tournaillaient
The word 'tournaillaient' is divided into five syllables: tou-rna-il-lai-ent. It's the 3rd person plural imperfect indicative of 'tournailler', meaning 'were turning'. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable 'lai'. The syllabification follows standard French rules based on vowel and consonant sequences.
Definitions
- 1
To turn repeatedly, to be in the habit of turning.
Were turning, used to turn, were twisting.
“Les feuilles tournaillaient dans le vent.”
“Ils tournaillaient leurs moustaches en réfléchissant.”
ant:rester immobile
Stress pattern
Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable 'lai'.
Syllables
tou — Open syllable, vowel-initial.. rna — Closed syllable, consonant-final.. il — Open syllable, vowel-initial.. lai — Closed syllable, stressed.. ent — Closed syllable, consonant-final.
Word Parts
Similar Words
Vowel-Based Division
Syllables generally end in a vowel sound.
Consonant-Vowel Division
Consonants between vowels are typically assigned to the following vowel.
Stress-Based Division
Stress influences the perception of syllable boundaries.
Diphthong Treatment
Diphthongs are treated as single vowel sounds for syllabification.
- The infix *-aill-* influences syllable structure but doesn't form a separate syllable.
- The /ʁ/ sound can sometimes act as a syllable boundary marker.
Nearby Words
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