Hyphenation oftough-mindedness

Linguistic Analysis of "tough-mindedness" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "tough-mindedness" is pronounced /tʌf ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/ in General American English. It presents challenges due to the 'gh' digraph and the compound structure.

2. Syllable Division:

Following US English syllabification rules, the word divides as: tough-mind-ed-ness.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: tough- (Old English, originally meaning 'strong, robust'; functions as an adjective forming element)
• Root: mind- (Old English ge-mind meaning 'memory, thought'; functions as a noun/verb root)
• Suffix: -ed- (Old English -ed; functions as a past tense/past participle marker, but here functions as an adjectival suffix)
• Suffix: -ness- (Old English -nes; functions as a noun-forming suffix, denoting a state or quality)

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second syllable: /ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/tʌf ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The 'gh' in "tough" is a silent letter, impacting the phonetic realization but not the syllabification. The compound nature of the word (adjective + noun) influences the stress pattern.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Tough-mindedness" functions solely as a noun. There are no syllabification or stress shifts for other parts of speech.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being resolute, determined, and unyielding; mental fortitude.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: resilience, determination, fortitude, strength of character
• Antonyms: weakness, indecisiveness, timidity
• Examples: "Her tough-mindedness helped her overcome many obstacles." "The negotiator's tough-mindedness was essential to reaching a favorable agreement."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Readiness: read-y-ness (/ˈrɛdinəs/) - Similar suffix -ness. Syllable division follows the same pattern.
• Kindness: kind-ness (/ˈkaɪndnəs/) - Similar suffix -ness. Syllable division follows the same pattern.
• Roughness: rough-ness (/ˈrʌfnəs/) - Similar suffix -ness. Syllable division follows the same pattern.
  The key difference is the initial consonant cluster and vowel quality in the root.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

• tough: /tʌf/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. Exception: 'gh' is silent, affecting pronunciation but not syllabification.
• mind: /maɪnd/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.
• ed: /ɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.
• ness: /nəs/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant.

Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel-Consonant (VC) Rule: Syllables are typically divided after a vowel followed by a consonant (tough, mind, ed, ness).
• Silent Letter Rule: Silent letters (like 'gh' in tough) do not affect syllable division.

Special Considerations:

• The 'gh' digraph is a historical spelling convention and doesn't represent a sound in modern pronunciation.
• The compound structure of the word (adjective + noun) influences the stress pattern.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation (e.g., the /ʌ/ in "tough") might exist, but they do not significantly alter the syllabification.

Short Analysis:

"Tough-mindedness" is a four-syllable noun with primary stress on the second syllable (/ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/). It's formed from the prefix "tough-", root "mind-", and suffixes "-ed-" and "-ness-". Syllabification follows the vowel-consonant rule, with the silent 'gh' not affecting division.