inating (Latin origin, from incriminare "to accuse"). Morphological function: adjectival formation. Specifically, it's a combination of in- (into, upon) + -ating (adjectival suffix).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: in-crim-i-nat-ing. This is determined by the general rule that stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ing, unless another syllable is more prominent.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑnɪnˈkrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/

6. Edge Case Review:

The initial "non-" can sometimes be pronounced as a single syllable /nɑn/, but the more common and accepted pronunciation in US English separates it into two syllables. The "crim" syllable is a relatively closed syllable, influencing vowel quality.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Nonincriminating" primarily functions as an adjective. While it could theoretically be used in a nominalized form (e.g., "the nonincriminating evidence"), the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Not providing evidence that shows someone is guilty of a crime.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: exculpatory, exonerating, clearing
  • Antonyms: incriminating, accusatory, condemning
  • Examples: "The witness provided nonincriminating testimony." "The evidence was deemed nonincriminating and was excluded from the trial."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "uninteresting": un-in-ter-est-ing. Similar structure with a prefix and suffix. Stress falls on "-est".
  • "uncomplicated": un-com-pli-cat-ed. Similar prefix, but a different root. Stress falls on "-cat".
  • "disapproving": dis-ap-prov-ing. Different prefix, but similar -ing suffix. Stress falls on "-prov".

The differences in stress placement are due to the varying length and complexity of the root morphemes. "Nonincriminating" has a longer root ("crim-inat-") which pushes the stress further along.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Division Rule Exceptions/Special Cases
non /nɑn/ Open syllable, initial syllable Onset-Rime division, vowel sound Can be pronounced as a single syllable /nɑn/ in some dialects.
in /ɪn/ Closed syllable Onset-Rime division, consonant ending Standard closed syllable structure.
crim /krɪm/ Closed syllable Onset-Rime division, consonant ending Relatively closed syllable, influencing vowel quality.
i /ɪ/ Open syllable Vowel sound Short vowel sound, often reduced in rapid speech.
nat /neɪt/ Open syllable Onset-Rime division, vowel sound
ing /ɪŋ/ Closed syllable Onset-Rime division, nasal consonant ending Common adjectival suffix.

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

The initial "non-" presents a slight ambiguity in pronunciation, but the two-syllable division is more common in US English.

Division Rules Applied:

  1. Onset-Rime Division: The most common rule, dividing syllables based on the onset (initial consonant(s)) and rime (vowel and following consonants).
  2. Vowel Sound Rule: Each syllable generally contains one vowel sound.
  3. Closed Syllable Rule: Syllables ending in a consonant are considered closed.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/12/2025

The hottest word splits in English (US)

See what terms are trending and getting hyphenated by users right now.

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.