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Hyphenation ofsous-tendisses

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

sous-ten-dis-ses

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

/su.tɑ̃.dis.sɛs/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0001

The primary stress falls on the final syllable 'ses'.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

sous/su/

Open syllable, containing a vowel.

ten/tɑ̃/

Nasal vowel, closed syllable.

dis/dis/

Open syllable, containing a vowel.

ses/sɛs/

Closed syllable, stressed syllable.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

sous-(prefix)
+
tend-(root)
+
-dis-ses(suffix)

Prefix: sous-

Latin sub-, meaning 'under, below'. Adverbial prefix.

Root: tend-

Latin tendere, meaning 'to stretch, extend'. Verb stem.

Suffix: -dis-ses

Imperfect subjunctive marker and 2nd person plural ending. Derived from Latin -de- and -tis.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

The 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb 'sous-tendre'.

Translation: you (plural) would underlie/support

Examples:

"Si vous sous-tendiez ses efforts, il réussirait."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

sous-entendssous-en-tends

Similar prefix and root structure, both verbs.

sous-marinesous-ma-rine

Similar prefix and root structure, both nouns.

tendancesten-dan-ces

Shares the root 'tend-', demonstrating how syllable division changes without the prefix.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Onset Maximization

French prefers to maximize consonant onsets at the beginning of syllables.

Avoid Stranded Consonants

Consonants are generally not left at the end of a syllable unless necessary due to morphemic boundaries.

Prefix/Root Boundary

Syllable division often occurs at the boundary between a prefix and a root.

Vowel Grouping

Vowel groups are generally kept together within a syllable.

Special Considerations

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

The imperfect subjunctive form is relatively rare in modern spoken French.

Potential slight reduction of the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in some regional accents.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'sous-tendisses' is syllabified as 'sous-ten-dis-ses' based on French phonological rules, maximizing onsets and respecting morphemic boundaries. It's the 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive of 'sous-tendre', with stress on the final syllable.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "sous-tendisses"

1. Pronunciation: The word "sous-tendisses" is pronounced /su.tɑ̃.dis/ (with variations depending on regional accents).

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants, is: sous-ten-dis-ses.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: adverbial prefix.
  • Root: tend- (Latin tendere meaning "to stretch, extend"). Function: verb stem.
  • Suffix: -dis- (from Latin -de- used to form the imperfect subjunctive). Function: imperfect subjunctive marker.
  • Suffix: -ses (from Latin -tis). Function: 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive ending.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /su.tɑ̃.dis.sɛs/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /su.tɑ̃.dis.sɛs/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllabification generally avoids consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables. However, liaison can occur, affecting pronunciation but not necessarily syllabification. The 's' at the end of 'sous' and the 't' at the beginning of 'tend' are adjacent, but are treated as separate syllables due to the prefix/root boundary.

7. Grammatical Role: "sous-tendisses" is the 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "sous-tendre" (to underlie, to support). The syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's conjugation.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: The 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "sous-tendre". It implies a hypothetical or conditional support or underlying.
  • Translation: "you (plural) would underlie/support"
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (imperfect subjunctive)
  • Synonyms: (depending on context) "vous soutiendriez", "vous appuieriez"
  • Antonyms: (depending on context) "vous contredirez", "vous affaibliriez"
  • Example Usage: "Si vous sous-tendiez ses efforts, il réussirait." (If you supported his efforts, he would succeed.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "sous-entends" (I understand): sous-en-tends. Similar structure with a prefix and root, stress on the final syllable.
  • "sous-marine" (submarine): sous-ma-rine. Prefix + root, stress on the final syllable.
  • "tendances" (trends): ten-dan-ces. Root + suffix, stress on the penultimate syllable. The difference in stress is due to the absence of the prefix and the different suffix structure.

10. Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Onset Maximization: French prefers to maximize onsets (consonant sounds at the beginning of a syllable).
  • Rule 2: Avoid Stranded Consonants: Consonants are generally not left at the end of a syllable unless necessary due to morphemic boundaries.
  • Rule 3: Prefix/Root Boundary: Syllable division often occurs at the boundary between a prefix and a root.
  • Rule 4: Vowel Grouping: Vowel groups are generally kept together within a syllable.

11. Special Considerations: The imperfect subjunctive form is relatively rare in modern spoken French, which might lead to some pronunciation variations. However, the syllabification remains consistent.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /su.tɑ̃.dis.sɛs/, some speakers might slightly reduce the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/. This doesn't affect the syllabification.

13. Short Analysis: "sous-tendisses" is a complex verb form with a prefix, root, and two suffixes. Syllabification follows French rules of maximizing onsets and respecting morphemic boundaries, resulting in "sous-ten-dis-ses". Stress falls on the final syllable.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/12/2025

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What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.