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Hyphenation ofwrinkled-cheeked

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

wrink-led-cheek-ed

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

/ˌrɪŋ.kəld ˈtʃiːkt/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0101

Primary stress on the second syllable of 'cheeked' (/ˈtʃiːkt/), secondary stress on the first syllable of 'wrinkled' (/ˈrɪŋ/).

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

wrink/rɪŋk/

Open syllable, initial consonant cluster.

led/ld/

Closed syllable, past participle suffix.

cheek/tʃiːk/

Open syllable, initial consonant cluster.

ed/t/

Closed syllable, past participle suffix.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

(prefix)
+
wrinkle, cheek(root)
+
-led, -ed(suffix)

Prefix:

Root: wrinkle, cheek

Old English origins; wrinkle - to twist, cheek - side of the face

Suffix: -led, -ed

Old English *-ed* - past participle marker

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Having wrinkles on the cheeks.

Examples:

"The wrinkled-cheeked old man smiled kindly."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

tickled-pinktick-led-pink

Similar compound structure (verb-adjective).

sparkled-cleanspark-led-clean

Similar compound structure (verb-adjective).

troubled-waterstroub-led-wa-ters

Similar compound structure (verb-noun).

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel Rule

Syllables are built around vowel sounds.

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters are split while maintaining affix integrity.

Compound Word Rule

Division occurs between constituent words in compounds.

Special Considerations

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

The pronunciation of '-led' can vary, but here it's clearly attached to 'wrinkle' and 'cheek' as a past participle.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'wrinkled-cheeked' is an adjective formed by compounding two past participle verbs. Syllabification follows vowel and consonant cluster rules, with primary stress on 'cheeked' and secondary stress on 'wrinkled'. The morphemic structure consists of two roots ('wrinkle', 'cheek') and two past participle suffixes ('-led', '-ed').

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "wrinkled-cheeked"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "wrinkled-cheeked" is pronounced /ˌrɪŋ.kəld ˈtʃiːkt/. It presents challenges due to the consonant clusters and the compound structure.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word divides as follows: wrink-led-cheek-ed.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: None
  • Root: wrinkle (Old English wrincian - to twist, contract) - denoting a crease or fold.
  • Suffix: -led (Old English -ed) - past participle marker, indicating a state resulting from the action of wrinkling. -ed (Old English -ed) - past participle marker, indicating a state resulting from the action of cheeking.
  • Root: cheek (Old English ċēac) - denoting the side of the face.
  • Suffix: -ed (Old English -ed) - past participle marker, indicating a state resulting from the action of cheeking.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second syllable of "cheeked" (/ˈtʃiːkt/). A secondary stress is present on the first syllable of "wrinkled" (/ˈrɪŋ/).

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌrɪŋ.kəld ˈtʃiːkt/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "-led" suffix attached to "wrinkle" can sometimes be pronounced as /ld/ or /əd/ depending on the preceding sound. Here, it's /ld/. The compound nature of the word (wrinkled + cheeked) requires careful consideration of stress placement.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Wrinkled-cheeked" functions primarily as an adjective. The syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Having wrinkles on the cheeks.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: creased-cheeked, furrowed-cheeked
  • Antonyms: smooth-cheeked, youthful-cheeked
  • Examples: "The wrinkled-cheeked old man smiled kindly."

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "tickled-pink": tick-led-pink - Similar structure (verb-adjective compound). Stress on the second syllable of "pink".
  • "sparkled-clean": spark-led-clean - Similar structure (verb-adjective compound). Stress on the second syllable of "clean".
  • "troubled-waters": troub-led-wa-ters - Similar structure (verb-noun compound). Stress on the first syllable of "troubled".

The differences in stress placement are due to the inherent phonetic weight and common stress patterns of the root words within each compound. "Cheeked" receives primary stress because it's the more salient element in describing the overall characteristic.

10. Division Rules:

  • Vowel Rule: Syllables are typically built around vowel sounds.
  • Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are often split, but attempts are made to keep affixes intact.
  • Compound Word Rule: Compound words are divided between the constituent words.

11. Special Considerations:

The "-led" suffix can sometimes be a point of ambiguity, but in this case, it clearly attaches to "wrinkle" and "cheek" forming past participles functioning adjectivally.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation (e.g., /ɪ/ vs. /iː/) might occur, but they wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.

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

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Proper hyphenation improves readability by reducing the unevenness of word spacing and unnecessary large gaps. It also helps avoid confusion that may occur when part of a word carries over. Ideal hyphenation should break words according to pronunciation and syllables. Most word processors and publishing apps have automated tools to handle hyphenation effectively based on language rules and dictionaries. Though subtle, proper hyphenation improves overall typography and reading comfort.