Hyphenation ofsouth-westwardly

Analysis of "south-westwardly"

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /saʊθˈwɛst.wərd.li/ (General American).

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: south-west-ward-ly

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: south- (Old English, directional)
• Root: west (Old English, directional)
• Suffix: -ward (Old English, adverbial suffix indicating direction)
• Suffix: -ly (Old English, adverbial suffix forming adverbs from adjectives)

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the second syllable: /ˈwɛst/

5. Phonetic Transcription: /saʊθˈwɛst.wərd.li/

6. Edge Case Review: Compound words like this can sometimes present challenges. The hyphenated structure influences the perceived syllable boundaries.

7. Grammatical Role: This word functions solely as an adverb. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of context.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: In a south-westerly direction.
• Grammatical Category: Adverb
• Synonyms: southwestward, towards the southwest
• Antonyms: northeastwardly, northwardly
• Examples: "The wind shifted south-westwardly, bringing warmer air."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• northwardly: north-ward-ly (3 syllables, stress on 'ward') - Similar structure, stress pattern consistent with -wardly adverbs.
• eastwardly: east-ward-ly (3 syllables, stress on 'ward') - Again, consistent structure and stress.
• southwesterly: south-west-er-ly (4 syllables, stress on 'west') - While related, the unhyphenated form shows a different syllabification pattern, with the 'er' forming its own syllable.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

• south: /saʊθ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Potential exception: diphthong 'ou' can sometimes create complexity, but here it functions as a single vowel sound.
• west: /wɛst/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). This syllable receives primary stress.
• ward: /wərd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• ly: /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel at the end of the word. Potential exception: often considered a weak syllable due to its function as an adverbial suffix.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.
2. Open Syllable: Syllables ending in a vowel sound are considered open.
3. Closed Syllable: Syllables ending in a consonant sound are considered closed.
4. Compound Word Division: Hyphens in compound words often indicate syllable boundaries.

Special Considerations:

• The hyphenated structure is crucial for accurate syllabification. Without the hyphens, the word could be misdivided.
• The 'ly' suffix is often a weak syllable and can be elided in rapid speech.
• Regional variations in pronunciation might affect the precise phonetic realization of the vowels, but not the core syllable division.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in 'south' to /sʌθ/, but this doesn't change the syllable division.