Question

Select the section or sections of the dictionary entry that provide information about the pronunciation of the word "overwhelm."

overwhelm \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\ v.
1. to overcome in feeling;
2. to defeat by overpowering;
3. to cover or bury beneath a mass of something;
4. to give an excessive amount of anything;
5. to overthrow. overwhelming adj.

Answer 1

The dictionary section providing pronunciation details for 'overwhelm' is \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\, which uses the International Phonetic Alphabet to guide users on stress and syllable division.

Step-by-step explanation:

The section of the dictionary entry that provides information about the pronunciation of the word "overwhelm" is represented by the symbols between the backslashes in the entry: \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\. This is known as the phonetic spelling, which utilizes the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to convey how a word should sound when spoken. This pronunciation guide helps users say the word correctly by breaking it into syllables and indicating which syllable should be stressed.

For "overwhelm", the first syllable has secondary stress, while the third syllable has the primary stress. Understanding pronunciation is crucial for effective communication, particularly in the case of words that have fallen out of common usage, such as 'flummoxing' which is often considered archaic or antiquated. In poetry, elision, such as the contraction 'o'er' used by Wordsworth, purposefully alters the pronunciation to fit metrical constraints, showcasing the fluid nature of pronunciation in literature.