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Hyphenation ofthrough-and-through

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

through-and-through

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

/θruː.ænd.θruː/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

101

Primary stress on the first syllable ('through'), secondary stress on the last syllable ('through').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

through/θruː/

Open syllable, diphthong, primary stress.

and/ænd/

Closed syllable, short vowel.

through/θruː/

Open syllable, diphthong, secondary stress.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

through(prefix)
+
and(root)
+
through(suffix)

Prefix: through

Old English *þurh*, intensifier.

Root: and

Old English *and*, coordinating conjunction.

Suffix: through

Old English *þurh*, intensifier.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Completely; utterly; thoroughly.

Examples:

"He was a through-and-through scoundrel."

"The house was cleaned through-and-through."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

throughoutthrough-out

Similar initial consonant cluster (/θr/).

understandun-der-stand

Contains a similar vowel sound (/ʌ/) in the first syllable.

althoughal-though

Shares the '-though' element.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset Maximization

Attempting to create the largest possible consonant clusters in the onset of each syllable.

Vowel-C Rule

Syllables are divided after a consonant following a vowel.

Vowel-C-C Rule

Syllables are divided after the vowel when followed by two consonants.

Special Considerations

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

The repetition of 'through' is an unusual structure but doesn't violate core syllabification rules.

Regional variations might slightly alter vowel quality but not syllable division.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'through-and-through' is syllabified as through-and-through, with primary stress on the first syllable. It's morphologically composed of the prefix 'through', the root 'and', and a repeating suffix 'through', functioning as an adjective meaning 'completely'. Syllable division follows onset maximization and vowel-consonant rules.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "through-and-through"

1. Pronunciation: The word "through-and-through" is pronounced as /θruː.ænd.θruː/ in General American English.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets, is: through-and-through.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: through- (Old English þurh), meaning "completely" or "at an end." Functions as an intensifier.
  • Root: and (Old English and), a coordinating conjunction. In this context, it functions as part of a compound adjective.
  • Suffix: -through (Old English þurh), repeating the prefix to emphasize completeness. Functions as an intensifier.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the first syllable: through. The second "through" receives secondary stress.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /θruː.ænd.θruː/

6. Edge Case Review: The repetition of "through" creates a somewhat unusual structure. However, it's a recognized idiom, and the syllabification follows standard rules.

7. Grammatical Role: "Through-and-through" functions primarily as an adjective. The stress pattern remains consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Completely; utterly; thoroughly.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: absolute, complete, total, utter, thorough
  • Antonyms: partial, incomplete, superficial
  • Examples: "He was a through-and-through scoundrel." "The house was cleaned through-and-through."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • throughout: through-out /θruː.aʊt/ - Similar initial consonant cluster (/θr/), but different vowel and final consonant. Syllable division follows the same onset-maximizing principle.
  • understand: un-der-stand /ˌʌn.dərˈstænd/ - Contains a similar vowel sound (/ʌ/) in the first syllable, but a different initial consonant cluster and a more complex syllable structure.
  • although: al-though /ɔːlˈðoʊ/ - Shares the "-though" element, but with a different prefix. Syllable division is straightforward due to the clear vowel boundaries.

10. Syllable Analysis:

  • through: /θruː/ - Open syllable, containing a diphthong. Rule applied: Vowel-C-C (vowel followed by two consonants) typically divides after the vowel.
  • and: /ænd/ - Closed syllable. Rule applied: Vowel-C (vowel followed by a consonant) divides after the consonant.
  • through: /θruː/ - Open syllable, containing a diphthong. Rule applied: Vowel-C-C (vowel followed by two consonants) typically divides after the vowel.

11. Exceptions and Special Cases: The repetition of "through" is the main unusual aspect. However, it doesn't violate any core syllabification rules.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: Some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel quality, but the syllable division remains consistent.

13. Division Rules Applied:

  • Onset Maximization: Attempting to create the largest possible consonant clusters in the onset of each syllable.
  • Vowel-C Rule: Syllables are divided after a consonant following a vowel.
  • Vowel-C-C Rule: Syllables are divided after the vowel when followed by two consonants.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/6/2025

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