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Hyphenation ofdéséquilibraient

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

dé-sé-qui-li-bre-aient

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

/de.ze.ki.li.bʁɛ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

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Stress falls on the final syllable '-aient', which is typical for French. The stress is phonetically subtle but present.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

/de/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound.

/ze/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound.

qui/ki/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound.

li/li/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound.

bre/bʁe/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound and a consonant cluster 'br'.

aient/ɛ̃/

Closed syllable, containing a nasal vowel and ending in a consonant.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

dés-(prefix)
+
équilibr-(root)
+
-aient(suffix)

Prefix: dés-

From Latin 'dis-', meaning 'reversal, negation'. Prefixes are typically bound morphemes.

Root: équilibr-

From Latin 'aequiliber-', meaning 'equal weight'. The root carries the core semantic meaning.

Suffix: -aient

Imperfect tense ending, third-person plural. Indicates grammatical function.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To unbalance, to destabilize, to throw out of equilibrium.

Translation: To unbalance, to destabilize

Examples:

"Les critiques ont déséquilibré l'entreprise."

"Le tremblement de terre a déséquilibré la région."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

déstabilisaientdé-sta-bi-li-sai-ent

Similar structure with a prefix and a verb root, sharing the '-aient' suffix.

équilibraienté-qui-li-braient

Shares the root 'équilibr-', demonstrating consistent syllabification of the core morpheme.

déséquilibrentdé-sé-qui-li-brent

Present tense form of the same verb, showing how tense changes affect the suffix but not the core syllable structure.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Based Syllabification

Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable. This is the primary rule applied throughout the word.

Consonant Cluster Handling

Consonant clusters like 'br' are generally kept together within a syllable unless they can be naturally separated by a vowel sound.

Final Syllable Structure

Final syllables often consist of a single vowel or a consonant-vowel combination.

Special Considerations

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

The pronunciation of nasal vowels can vary slightly regionally, but this does not affect the syllabification.

The 'r' sound in French is often uvular, but this doesn't impact syllable division.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'déséquilibraient' is divided into six syllables: dé-sé-qui-li-bre-aient. It consists of a negation prefix 'dés-', a root 'équilibr-', and an imperfect tense suffix '-aient'. Stress falls on the final syllable. Syllabification follows vowel-based rules, keeping consonant clusters intact.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "déséquilibraient"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "déséquilibraient" is a French verb in the imperfect tense, third-person plural. It's pronounced with a relatively complex sequence of sounds, including nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are pronounced as separate syllables, the division is as follows (detailed in the JSON output).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: dés- (Latin dis- meaning 'reversal, negation'). Function: Negation/reversal.
  • Root: équilibr- (Latin aequiliber- meaning 'equal weight'). Function: Core meaning of balance.
  • Suffix: -aient (from the imperfect tense ending -aient). Function: Grammatical marker indicating imperfect tense, third-person plural.

4. Stress Identification:

French generally has stress on the final syllable of a phrase or breath group. In this case, the stress falls on "-raient".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/de.ze.ki.li.bʁɛ̃/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "br" cluster is a common feature in French and is generally treated as a single unit within a syllable. The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/ in "brɛ̃" is a typical French sound and doesn't pose a special syllabification challenge.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Déséquilibrer" is primarily a verb. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's conjugation.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To unbalance, to destabilize, to throw out of equilibrium.
  • Translation: To unbalance, to destabilize.
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (transitive)
  • Synonyms: déstabiliser, perturber, troubler
  • Antonyms: équilibrer, stabiliser
  • Examples:
    • "Les critiques ont déséquilibré l'entreprise." (The criticism destabilized the company.)
    • "Le tremblement de terre a déséquilibré la région." (The earthquake destabilized the region.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "déstabilisaient": dé-sta-bi-li-sai-ent. Similar structure with a prefix and a verb root. Stress on the final syllable.
  • "équilibraient": é-qui-li-braient. Similar root, but without the negation prefix. Stress on the final syllable.
  • "déséquilibrent": dé-sé-qui-li-brent. Present tense form. Stress on the final syllable. The difference in tense affects the suffix, but not the core syllable structure.

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is as described above, some regional variations might exist in the articulation of nasal vowels, but these variations do not typically affect syllable division.

11. Syllable Division Rules:

  • Vowel sounds form the core of syllables.
  • Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they can be naturally separated by a vowel sound.
  • Final syllables are often single vowels or consonant-vowel combinations.
  • French avoids syllable-initial "r" unless it follows a consonant.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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