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Hyphenation ofuncontrollability

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

un-con-trol-la-bil-i-ty

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

/ʌnˌkɒn.trəˈlæbɪl.ɪti/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0100100

Primary stress falls on the third syllable ('bil'), with secondary stress on the first syllable ('con').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

un/ʌn/

Open, unstressed syllable.

con/kɒn/

Closed, secondary stressed syllable.

trol/trɒl/

Closed, unstressed syllable.

la/læ/

Open, unstressed syllable.

bil/bɪl/

Closed, primary stressed syllable with syllabic /l/.

i/ɪ/

Open, unstressed syllable.

ty/ti/

Closed, unstressed syllable.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

un-(prefix)
+
control(root)
+
ability(suffix)

Prefix: un-

Old English, negation

Root: control

Middle French/Latin, to restrain

Suffix: ability

Middle French/Latin, capacity/quality; composed of -able and -ity

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

The state or quality of being uncontrollable; the inability to be controlled.

Examples:

"The pilot struggled with the uncontrollability of the aircraft."

"His lack of impulse control led to a life of uncontrollability."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

responsibilityre-spon-si-bil-i-ty

Shares the -ibility suffix and similar stress pattern.

accessibilityac-ces-si-bil-i-ty

Shares the -ibility suffix and similar stress pattern.

probabilitypro-ba-bil-i-ty

Shares the -ibility suffix and similar stress pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset Maximization

Consonant clusters are included in the onset of the syllable whenever possible.

Vowel Nucleus

Each syllable must contain a vowel sound or a syllabic consonant.

Consonant Cluster Separation

Consonant clusters are broken up when necessary to create valid syllables.

Morpheme Boundary

Prefixes and suffixes are separated into distinct syllables.

Special Considerations

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

The syllabic /l/ in 'bil-' requires special consideration.

Vowel reduction to schwa in unstressed syllables is common.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'uncontrollability' is divided into seven syllables: un-con-trol-la-bil-i-ty. It consists of the prefix 'un-', the root 'control', and the suffix '-ability'. Primary stress falls on the 'bil' syllable. The syllabification follows rules of onset maximization and vowel nucleus requirements, with consideration for the syllabic /l/ and vowel reduction.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "uncontrollability"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "uncontrollability" is pronounced /ʌnˌkɒn.trəˈlæbɪl.ɪti/ in US English. It's a complex word with multiple morphemes and a relatively long phonetic structure.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable) and avoiding stranded consonants, is as follows: un-con-trol-la-bil-i-ty.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: un- (Old English) - Negation.
  • Root: control (Middle French from Italian controllo from Latin contrarotulus - counter-roll, a register) - To exercise restraint or direction over.
  • Suffix: -ability (Middle French -abilité from Latin -abilitas) - Capacity or possibility. This suffix is further broken down into:
    • -able (Latin -abilis) - capable of being
    • -ity (Latin -itas) - state or quality of

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ʌnˌkɒn.trəˈlæbɪl.ɪti/. The secondary stress is on the first syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ʌnˌkɒn.trəˈlæbɪl.ɪti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence /trə/ is a common reduced syllable in English, and the /l/ is syllabic, functioning as the nucleus of the syllable. The 'i' before 'ty' is often reduced to a schwa /ɪ/.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Uncontrollability" 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 state or quality of being uncontrollable; the inability to be controlled.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun
  • Synonyms: uncontrollableness, unmanageability, lawlessness
  • Antonyms: control, manageability, orderliness
  • Examples: "The pilot struggled with the uncontrollability of the aircraft." "His lack of impulse control led to a life of uncontrollability."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • Responsibility: /rɪˌspɒn.səˈbɪl.ɪti/ - Syllable division: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty. Similar structure with a long suffix. Stress pattern is also similar.
  • Accessibility: /ˌæk.sɛs.əˈbɪl.ɪti/ - Syllable division: ac-ces-si-bil-i-ty. Similar suffix, but a different initial consonant cluster. Stress pattern is similar.
  • Probability: /ˌprɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪti/ - Syllable division: pro-ba-bil-i-ty. Again, the -bility suffix is present, and the stress pattern is comparable.

The key difference in these words lies in the initial consonant clusters and vowel sounds, which influence the onset and rhyme structure of the first syllable. However, the shared -ability suffix consistently leads to a similar syllabic structure in the latter part of the word.

Syllable Analysis Details:

  • un-: /ʌn/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Initial prefix separation.
  • con-: /kɒn/ - Closed syllable, secondary stress. Rule: Consonant-vowel pattern, maximizing onset.
  • trol-: /trɒl/ - Closed syllable, unstressed. Rule: Consonant cluster onset, vowel-consonant rhyme.
  • la-: /læ/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Vowel-consonant pattern.
  • bil-: /bɪl/ - Closed syllable, stressed. Rule: Syllabic /l/ acting as a nucleus.
  • i-: /ɪ/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Vowel as a syllable nucleus.
  • ty: /ti/ - Closed syllable, unstressed. Rule: Vowel-consonant pattern.

Division Rules Applied:

  1. Onset Maximization: Attempting to include as many consonants as possible in the onset of a syllable.
  2. Vowel Nucleus: Every syllable must have a vowel sound (or syllabic consonant) as its nucleus.
  3. Consonant Cluster Separation: Breaking up consonant clusters when necessary to create valid syllables.
  4. Prefix/Suffix Separation: Identifying and separating prefixes and suffixes.

Special Considerations:

The syllabic /l/ in "bil-" is a common feature of English phonology and requires careful consideration during syllable division. The reduction of vowels to schwa in unstressed syllables is also a significant factor.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "con-" to a schwa, resulting in /kən/. This wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/10/2025

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