Where do you split it? Learn general language knowledge through a quiz.
Where do you break up words like “Don Quixote” or “Sei Shōnagon” when reading them? There are words and names that seem easy but actually make you wonder about the correct way to split them.
Even among words we use casually, it turns out the break point can be different than we thought.
In this article, we present common conventions for where to divide each word in a quiz format.
We’ve gathered various words—like personal names and country names—where the division point is tricky.
Why not learn the correct way to segment words while thinking it through with family and friends?
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Where do you split it? Learn general language common knowledge through a quiz (11–20)
Where do you split “Puerto Rico”?
- Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico
See the answer
Puerto Rico
Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but because Puerto Rico is a territory, they do not have the right to vote in the general presidential election. Spanish is primarily spoken there, and the heroine Maria from the musical West Side Story was also Puerto Rican.
Where do you break up “helicopter”?
- He-ricopter
- helicopter
- helicopter
See the answer
helicopter
In Japan, the word “helicopter” is often abbreviated as “heri,” but its original etymology is said to come from the Greek words helix (meaning spiral) and pteron (meaning wing). Its high maneuverability, which does not require a runway, is also valued in rescue operations and other activities.
Where do you split “Sei Shōnagon”?
- Kiyohara no Sosei and Sei Shonagon
- Sei Shōnagon
- Sei Shōnagon's words
See the answer
Kiyohara no Sosei and Sei Shonagon
Sei Shōnagon is the name of a writer from the mid-Heian period. This appellation combines Sei, indicating her origin from the Kiyohara clan, and Shōnagon, an official court title. Therefore, the correct division is “Sei / Shōnagon.” As one of the court’s naming conventions, people were referred to by linking clan names and official titles, which is an important point to consider when determining the division.
Where do you break up the word “a cappella”?
- a cappella
- a cappella
- A cappella
See the answer
a cappella
A cappella is a word derived from the Italian term “a cappella,” and in Japanese it’s divided the same way. “A” is the preposition meaning “in” or “at,” and “cappella” means “chapel,” so if you consider the meanings of each word, the division is easy to understand.
Where do you split “Shangri-La”?
- Shangri-La
- Shangri-La
- Shangri-La
See the answer
Shangri-La
“Shangurira” is based on the actual English “Shangri-La,” and the semantic and phonetic segmentation follows this pattern as well. “Shanguri” is treated as a proper noun for a place, while “la” is commonly used as part of place names in Latin and French, and is also recognized with this division in meaning.
In conclusion
We've been introducing where to break up words in a quiz format, and each time you found the correct answer, you probably learned something new. Beyond the examples we introduced, there are still many words that are split in unexpected ways. If you pay attention to such words in everyday life, you might be able to feel the fun of language even more deeply!