D S.

asked • 09/27/22

Why is the word "eldest" pronounced el · dest but it is syllabicated eld · est ?

Corina G.

I think that Peter F. has a great answer for why dictionaries might say this word is syllabified as eld*ist: the root word is clear. In pronunciation though, most native speakers would say el*dest because English prefers certain syllable structures over others. Specifically, English prefers to have a consonant in the onset (or beginning) of a syllable rather than to have complex coda (or ending) in the preceding syllable. This preference means that the /d/ is pronounced as part of the second syllable. I am not sure why dictionaries prefer to give a syllabification that reflects etymology over pronunciation though.
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01/07/23

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Peter F. answered • 09/27/22

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Hi DS,


The literary root eld is defined as being "old age; former times; of the past". And since "eld" is the root of words like "eldest", "elder", and "elderly", eldest is subsequently syllabicated eld * est given its three-letter aforementioned literary root and its corresponding definition.

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