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Hyphenation ofquatre-vingt-trois

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

qua-tre-vingt-trois

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

/katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁwa/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0001

The primary stress falls on the final syllable, 'trois'.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

qua/kwa/

Open syllable, initial syllable.

tre/tʁə/

Closed syllable, contains a schwa.

vingt/vɛ̃/

Nasal vowel syllable, closed.

trois/tʁwa/

Closed syllable, final syllable, stressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

quatre-(prefix)
+
vingt-(root)
+
-trois(suffix)

Prefix: quatre-

From Old French 'quatre' meaning 'four'. Indicates multiplication by four.

Root: vingt-

From Old French 'vint' meaning 'twenty'. Represents the base ten unit.

Suffix: -trois

From Old French 'trois' meaning 'three'. Adds the units to the base ten.

Meanings & Definitions
Cardinal Number(grammatical role in sentences)

Seventy-three

Translation: Seventy-three

Examples:

"J'ai quatre-vingt-trois ans."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

cinquante-septcin-quan-te-sept

Similar structure with a number prefix and suffix.

soixante-dixsoix-ante-dix

Similar structure with a number prefix and suffix.

quatre-vingt-quatrequa-tre-vingt-qua-tre

Demonstrates the consistent application of the prefix-root-suffix pattern.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Consonant (VC)

Syllables generally end in vowels. 'tre' is a VC syllable.

Consonant Cluster Separation

Consonant clusters are split according to sonority. 'vingt' is split after the vowel.

Compound Words

Compound words are divided at the hyphen.

Special Considerations

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

The hyphenated structure is crucial for syllabification.

The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/ in 'vingt' influences the preceding syllable's structure.

Regional variations in pronunciation (e.g., /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁi/) do not affect the orthographic syllabification.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'quatre-vingt-trois' is syllabified as qua-tre-vingt-trois, following French syllable division rules based on vowel-consonant patterns, consonant cluster separation, and the hyphenated structure of compound numbers. Stress falls on the final syllable 'trois'. It's a cardinal number meaning seventy-three, formed from the prefixes 'quatre-' and 'vingt-' and the suffix '-trois'.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "quatre-vingt-trois" (French)

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced approximately as /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁwa/ (though variations exist, see section 10).

2. Syllable Division: qua-tre-vingt-trois

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • quatre-: Prefix, from Old French quatre meaning "four". Indicates the number 4 multiplied by a base ten.
  • vingt-: Root, from Old French vint meaning "twenty". Represents the base ten unit.
  • -trois: Suffix, from Old French trois meaning "three". Adds the units to the base ten.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁwa/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁwa/

6. Edge Case Review: The liaison between "vingt" and "trois" is common in fluent speech, creating a smoother transition. However, for syllabification, we treat them as separate units.

7. Grammatical Role: This word functions solely as a cardinal number. Syllabification does not shift based on grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Seventy-three.
  • Grammatical Category: Cardinal Number
  • Synonyms: None (it's a specific number)
  • Antonyms: None (it's a specific number)
  • Examples: "J'ai quatre-vingt-trois ans." (I am seventy-three years old.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • cinquante-sept: /sɛ̃.kɑ̃t.sɛt/ - Syllabification: cin-quan-te-sept. Similar structure with a number prefix and suffix.
  • soixante-dix: /swa.sɑ̃t.di/ - Syllabification: soix-ante-dix. Again, a number prefix and suffix.
  • quatre-vingt-quatre: /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁa/ - Syllabification: qua-tre-vingt-qua-tre. Demonstrates the consistent application of the prefix-root-suffix pattern.

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: In some regions, particularly in Belgium and parts of Northern France, "quatre-vingt-trois" can be pronounced as /katʁ.vɛ̃.tʁi/ with a final 'i' sound. This doesn't affect the syllabification, which remains based on the orthographic form.

11. Syllable Division Rules Applied:

  • Rule 1: Vowel-Consonant (VC): Syllables generally end in vowels. "tre" is a VC syllable.
  • Rule 2: Consonant Cluster Separation: Consonant clusters are split according to sonority. "vingt" is split after the vowel.
  • Rule 3: Compound Words: Compound words (like numbers formed with prefixes and suffixes) are divided at the hyphen.

12. Special Considerations: The hyphenated structure of the number is crucial for syllabification. Ignoring the hyphens would lead to incorrect divisions. The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/ in "vingt" influences the preceding syllable's structure.

13. Syllable Analysis:

  • qua: /kwa/ - Open syllable, initial syllable.
  • tre: /tʁə/ - Closed syllable, contains a schwa.
  • vingt: /vɛ̃/ - Nasal vowel syllable, closed.
  • trois: /tʁwa/ - Closed syllable, final syllable, stressed.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/6/2025

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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.