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Hyphenation ofslippery-tongued

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

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'.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

slip/slɪp/

Open syllable, stressed.

per/pər/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

y/i/

Syllabic consonant, unstressed.

tong/tʌŋ/

Open syllable, stressed.

ued/d/

Closed syllable, unstressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

(prefix)
+
slip/tongue(root)
+
-ery/-ed(suffix)

Prefix:

Root: slip/tongue

Old English origins

Suffix: -ery/-ed

Nominalizing/Adjectival suffixes

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Having a tendency to say things that are deceptive or insincere.

Examples:

"He was a slippery-tongued politician."

Synonyms: evasive, deceptive
Antonyms: honest, truthful
Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

quicklyquick-ly

Similar vowel structure and suffix.

happilyhap-pi-ly

Similar suffix and vowel sounds.

carefullycare-ful-ly

Similar structure with a vowel-consonant-vowel pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

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.

Special Considerations

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

Hyphenated compound word requiring separate syllabification of components.

Analysis Summary

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.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/10/2025

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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.