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Hyphenation ofslow-extinguished

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

slow-ex-tin-guished

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

/sloʊ ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0010

Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('guished').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

slow/sloʊ/

Open syllable, long vowel sound.

ex/ɪk/

Closed syllable, consonant cluster.

tin/tɪn/

Closed syllable, CVC structure.

guished/ɡwɪʃt/

Closed syllable, 'gu' digraph pronounced as /ɡw/.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

ex-(prefix)
+
tingu-(root)
+
-ished(suffix)

Prefix: ex-

Latin origin, meaning 'out of' or 'thoroughly'.

Root: tingu-

Latin origin from *stinguere* meaning 'to extinguish'.

Suffix: -ished

Old English origin, indicating past participle/completion.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Extinguished slowly; fading gradually.

Examples:

"The slow-extinguished embers glowed in the darkness."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

distinguisheddis-tin-guished

Similar CVC structure in the final syllables and stress pattern.

extinguishex-tin-guish

Shares the 'ex-tin' syllable structure.

slowlyslow-ly

Shares the 'slow' syllable structure.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Open Syllable Rule

Vowels followed by no consonants or only voiced consonants create open syllables (e.g., 'slow').

Closed Syllable Rule

Vowels followed by consonants create closed syllables (e.g., 'ex', 'tin', 'guished').

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable (e.g., 'guished').

Special Considerations

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

Regional variations in pronunciation of 'ex' (/ɪk/ vs. /ɛk/).

The hyphenated nature of the word does not affect syllabification.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'slow-extinguished' is divided into four syllables: slow-ex-tin-guished. The primary stress falls on the third syllable ('guished'). It's morphologically composed of the prefix 'ex-', the root 'tingu-', and the suffix '-ished'. Syllable division follows standard English rules based on vowel sounds and consonant clusters.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "slow-extinguished"

1. Pronunciation: The word "slow-extinguished" is pronounced as /sloʊ ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/ (or /sloʊ ɛkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/ depending on regional accent).

2. Syllable Division: slow-ex-tin-guished

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: ex- (Latin, meaning "out of," "from," or "thoroughly") - functions to change the verb's meaning to completion.
  • Root: tingu- (Latin stinguere - to extinguish, to quench) - the core meaning of the word.
  • Suffix: -ished (Old English -ed combined with a suffix indicating past participle/completion) - indicates past tense/completion of the action.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the third syllable: ex-tin-guished.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /sloʊ ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/ (General American) or /sloʊ ɛkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/ (some regional accents)

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

  • slow: /sloʊ/ - Open syllable. Rule: VCV pattern where the vowel is long. No special cases.
  • ex: /ɪk/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster followed by a vowel. No special cases.
  • tin: /tɪn/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) pattern. No special cases.
  • guished: /ɡwɪʃt/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster followed by a vowel. The 'gu' digraph is pronounced as /ɡw/. No special cases.

7. Edge Case Review: The 'gu' digraph can sometimes be pronounced differently, but in this context, it follows the standard pronunciation. The hyphenated nature of the word doesn't affect syllabification, it's treated as a single lexical item.

8. Grammatical Role: "Slow-extinguished" functions primarily as an adjective (e.g., "a slow-extinguished fire"). Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Extinguished slowly; fading gradually.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: dying, waning, fading, diminishing
  • Antonyms: ignited, blazing, flourishing
  • Examples: "The slow-extinguished embers glowed in the darkness."

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: Some speakers might pronounce the 'ex' as /ɛk/ instead of /ɪk/. This variation doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

  • distinguished: dis-tin-guished - Similar CVC structure in the final syllables. Stress pattern is also similar.
  • extinguish: ex-tin-guish - Shares the 'ex-tin' syllable structure.
  • slowly: slow-ly - Shares the 'slow' syllable structure.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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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.