Hyphenation ofsingle-mindedness

Linguistic Analysis of "single-mindedness" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "single-mindedness" is a complex noun, readily pronounced by native English speakers. It presents challenges in syllabification due to consonant clusters and the presence of a compound structure.

2. Syllable Division:

Following US English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: single- (Old English singel - meaning 'one, alone, solitary'). Morphological function: modifies the root, indicating a solitary or unified state.
• Root: mind- (Old English ge-mind - meaning 'to remember, think'). Morphological function: core meaning relating to thought and intellect.
• Suffix: -ed (Old English -ed). Morphological function: past participle/adjective forming suffix.
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes). Morphological function: noun-forming suffix, denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: mind.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈsɪŋɡəlˌmaɪndɪdnəs/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• sin-: /ˈsɪn/ - Open syllable. Rule: VCV pattern (vowel-consonant-vowel) generally divides between the vowels. Exception: The 'ng' digraph is treated as a single consonant sound in this case.
• gle-: /ˈɡəl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster 'gl' is maintained within the syllable. Exception: None.
• mind-: /ˈmaɪnd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster 'nd'. Exception: None.
• ed-: /ˈɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: The 'ed' suffix can be pronounced /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ depending on the preceding sound. Here, it's /ɪd/ due to the preceding /n/ sound.
• ness: /ˈnəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel and consonant. Exception: None.

7. Edge Case Review:

The 'single-' portion could potentially be divided as 'sing-le' by some speakers, but 'sin-gle' is more common and aligns better with the principle of maintaining consonant clusters. The 'ed' suffix's pronunciation is a common point of variation.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Single-mindedness" primarily functions as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function, as it doesn't inflect.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being resolutely determined and focused on a single purpose; unwavering dedication.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: determination, resolve, dedication, focus, purposefulness
• Antonyms: indecision, wavering, fickleness, ambiguity
• Examples: "Her single-mindedness allowed her to overcome all obstacles." "His single-mindedness in pursuing his goals was admirable."

10. Phonological Comparison:

• happiness: hap-pi-ness (/ˈhæpiˌnɛs/) - Similar structure with a suffix. Syllable division follows the same rules.
• kindness: kind-ness (/ˈkaɪndnəs/) - Similar structure with a suffix. Syllable division follows the same rules.
• willingness: will-ing-ness (/ˈwɪlɪŋnəs/) - Similar structure with a suffix. Syllable division follows the same rules.
  The key difference is the complexity of the initial consonant cluster in "single-mindedness" compared to the simpler clusters in the other words.

11. Division Rules:

• VCV Pattern: Vowels tend to separate syllables (e.g., sin-gle).
• Consonant Cluster Maintenance: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable (e.g., mind-ed).
• Suffix Separation: Suffixes are typically separated into their own syllables (e.g., -ness).

12. Special Considerations:

The pronunciation of the 'ed' suffix can vary, but the syllabification remains consistent. Regional accents might influence vowel sounds, but not the syllable division.

13. Short Analysis:

"Single-mindedness" is a noun with five syllables: sin-gle-mind-ed-ness. The primary stress is on "mind". It's formed from the prefix "single-", root "mind", and suffixes "-ed" and "-ness". Syllabification follows VCV and consonant cluster rules, with suffixes forming separate syllables.