overcourteousness
Syllables
o-ver-cour-te-ous-ness
Pronunciation
/ˌoʊvərˈkɔːrtɪəsnəs/
Stress
010110
Morphemes
over- + court- + -eousness
The word 'overcourteousness' is divided into six syllables: o-ver-cour-te-ous-ness. It features a prefix 'over-', root 'court-', and suffixes '-eous' and '-ness'. Primary stress falls on the fifth syllable ('te'). Syllabification follows rules maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants.
Definitions
- 1
Excessive politeness; politeness to the point of being insincere or affected.
“His overcourteousness felt insincere and manipulative.”
“She was known for her overcourteousness, always going to great lengths to please everyone.”
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the fifth syllable ('te'). The stress pattern reflects the complex morphology, with emphasis on the root and suffixes.
Syllables
o — Open syllable, initial vowel.. ver — Closed syllable, consonant cluster following vowel.. cour — Closed syllable, consonant following vowel.. te — Closed syllable, primary stress.. ous — Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant.. ness — Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant.
Word Parts
Vowel-Consonant Division
Each vowel sound generally forms a syllable, followed by any consonants that belong to it.
Maximizing Onsets
Consonants are assigned to the following syllable whenever possible.
Avoid Stranded Consonants
No syllable can begin with a vowel without a preceding consonant (unless it's the first syllable of the word).
- The length and complex morphology of the word present a challenge for syllabification.
- Potential for vowel reduction in 'over' in some dialects.
Nearby Words
17 wordsTrending in English (US)
Terms getting hyphenated by users right now.