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Hyphenation ofépoustouflassent

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

é-pous-tou-flas-sent

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

/e.pustu.flas.sɑ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00001

Stress falls on the final syllable '-sent', which is typical for French verb conjugations. The other syllables are unstressed.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

é/e/

Open syllable, containing a single vowel sound. Unstressed.

pous/pu/

Closed syllable, containing a vowel and a consonant. Unstressed.

tou/tu/

Closed syllable, containing a vowel and a consonant. Unstressed.

flas/fla/

Closed syllable, containing a vowel and a consonant cluster. Unstressed.

sent/sɑ̃/

Closed syllable, containing a nasal vowel and a consonant. Stressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

é-(prefix)
+
poustoufl-(root)
+
-assent(suffix)

Prefix: é-

Latin origin, intensifying prefix, largely lexicalized.

Root: poustoufl-

Onomatopoeic origin, related to 'pouff'.

Suffix: -assent

Latin origin, 3rd person plural imperfect indicative ending.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

They were astounding/overwhelming.

Translation: They were astounding/overwhelming.

Examples:

"Les spectacles époustouflassent le public."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

fantastiquefan-tas-ti-que

Similar vowel structure and consonant clusters; final syllable stress.

magnifiquemag-ni-fi-que

Similar syllable count and stress pattern.

horriblemento-ri-ble-mɑ̃

Demonstrates handling of nasal vowels and consonant clusters.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-centric Syllabification

Syllables are built around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.

Consonant Cluster Handling

Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they can be easily separated by a vowel sound, maintaining pronounceability.

Final Syllable Stress

French generally places stress on the final syllable of a phrase or breath group.

Special Considerations

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

The 'fl' consonant cluster is treated as a single unit.

The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ does not pose a specific syllabification challenge.

Regional variations might slightly alter vowel quality but not syllabification.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'époustouflassent' is divided into five syllables: é-pous-tou-flas-sent. Stress falls on the final syllable '-sent'. The word is a verb form derived from 'époustoufler' and exhibits typical French syllabification patterns prioritizing vowel sounds and maintaining consonant clusters.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "époustouflassent"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "époustouflassent" is a conjugated form of the verb "époustoufler" (to astound, to overwhelm). Its pronunciation involves several consonant clusters and nasal vowels, typical of French.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: é- (Latin origin, intensifying prefix, though its function is largely lexicalized in this verb)
  • Root: poustoufl- (Onomatopoeic origin, suggesting a puffing or blowing sound, related to pouff in English)
  • Suffix: -assent (Latin origin, 3rd person plural imperfect indicative ending of the verb époustoufler)

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/e.pustu.flas.sɑ̃/

6. Edge Case Review:

The consonant cluster "fl" is generally treated as a single unit in French syllabification. The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in "-sent" is a common feature of French and doesn't pose a specific syllabification challenge.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification doesn't significantly shift based on grammatical role, as the root remains constant.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: They were astounding/overwhelming.
  • Part of Speech: Verb (3rd person plural imperfect indicative)
  • Translation: They were astounding/overwhelming.
  • Synonyms: émerveillaient, stupéfiaient
  • Antonyms: ennuyait, laissait indifférent
  • Examples: "Les spectacles époustouflassent le public." (The shows were astounding the audience.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • fantastique: fan-tas-ti-que - Similar vowel structure and consonant clusters. Stress on the final syllable.
  • magnifique: mag-ni-fi-que - Similar syllable count and stress pattern.
  • horriblement: o-ri-ble-mɑ̃ - Demonstrates the handling of nasal vowels and consonant clusters.

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /e.pustu.flas.sɑ̃/, some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel quality, but the syllabification remains consistent.

11. Syllable Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Syllables are built around vowel sounds.
  • Rule 2: Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they can be easily separated by a vowel sound.
  • Rule 3: Final syllables often receive stress in French.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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