HyphenateIt

Hyphenation ofcontrasellabais

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

con-tra-se-lla-bais

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

/kontɾaseʎaˈβais/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00010

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable, 'lla', following the standard Spanish rule of stressing the penultimate syllable when no accent mark is present.

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.

se/se/

Open syllable, unstressed.

lla/ʎa/

Open syllable, primary stressed.

bais/βais/

Open syllable, unstressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

contra-(prefix)
+
sell-(root)
+
-aba-(suffix)

Prefix: contra-

Latin origin, meaning 'against, opposite'. Prefixes modify the meaning of the root.

Root: sell-

Latin origin (sellare - to seat, to mark). The core meaning of the verb.

Suffix: -aba-

Spanish imperfective past tense marker. Indicates past habitual or continuous action.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To countersign, to endorse against something.

Translation: You all were countersigning/endorsing.

Examples:

"Ellos contrasellaban los cheques con cuidado."

"Vosotros contrasellabais los documentos antes de enviarlos."

Synonyms: refrendar, aprobar
Antonyms: rechazar, denegar
Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

hablabaisha-bla-bais

Similar verb conjugation pattern with the '-bais' ending, resulting in the same stress pattern.

comprabaiscom-pra-bais

Similar verb conjugation pattern with the '-bais' ending, resulting in the same stress pattern.

escribabaises-cri-ba-bais

Similar verb conjugation pattern with the '-bais' ending, resulting in the same stress pattern.

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.

Digraph 'll' as a Single Phoneme

The 'll' digraph is treated as a single phoneme /ʎ/ and is not broken across syllable boundaries.

Special Considerations

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

The 'll' digraph is a single phoneme in Spanish.

The imperfect tense ending '-bais' consistently influences stress placement.

Regional variations in the pronunciation of 'll' (e.g., /ʝ/) do not affect syllabification.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'contrasellabais' is a verb in the imperfect indicative, second-person plural. It is divided into five syllables: con-tra-se-lla-bais, with stress on the penultimate syllable 'lla'. The syllabification follows standard Spanish rules of vowel-initial separation and treats 'll' as a single phoneme. The morphemic structure consists of the prefix 'contra-', the root 'sell-', and the suffixes '-aba-' and '-is'.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "contrasellabais" (Spanish)

1. Pronunciation: The word "contrasellabais" is pronounced /kontɾaseʎaˈβais/ in standard Spanish.

2. Syllable Division: con-tra-se-lla-bais

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: contra- (Latin origin, meaning "against, opposite"). Function: modifies the verb, indicating opposition.
  • Root: sell- (Latin sellare meaning "to seat, to mark"). Function: core meaning of the verb.
  • Suffix: -aba- (Spanish imperfective past tense marker). Function: indicates past habitual or continuous action.
  • Suffix: -is (Spanish second-person plural imperfective past tense ending). Function: indicates the addressee is "you all" (vosotros/as).

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

5. Phonetic Transcription: /kontɾaseʎaˈβais/

6. Edge Case Review: The sequence "ll" is a single phoneme /ʎ/ in Spanish, representing a palatal lateral approximant. This is a key consideration in syllabification.

7. Grammatical Role: This word is the second-person plural imperfect indicative form of the verb contrasellar (to countersign, to endorse). The syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's tense or mood.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To countersign, to endorse against something.
  • Translation: You all were countersigning/endorsing.
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (Imperfect Indicative, 2nd person plural)
  • Synonyms: refrendar, aprobar (to approve)
  • Antonyms: rechazar, denegar (to reject, to deny)
  • Examples:
    • "Ellos contrasellaban los cheques con cuidado." (They were countersigning the checks carefully.)
    • "Vosotros contrasellabais los documentos antes de enviarlos." (You all were countersigning the documents before sending them.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • hablabais: ha-bla-bais. Similar structure, also an imperfect indicative verb. Stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • comprabais: com-pra-bais. Similar structure, also an imperfect indicative verb. Stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • escribabais: es-cri-ba-bais. Similar structure, also an imperfect indicative verb. Stress on the penultimate syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the penultimate syllable in these verbs demonstrates the regular application of Spanish stress rules. The presence of the "-bais" ending consistently places the stress on the preceding syllable.

10. Syllable Analysis:

  • con: /kon/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.
  • tra: /tɾa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.
  • se: /se/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.
  • lla: /ʎa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. This syllable receives the stress.
  • bais: /βais/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.

11. Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Vowel-Initial Syllable Division: Syllables are separated before each vowel sound.
  • Rule 2: Consonant Cluster Division: When a consonant cluster occurs between vowels, the cluster is generally split according to sonority (though this is less relevant here as there are no consonant clusters).
  • Rule 3: Stress Placement: Stress generally falls on the penultimate syllable unless indicated by an accent mark.

12. Special Considerations: The "ll" digraph is treated as a single phoneme /ʎ/ and is not broken across syllable boundaries. The imperfect tense ending "-bais" is a clear marker of the verb's conjugation and influences the stress pattern.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: In some regions of Spain, the "ll" sound may be pronounced as /ʝ/ (a palatal fricative). This does not affect the syllabification, only the phonetic realization.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/13/2025

The hottest word splits in Spanish

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

What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the use of hyphens to join words or parts of words. It plays a crucial role in writing, ensuring clarity and readability.

In compound terms like 'check-in', the hyphen clarifies relationships between words. It also assists in breaking words at line ends, preserving flow and understanding, such as in 'tele-communication'. Hyphenation rules vary; some words lose their hyphens with common usage (e.g., 'email' from 'e-mail'). It's an evolving aspect of language, with guidelines differing across style manuals. Understanding hyphenation improves writing quality, making it an indispensable tool in effective communication.