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Hyphenation ofpostadolescences

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

pos-ta-do-les-cen-ces

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

/ˌpoʊstædəˈlɛsənsɪz/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

000100

Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('les'), indicated by '1'. All other syllables are unstressed ('0').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

pos/poʊs/

Open syllable, onset 'p', vowel 'oʊ', coda 's'

ta/tə/

Open syllable, onset 't', reduced vowel 'ə'

do/doʊ/

Open syllable, onset 'd', vowel 'oʊ'

les/lɛs/

Closed syllable, onset 'l', vowel 'ɛ', coda 's'

cen/sɛn/

Closed syllable, onset 's', vowel 'ɛ', coda 'n'

ces/sɪz/

Closed syllable, onset 's', vowel 'ɪ', coda 'z'

Morphemic Breakdown

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

post-(prefix)
+
adolesc-(root)
+
-ence(suffix)

Prefix: post-

Latin origin, meaning 'after'

Root: adolesc-

Latin origin, meaning 'youth'

Suffix: -ence

Latin via French, forming abstract nouns

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

The states or periods of being past adolescence; the conditions experienced after the teenage years.

Examples:

"The challenges faced during postadolescences are often underestimated."

"Her research focused on the psychological transitions of postadolescences."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

adolescencea-do-les-cence

Shares the root 'adolesc-' and the suffix '-ence', exhibiting similar stress patterns.

consequencescon-se-quenc-es

Shares the suffix '-ences', demonstrating a similar syllabic structure and stress pattern.

reminiscencesre-min-is-cenc-es

Shares the suffix '-ences', exhibiting a similar syllabic structure and stress pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Following Consonant Rule

Consonants following vowels are generally assigned to the following syllable.

Onset-Coda Maximization

Syllables aim to have both an onset and a coda when possible.

Stress Placement

Stress influences vowel quality and syllable prominence, generally falling on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ence/-ences.

Special Considerations

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

Schwa reduction in unstressed syllables is a common phonetic phenomenon.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'postadolescences' is divided into six syllables: pos-ta-do-les-cen-ces. It consists of the prefix 'post-', the root 'adolesc-', and the suffixes '-ence' and '-s'. Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable ('les'). Syllabification follows standard English rules of vowel-following consonant assignment and onset-coda maximization.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "postadolescences"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "postadolescences" is pronounced with a relatively complex structure, involving multiple morphemes and potential vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. The pronunciation is /ˌpoʊstædəˈlɛsənsɪz/.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word divides as follows: pos-ta-do-les-cen-ces.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: post- (Latin, meaning "after") - indicates a time or state following.
  • Root: adolesc- (Latin, meaning "youth") - the core meaning relating to the period of life between childhood and adulthood.
  • Suffix: -ence (Latin, via French, forming abstract nouns denoting a state or quality) - creates a noun from the root.
  • Suffix: -s (English, plural marker) - indicates more than one instance of the state of being in post-adolescence.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the syllable "-les-" (do-les-cen-ces). This is determined by the general rule that stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ence/-ences, unless overridden by other factors.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌpoʊstædəˈlɛsənsɪz/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "sc" can sometimes create a complex onset, but in this case, it's clearly divided between syllables. The vowel reduction in unstressed syllables (e.g., the 'a' in 'ta') is a common phenomenon in English.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Postadolescences" functions exclusively as a noun, specifically a plural noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: The states or periods of being past adolescence; the conditions experienced after the teenage years.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun (plural)
  • Synonyms: post-teenage years, young adulthoods
  • Antonyms: adolescences, childhoods
  • Examples: "The challenges faced during postadolescences are often underestimated." "Her research focused on the psychological transitions of postadolescences."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • adolescence: a-do-les-cence - Similar structure, stress on "-les-".
  • consequences: con-se-quenc-es - Similar ending "-ences", stress on "-quenc-".
  • reminiscences: re-min-is-cenc-es - Similar ending "-ences", stress on "-min-".

The syllable division in "postadolescences" follows the same principles as these words, where consonant clusters are generally split to create onsets and codas, and stress falls predictably based on the suffix. The addition of the "post-" prefix simply adds a syllable at the beginning.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Division Rule Exceptions/Special Cases
pos /poʊs/ Open syllable, onset 'p', vowel 'oʊ', coda 's' Vowel-following consonant rule None
ta /tə/ Open syllable, onset 't', reduced vowel 'ə' Vowel-following consonant rule Schwa reduction common in unstressed syllables
do /doʊ/ Open syllable, onset 'd', vowel 'oʊ' Vowel-following consonant rule None
les /lɛs/ Closed syllable, onset 'l', vowel 'ɛ', coda 's' Onset-Coda Maximization None
cen /sɛn/ Closed syllable, onset 's', vowel 'ɛ', coda 'n' Onset-Coda Maximization None
ces /sɪz/ Closed syllable, onset 's', vowel 'ɪ', coda 'z' Onset-Coda Maximization Plural marker 's'

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

The primary exception is the potential for schwa reduction in unstressed syllables, which is a common feature of English pronunciation.

Division Rules Applied:

  1. Vowel-Following Consonant Rule: Consonants following vowels are generally assigned to the following syllable.
  2. Onset-Coda Maximization: Syllables aim to have both an onset and a coda when possible.
  3. Stress Placement: Stress influences vowel quality and syllable prominence.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/11/2025

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