HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofcontrapechabamos

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

con-tra-pe-cha-ba-mos

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

/kontra.pe.tʃaˈβa.mos/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

000010

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable, 'ba'. This is typical for Spanish verbs ending in '-ábamos'.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

con/kon/

Open syllable, unstressed.

tra/tɾa/

Open syllable, unstressed.

pe/pe/

Open syllable, unstressed.

cha/tʃa/

Open syllable, unstressed.

ba/βa/

Open syllable, stressed.

mos/mos/

Open syllable, unstressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

contra-(prefix)
+
pechar(root)
+
-abamos(suffix)

Prefix: contra-

Latin origin, meaning 'against, opposite'. Functions as a preposition/prefix indicating opposition.

Root: pechar

From Latin *picare* meaning 'to peck, to close'. Meaning 'to weigh, to balance'.

Suffix: -abamos

Spanish, inflectional. Past imperfect indicative, 1st person plural (we were doing). Derived from the auxiliary verb *haber*.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To counterbalance, to weigh against, to offset.

Translation: We were counterbalancing.

Examples:

"Contrapechábamos los gastos con nuestros ingresos."

"Los ingenieros contrapechaban el diseño para asegurar la estabilidad."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

habíamosha-bí-a-mos

Similar syllable structure and stress pattern in verb conjugations.

comprábamoscom-pra-ba-mos

Similar syllable structure and stress pattern in verb conjugations.

pesábamospe-sa-ba-mos

Similar syllable structure and stress pattern in verb conjugations.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Initial Syllable Division

Syllables are separated before each vowel sound.

Penultimate Stress

In words ending in a vowel, 'n', or 's', the stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

Special Considerations

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

The 'contra-' prefix is a common element in Spanish, and its syllabification is straightforward.

The imperfect tense ending '-ábamos' is a standard inflectional suffix.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'contrapechabamos' is a verb in the first-person plural imperfect indicative. It is divided into six syllables: con-tra-pe-cha-ba-mos, with stress on the penultimate syllable 'ba'. The morphemic breakdown reveals a 'contra-' prefix, 'pechar' root, and '-abamos' suffix. Syllable division follows standard Spanish vowel-initial rules and penultimate stress patterns.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "contrapechabamos" (Spanish)

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /kontra.pe.tʃaˈβa.mos/ in standard Spanish.

2. Syllable Division: con-tra-pe-cha-ba-mos

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: contra- (Latin origin, meaning "against, opposite") - functions as a preposition/prefix indicating opposition.
  • Root: pechar (from Latin picare meaning "to peck, to close") - meaning "to weigh, to balance".
  • Suffix: -abamos (Spanish, inflectional) - past imperfect indicative, 1st person plural (we were doing). Derived from the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle of pechar.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable, "ba".

5. Phonetic Transcription: /kontra.pe.tʃaˈβa.mos/

6. Edge Case Review: The sequence "ch" represents /tʃ/, a common affricate in Spanish. The "b" before "a" is pronounced as a voiced bilabial stop /b/.

7. Grammatical Role: This word is exclusively the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the verb contrapechar (to counterbalance). Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of the verb's tense.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To counterbalance, to weigh against, to offset.
  • Translation: We were counterbalancing.
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (1st person plural, past imperfect indicative)
  • Synonyms: equilibrábamos, compensábamos
  • Antonyms: desequilibrábamos
  • Examples:
    • "Contrapechábamos los gastos con nuestros ingresos." (We were balancing the expenses with our income.)
    • "Los ingenieros contrapechaban el diseño para asegurar la estabilidad." (The engineers were counterbalancing the design to ensure stability.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • habíamos: ha-bí-a-mos - Similar syllable structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • comprábamos: com-pra-ba-mos - Similar syllable structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • pesábamos: pe-sa-ba-mos - Similar syllable structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the penultimate syllable in these verbs is typical for Spanish verb conjugations ending in "-ábamos". The difference in syllable division arises from the initial consonant clusters (e.g., "contra-" vs. "com-").

10. Syllable Analysis:

  • con: /kon/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
  • tra: /tɾa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
  • pe: /pe/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
  • cha: /tʃa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
  • ba: /βa/ - Open syllable, stressed. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable.
  • mos: /mos/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.

11. Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Vowel-Initial Syllable Division: Syllables are separated before each vowel sound.
  • Rule 2: Penultimate Stress: In words ending in a vowel, 'n', or 's', the stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

12. Special Considerations: The "contra-" prefix is a common element in Spanish, and its syllabification is straightforward. The imperfect tense ending "-ábamos" is a standard inflectional suffix. No significant exceptions were encountered.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the pronunciation provided is standard, some regional variations might exist in the articulation of the /ɾ/ sound (e.g., a more apical trill in some areas). These variations do not affect the syllable division.

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

The hottest word splits in Spanish

See what terms are trending and getting hyphenated by users right now.

What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of dividing words across lines in print or on websites. It involves inserting hyphens (-) where a word breaks to continue on the next line.

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.