The vowel system has many adherents in America, in spite of occasional uncouth divisions, but it is defective as a system in its inability to make provision for the syllables that end with consonants.
DIVISION ON CONSTITUENTS
Another system requires the division of consolidated words at the junction of their constituents.
- anim-ad-vert
- cata-strophe
- found-ation
- geo-graphy
- geo-logy
- know-ledge
- lexi-co-grapher
- pre-fer-ence
- pre-judice
- pro-gnos-ticate
- pro-position
- typo-graphy
This system is logical, or at least etymological, but it is not practicable in the printing-house, for compositors should not be expected to be expert in divining the derivation of words compounded from Greek or Latin. Nor does this system provide for the words that have to be divided but are not made up of two or more consolidated words.
DIVISION ON EMPHASIZED SYLLABLES
The system which seems to have the most supporters in the United States is that which permits the division of a word on the emphasized syllable.
- an-im-advert
- catas-trophe
- geog-raphy
- lexi-cog-rapher
- pref-erence
- prog-nos-ticate
