Hyphenation ofslippery-tongued
Syllable Division:
slip-per-y-tong-ued
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/ˈslɪp.ə.ri ˈtʌŋd/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
10010
Primary stress on the first syllable of 'slippery' and the first syllable of 'tongued'.
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, stressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Syllabic consonant, unstressed.
Open syllable, stressed.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix:
Root: slip/tongue
Old English origins
Suffix: -ery/-ed
Nominalizing/Adjectival suffixes
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
VCV Rule
Dividing between vowels in a vowel-consonant-vowel pattern.
Consonant Cluster Rule
Keeping consonant clusters together within a syllable.
Syllabic Consonant Rule
Allowing syllabic consonants to form a syllable on their own.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
Hyphenated compound word requiring separate syllabification of components.
Summary:
The word 'slippery-tongued' is a hyphenated adjective divided into five syllables: slip-per-y-tong-ued. Stress falls on the first syllable of each component. It's formed from the roots 'slip' and 'tongue' with suffixes '-ery' and '-ed' respectively. Syllabification follows standard VCV and consonant cluster rules.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "slippery-tongued"
1. Pronunciation Examination:
The word "slippery-tongued" is a compound adjective in US English. It consists of "slippery" and "tongued," connected by a hyphen. The pronunciation involves a mix of consonant clusters and vowel sounds, requiring careful syllabification.
2. Syllable Division:
Following US English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): slip-per-y-tong-ued
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- slippery:
- Prefix: None
- Root: slip (Old English slippan - to slide, glide) - verb
- Suffix: -ery (Old French –erie from Latin -aria denoting a state or quality) - nominalizing suffix, creating an adjective.
- tongued:
- Prefix: None
- Root: tongue (Old English tunge - the muscular organ in the mouth) - noun
- Suffix: -ed (Old English -ed - past tense/participle marker, here functioning adjectivally) - adjectival suffix.
4. Stress Identification:
The primary stress falls on the first syllable of "slippery" and the first syllable of "tongued". Thus, the stress pattern is: slip-per-y tong-ued.
5. Phonetic Transcription:
/ˈslɪp.ə.ri ˈtʌŋd/
6. Edge Case Review:
The hyphenated compound nature of the word requires treating each component ("slippery" and "tongued") separately for syllabification and stress. The 'r' in 'slippery' can sometimes be syllabified with the 'i' depending on dialect, but the standard US pronunciation favors the division shown.
7. Grammatical Role:
"Slippery-tongued" functions as an adjective. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.
8. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: Having a tendency to say things that are deceptive, insincere, or difficult to believe; not straightforward or truthful.
- Grammatical Category: Adjective
- Synonyms: evasive, deceptive, dissembling, double-tongued, two-faced
- Antonyms: honest, truthful, sincere, frank
- Examples: "The politician was known for his slippery-tongued responses." "She didn't trust him because he was a slippery-tongued salesman."
9. Phonological Comparison:
- quickly: quick-ly (/ˈkwɪk.li/) - Similar vowel structure and consonant clusters. Syllabification follows the same V-C-V pattern.
- happily: hap-pi-ly (/ˈhæp.i.li/) - Similar suffix "-ly" and vowel sounds. Syllabification is consistent with the rule of dividing before a vowel.
- carefully: care-ful-ly (/ˈker.fəl.i/) - Similar structure with a vowel-consonant-vowel pattern. Syllabification follows the same rules.
Syllable Breakdown Details:
- slip: /slɪp/ - Open syllable, ending in a vowel sound. Rule: Vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) pattern, divide between vowels.
- per: /pər/ - Closed syllable, ending in a consonant sound. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.
- y: /i/ - Syllabic consonant, functioning as a vowel. Rule: Syllabic consonants form a syllable on their own.
- tong: /tʌŋ/ - Open syllable, ending in a nasal consonant. Rule: Vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) pattern, divide between vowels.
- ued: /d/ - Closed syllable, ending in a consonant sound. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.
Division Rules Applied:
- VCV Rule: When a word has a vowel-consonant-vowel pattern, it is generally divided between the vowels.
- Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are typically kept together within a single syllable.
- Syllabic Consonant Rule: Syllabic consonants (like /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/) can form a syllable on their own.
Special Considerations:
The hyphenated nature of the word is the primary special consideration. Without the hyphen, syllabification would be more complex and potentially ambiguous.
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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.