HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofshallow-thoughted

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

shal-low-thought-ed

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

/ˈʃæloʊ ˈθɔːtɪd/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

1010

Primary stress falls on the first syllable of 'shallow' and the first syllable of 'thoughted'.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

shal/ʃæl/

Open syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.

low/loʊ/

Open syllable, vowel at the end.

thought/θɔːt/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant cluster.

ed/ɪd/

Closed syllable, vowel followed by a consonant.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

shall-(prefix)
+
low(root)
+
-owed(suffix)

Prefix: shall-

Old English, intensifying prefix, now largely archaic.

Root: low

Old English, meaning 'low' or 'shallow'.

Suffix: -owed

Old English, forming an adjective, indicating possession of the quality described by the root. Archaic.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Lacking in depth of thought or understanding; superficial.

Examples:

"His shallow-thoughted remarks revealed a lack of understanding of the issue."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

shallowshal-low

Similar syllable structure and root.

thoughtfulthought-ful

Similar syllable structure and related semantic field.

narrow-mindednar-row-mind-ed

Similar compound adjective structure.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel Rule

Syllables are generally divided around vowels.

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters are typically kept together within a syllable, unless they can be split by a vowel sound.

Digraph Rule

Digraphs (like 'sh') are treated as single units for syllabification.

Special Considerations

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

Archaic nature of the word and its morphology.

Unusual suffix '-owed'.

Compound adjective structure.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

Shallow-thoughted is an archaic adjective meaning lacking depth of thought. It is divided into four syllables: shal-low-thought-ed, with primary stress on the first syllable of each compound part. Its morphology is rooted in Old English, featuring an archaic intensifying prefix and suffix.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "shallow-thoughted"

1. Pronunciation: The word "shallow-thoughted" is pronounced as /ˈʃæloʊ ˈθɔːtɪd/.

2. Syllable Division: shal-low-thought-ed

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: shall- (Old English, intensifying prefix, now largely archaic, contributing to the sense of 'not deep')
  • Root: low (Old English, meaning 'low' or 'shallow')
  • Suffix: -owed (Old English, forming an adjective, indicating possession of the quality described by the root. This is an archaic suffix.)
  • Compound Modifier: thoughted (Past participle of think, functioning as an adjective. This is an archaic formation.)

4. Stress Identification: Primary stress falls on the first syllable of "shallow" (/ˈʃæloʊ/) and on the first syllable of "thoughted" (/ˈθɔːtɪd/).

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ˈʃæloʊ ˈθɔːtɪd/

6. Edge Case Review: The word is archaic and its syllabification reflects older English patterns. The "-owed" suffix is uncommon in modern English. The compound adjective structure is also less frequent.

7. Grammatical Role: The word functions as an adjective. There is no shift in syllabification if it were to hypothetically function as another part of speech, as it is a fixed compound adjective.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Lacking in depth of thought or understanding; superficial.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: shallow, superficial, thoughtless, frivolous, unintelligent
  • Antonyms: profound, deep, thoughtful, intelligent
  • Examples: "His shallow-thoughted remarks revealed a lack of understanding of the issue."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • shallow: shal-low (similar syllable structure, stress on the first syllable)
  • thoughtful: thought-ful (similar syllable structure, stress on the first syllable)
  • narrow-minded: nar-row-mind-ed (similar compound adjective structure, multiple syllables)

The differences lie in the archaic suffix "-owed" in "shallow-thoughted" and the compound structure. The other words use more common morphological patterns.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

  • shal: /ʃæl/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. Exception: The 'sh' digraph is treated as a single phoneme for syllabification.
  • low: /loʊ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel at the end of the syllable.
  • thought: /θɔːt/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant cluster.
  • ed: /ɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.

Syllable Division Rules Applied:

  1. Vowel Rule: Syllables are generally divided around vowels.
  2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are typically kept together within a syllable, unless they can be split by a vowel sound.
  3. Digraph Rule: Digraphs (like 'sh') are treated as single units for syllabification.

Special Considerations:

  • The archaic nature of the word and its morphology.
  • The unusual suffix "-owed".
  • The compound adjective structure.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the provided IPA is standard, slight variations in vowel pronunciation (particularly /æ/ vs. /ɑ/) might occur depending on regional accents. These variations would not significantly alter the syllabification.

Short Analysis: "Shallow-thoughted" is an archaic adjective meaning lacking depth of thought. It is divided into four syllables: shal-low-thought-ed, with primary stress on the first syllable of each compound part. Its morphology is rooted in Old English, featuring an archaic intensifying prefix and suffix.

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

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 splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.