Hyphenation ofsuperbelievableness

Linguistic Analysis of "superbelievableness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "superbelievableness" is a complex noun formed through multiple affixations. Its pronunciation in US English involves a relatively straightforward application of English phonological rules, though the length and complexity present challenges in syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: super- (Latin, meaning "above," "over," or "beyond"). Morphological function: intensifier.
• Root: believe (Old English belēfan, meaning "to have faith in"). Morphological function: core meaning of trust or acceptance.
• Suffix: -able (Latin -abilis, meaning "capable of being"). Morphological function: forms an adjective from a verb.
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes, meaning "state of being"). Morphological function: forms a noun from an adjective.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: su-per-be-liev-a-ble-ness.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌsuːpər bɪˈliːvəbl̩nəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The presence of multiple suffixes and the vowel clusters require careful consideration. The syllabification aims to avoid stranded consonants.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Superbelievableness" functions solely as a noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if it were to function as another part of speech, as it is a derived noun.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of being extremely believable; the extent to which something is readily accepted as true.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: credibility, plausibility, authenticity, verisimilitude
• Antonyms: incredibility, implausibility, doubt, skepticism
• Examples: "The story was told with such detail and conviction that its superbelievableness was undeniable."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Understandable: un-der-stand-a-ble (4 syllables). Similar structure with a verb root + -able suffix. Stress on the third syllable.
• Unbelievable: un-be-liev-a-ble (4 syllables). Shares the believe root and -able suffix. Stress on the third syllable.
• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty (6 syllables). Demonstrates a longer word with multiple suffixes, but a different stress pattern.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown & Rules:

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

• The length of the word and the multiple suffixes create a complex structure, but the syllabification follows standard English rules.
• The syllabic /l/ in "ble" is a common feature in English, but requires recognition.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-CVC Rule: Syllables generally end in vowels.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable.
3. Syllabic Consonant Rule: /l/ can function as a syllable nucleus after a consonant.
4. Stress-Timing Rule: English is a stress-timed language, influencing syllable duration and reduction.