Hyphenation ofplain-spokenness
Syllable Division:
plain-spo-ken-ness
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/ˈpleɪn ˈspoʊkənəs/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
1001
Primary stress on the first syllable of 'plain' and the first syllable of 'spoken'
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, stressed.
Open syllable, stressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix: plain
Old English origin, adjectival modifier
Root: speak
Old English origin, verbal root
Suffix: -en
Old English origin, adjectival suffix
The quality of being direct, frank, and honest in speech; candor.
Examples:
"Her plain-spokenness was refreshing in a world of political spin."
"He admired her plain-spokenness and lack of pretense."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Shares the -ness suffix and a similar structure.
Shares the -ness suffix.
Contains a past participle root similar to 'spoken'.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Open Syllable
Vowel followed by a consonant blend or single consonant.
Closed Syllable
Vowel followed by a consonant blend or single consonant, creating a closed syllable.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
The compound nature of the word does not introduce any unusual syllabification challenges.
Regional variations in vowel pronunciation may occur but do not affect syllable division.
Summary:
The word 'plain-spokenness' is divided into four syllables: plain-spo-ken-ness. It consists of the prefix 'plain', the root 'speak', and the suffixes '-en' and '-ness'. Primary stress falls on the first syllable of 'plain' and 'spoken'. Syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns.
Detailed Analysis:
Analysis of "plain-spokenness"
1. Pronunciation: The word "plain-spokenness" is pronounced as /ˈpleɪn ˈspoʊkənəs/.
2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: plain-spo-ken-ness
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- Prefix: plain- (Old English plēn, meaning "flat, smooth, open"). Adjectival modifier.
- Root: speak- (Old English sprecan, Proto-Germanic sprekaną, meaning "to utter words"). Verbal root.
- Suffix: -en (Old English -en, infinitive/participle suffix, now adjectival). Forms the past participle, functioning adjectivally.
- Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes, from -nessu, denoting state or quality). Noun-forming suffix.
4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the first syllable of "plain" and the first syllable of "spoken". This results in a double-stressed word.
5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˈpleɪn ˈspoʊkənəs/
6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:
- plain: /ˈpleɪn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant blend (pl). No exceptions.
- spo: /ˈspoʊ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
- ken: /kən/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant blend (kn). No exceptions.
- ness: /nəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
7. Edge Case Review: The compound nature of the word (adjective + past participle + noun suffix) doesn't present any unusual syllabification challenges.
8. Grammatical Role: "Plain-spokenness" functions solely as a noun. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical role.
9. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: The quality of being direct, frank, and honest in speech; candor.
- Grammatical Category: Noun
- Synonyms: candor, frankness, honesty, directness, sincerity
- Antonyms: deceit, dishonesty, evasion, duplicity
- Examples: "Her plain-spokenness was refreshing in a world of political spin." "He admired her plain-spokenness and lack of pretense."
10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: Some speakers might reduce the vowel in "spoken" to a schwa /spəʊkən/, which wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division. Regional accents might affect vowel quality but not syllable boundaries.
11. Phonological Comparison:
- happiness: hap-pi-ness - Similar structure (adjective root + -ness). Stress pattern is different (hap-pi-ness).
- kindness: kind-ness - Simpler structure, but shares the -ness suffix. Syllable division is straightforward.
- brokenness: bro-ken-ness - Similar to "plain-spokenness" in having a past participle root. Stress pattern differs.
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