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Hyphenation ofscandal-mongering

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

scan-dal-mon-ger-ing

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

/ˈskændəlˌmɒŋɡərɪŋ/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

01000

Primary stress falls on the second syllable ('dal').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

scan/skæn/

Open syllable, initial consonant cluster.

dal/dəl/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

mon/mɒn/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

ger/ɡər/

Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

ing/ɪŋ/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by nasal consonant cluster.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

scan(prefix)
+
monger(root)
+
ing(suffix)

Prefix: scan

Old Norse origin, meaning 'to examine, disgrace'.

Root: monger

Middle English origin, meaning 'to trade, spread'.

Suffix: ing

Old English origin, gerundive/present participle suffix.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

The act of spreading scandalous or malicious rumors.

Examples:

"The newspaper was accused of scandal-mongering."

"His career was ruined by relentless scandal-mongering."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

candle-makingcan-dle-mak-ing

Similar morphological structure (root + -ing), consistent stress pattern.

handle-barhan-dle-bar

Similar syllable structure and stress pattern.

wonder-workingwon-der-work-ing

Similar morphological structure (root + -ing), consistent stress pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Consonant Rule

Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.

Morpheme Boundary Rule

Syllable division often respects morpheme boundaries.

Special Considerations

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

Regional variations in pronunciation (rhotic vs. non-rhotic accents) may affect vowel quality but not syllable division.

The 'sc-' and 'ng-' clusters are standard in English phonology and do not pose division issues.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'scandal-mongering' is divided into five syllables (scan-dal-mon-ger-ing) with primary stress on the second syllable. Syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns and morpheme boundaries. It's a compound noun formed from a prefix, root, and suffix.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "scandal-mongering"

1. Pronunciation: The word "scandal-mongering" is pronounced /ˈskændəlˌmɒŋɡərɪŋ/ in US English.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: scan-dal-mon-ger-ing

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: scan- (Old Norse skanna - "to look at, examine"; functions as a combining form indicating disgrace or public disapproval)
  • Root: monger (Middle English mongeren - "to trade, deal"; originally meaning a seller or dealer, but evolved to denote someone who spreads something, often negative information)
  • Suffix: -ing (Old English -ing; gerundive/present participle suffix, indicating ongoing action)

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the second syllable: scan-dal-mon-ger-ing.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˈskændəlˌmɒŋɡərɪŋ/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

  • scan-: /ˈskæn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Potential exception: The 'sc-' cluster is a common initial consonant cluster in English, not posing a division issue.
  • dal-: /dəl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) and a syllable boundary.
  • mon-: /mɒn/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) and a syllable boundary.
  • ger-: /ɡər/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
  • ing-: /ɪŋ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) and a syllable boundary. The 'ng' is a nasal consonant cluster, common in English.

7. Edge Case Review: The compound nature of the word (combining a prefix, root, and suffix) doesn't present unusual syllabification challenges. The 'sc-' cluster and 'ng' cluster are standard in English phonology.

8. Grammatical Role: "Scandal-mongering" primarily functions as a noun (the act of spreading scandalous rumors). As a gerund, the syllabification and stress remain consistent. It doesn't readily function as other parts of speech.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: The act of spreading scandalous or malicious rumors.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun (Gerund)
  • Synonyms: Rumor-mongering, gossip-mongering, scandalizing, defamation.
  • Antonyms: Discretion, silence, tact.
  • Examples: "The newspaper was accused of scandal-mongering." "His career was ruined by relentless scandal-mongering."

10. Phonological Comparison:

  • candle-making: can-dle-mak-ing (similar syllable structure, stress on the second syllable)
  • handle-bar: han-dle-bar (similar syllable structure, stress on the second syllable)
  • wonder-working: won-der-work-ing (similar syllable structure, stress on the second syllable)

The consistency in stress placement on the second syllable in these words suggests a common pattern for compound words with a similar morphological structure (prefix/root + -ing).

11. Division Rules:

  • Vowel-Consonant Rule: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.
  • Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.
  • Morpheme Boundary Rule: Syllable division often respects morpheme boundaries.

12. Special Considerations: The word's relatively infrequent use doesn't introduce any unique syllabification challenges. Regional variations in pronunciation (e.g., rhotic vs. non-rhotic accents) might affect the vowel quality but not the syllable division.

13. Short Analysis: "Scandal-mongering" is a compound noun formed from a prefix, root, and suffix. It is divided into five syllables: scan-dal-mon-ger-ing, with primary stress on the second syllable ("dal"). The syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns and morpheme boundaries.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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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.