How many syllables in “inexpensive”?
“inexpensive” has 4 syllables: in·ex·pen·sive
IPA
/ˌɪ.nɪk.ˈspɛn.sɪv/
Stress
in-ex-PEN-sive (pattern 2-0-1-0)
Division
in·ex·pen·sive
Pronunciation
| Say it like | IPA | Syllables | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-ex-PEN-sive | /ˌɪ.nɪk.ˈspɛn.sɪv/ | ih · n ih k · s p eh n · s ih v | 4 | CMU dictionary |
Syllables are shown in ARPAbet (the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary's phoneme alphabet). Respellings put the stressed syllable in capitals.
Syllables vs. morphemes
Syllables (4)
in·ex·pen·sive
Morphemes (3)
in- + expense + -ive
The syllables of inexpensive (in·ex·pen·sive) do not line up with its morphemes (in- + expense + -ive): the syllable “sive” contains letters from two different morphemes. Syllables follow sound and spelling rules; morphemes follow meaning, so the two kinds of boundary need not agree.
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Open the syllable counter →Pronunciations from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Hyphenation from the hyph_en_US patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many syllables are in "inexpensive"?
"inexpensive" has four syllables: in·ex·pen·sive.
How do you divide "inexpensive" into syllables?
in·ex·pen·sive. The syllables of inexpensive (in·ex·pen·sive) do not line up with its morphemes (in- + expense + -ive): the syllable “sive” contains letters from two different morphemes. Syllables follow sound and spelling rules; morphemes follow meaning, so the two kinds of boundary need not agree.
Is this syllable counter free?
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