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Is a combining vowel always required between two word roots?

User Te Ko
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Answer: no

Step-by-step explanation: , a combining vowel is not always required between two word roots. A combining vowel, also known as a connecting vowel or a combining form vowel, is a vowel (usually "o" or "i") that is used to link two word roots together when forming a word. It is used to ensure smooth pronunciation and to improve word flow. However, there are cases where a combining vowel is not necessary. 1. When the two word roots have a vowel at the end of the first root and a vowel at the beginning of the second root, a combining vowel is not required. For example, in the word "cardiomegaly," the word roots "cardio" and "megaly" are joined without a combining vowel because "o" in "cardio" and "e" in "megaly" serve as vowels. 2. When the second word root starts with a consonant, a combining vowel is usually not required. For example, in the word "hypertension," the word roots "hyper" and "tension" are joined without a combining vowel because "tension" starts with a consonant. 3. When a prefix or suffix is added to the word roots, a combining vowel may not be necessary. The prefix or suffix may act as the connecting element. For example, in the word "neurology," the word roots "neuro" and "logy" are joined by the suffix "-logy" without a combining vowel. It is important to note that while a combining vowel is not always required, it can be

User Tim Hutchison
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Final answer:

Yes, a combining vowel is typically required between two word roots. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, a combining vowel is typically required between two word roots. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If a word root ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern and is followed by a suffix that starts with a vowel, the final consonant is usually doubled before adding the suffix. This doubling is done to maintain the correct pronunciation of the word.

For example, if we add the suffix -ing to the word 'hop,' we double the final consonant 'p' to get 'hopping.'

However, there are instances where a combining vowel is not required. This occurs when the word root ends in a CVC pattern and has strong stress on the final vowel before and after adding the suffix, or when the consonants 'w' and 'y' function as vowels in certain circumstances. In these cases, the final consonant is not doubled.

User Fenceop
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