diff --git a/src/__tests__/components/MorphemeBox.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/components/MorphemeBox.test.tsx
index bc148919..c42cee51 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/components/MorphemeBox.test.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/components/MorphemeBox.test.tsx
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ describe('MorphemeBox', () => {
     expect(box).toHaveStyle({ gridTemplateColumns: 'repeat(2, minmax(1ch, auto))' });
   });
 
+  it('takes its box metrics from the shared morphology-slot utility', () => {
+    const { container } = renderBox();
+    expect(container.querySelector('[style*="grid-template-columns"]')).toHaveClass(
+      'tw:morphology-slot',
+    );
+  });
+
   it('calls onEditBreakdown when a form cell is clicked', async () => {
     const onEditBreakdown = jest.fn();
     renderBox({ onEditBreakdown });
diff --git a/src/__tests__/components/TokenChip.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/components/TokenChip.test.tsx
index 92d2e15a..f0cc2e8b 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/components/TokenChip.test.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/components/TokenChip.test.tsx
@@ -456,6 +456,36 @@ describe('TokenChip', () => {
       ).toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 
+    // jsdom does no layout, so these assert the structure that gives an unanalyzed slot an analyzed
+    // one's height rather than the height itself.
+    it('gives the unanalyzed morphology slot the shared box metrics', () => {
+      render(
+        <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+          <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+        </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+      );
+      const spacer = screen.getByTestId('morphology-slot-spacer');
+      expect(spacer.parentElement).toHaveClass('tw:morphology-slot');
+    });
+
+    it('reserves a second row in the unanalyzed morphology slot', () => {
+      render(
+        <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+          <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+        </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('morphology-slot-spacer')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it('hides the reserved second row from assistive tech', () => {
+      render(
+        <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+          <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+        </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+      );
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('morphology-slot-spacer')).toHaveAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+    });
+
     it('shows surface text on the define button for unanalyzed tokens', () => {
       render(
         <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
@@ -825,7 +855,7 @@ describe('TokenChip read-only', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByRole('textbox')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('hides the morphology row for an unanalyzed token', () => {
+  it('hides the morphology editing affordances for an unanalyzed token', () => {
     setMockAnalysisReadOnly(true);
     render(
       <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
@@ -838,4 +868,58 @@ describe('TokenChip read-only', () => {
       screen.queryByRole('button', { name: '%interlinearizer_tokenChip_defineMorphemes%' }),
     ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  // jsdom does no layout, so the two slot-structure tests below assert the markup that keeps an
+  // unanalyzed token's gloss on its analyzed neighbors' line rather than the height itself.
+  it('keeps a slot of the shared box metrics for an unanalyzed token', () => {
+    setMockAnalysisReadOnly(true);
+    render(
+      <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+        <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+      </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('readonly-morphology-slot-spacer').parentElement).toHaveClass(
+      'tw:morphology-slot',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('hides the unanalyzed token slot from assistive tech', () => {
+    setMockAnalysisReadOnly(true);
+    render(
+      <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+        <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+      </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('readonly-morphology-slot-spacer').parentElement).toHaveAttribute(
+      'aria-hidden',
+      'true',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('omits the unanalyzed token slot when showMorphology is off', () => {
+    setMockAnalysisReadOnly(true);
+    render(
+      <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+        <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology={false} />
+      </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('readonly-morphology-slot-spacer')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('omits the unanalyzed token slot when the token has morphemes', () => {
+    setMockAnalysisReadOnly(true);
+    jest
+      .spyOn(AnalysisStore, 'useMorphemes')
+      .mockReturnValue([{ id: 'm-1', form: 'hel', writingSystem: 'und' }]);
+    render(
+      <AnalysisStoreProvider analysisLanguage="und">
+        <TokenChip {...requiredProps()} showMorphology />
+      </AnalysisStoreProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId('readonly-morphology-slot-spacer')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/MorphemeBox.tsx b/src/components/MorphemeBox.tsx
index de53ddda..6d227be0 100644
--- a/src/components/MorphemeBox.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MorphemeBox.tsx
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export function MorphemeBox({
   return (
     <PopoverAnchor asChild>
       <div
-        className={`tw:inline-grid tw:w-fit tw:items-center tw:gap-x-0.5 tw:gap-y-0.5 tw:rounded tw:border tw:border-border tw:bg-background tw:p-0.5${popoverOpen ? ' tw:ring-1 tw:ring-ring' : ''}`}
+        className={`tw:morphology-slot tw:border-border tw:bg-background${popoverOpen ? ' tw:ring-1 tw:ring-ring' : ''}`}
         style={{ gridTemplateColumns: `repeat(${morphemes.length}, minmax(1ch, auto))` }}
         onMouseEnter={() => setIsFormsHovered(true)}
         onMouseLeave={() => setIsFormsHovered(false)}
diff --git a/src/components/TokenChip.tsx b/src/components/TokenChip.tsx
index a9578ef0..7337e736 100644
--- a/src/components/TokenChip.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TokenChip.tsx
@@ -421,8 +421,18 @@ export function TokenChip({
         <span className="tw:whitespace-nowrap tw:font-mono tw:text-sm tw:text-foreground tw:cursor-text">
           {token.surfaceText}
         </span>
-        {/* Read-only hides the whole morphology row for an unanalyzed token: its only content
-            would be the define-breakdown affordance, which is an editing control. */}
+        {/* The define-breakdown affordance is an editing control, so read-only drops it but keeps an
+            inert slot, holding this token's gloss on its analyzed neighbors' line. */}
+        {showMorphology && readOnly && !hasMorphemes && (
+          <span aria-hidden="true" className="tw:morphology-slot tw:border-transparent">
+            <span className="tw:whitespace-nowrap tw:font-mono tw:text-xs tw:italic tw:text-transparent">
+              {token.surfaceText}
+            </span>
+            <span className="tw:invisible tw:text-xs" data-testid="readonly-morphology-slot-spacer">
+              &nbsp;
+            </span>
+          </span>
+        )}
         {showMorphology && (!readOnly || hasMorphemes) && (
           // The morpheme row is the popover anchor; the panel itself is portaled to document.body
           // by PopoverContent, so it escapes both the clipping of ancestor scroll viewports (e.g.
@@ -452,7 +462,7 @@ export function TokenChip({
                   aria-label={formatReplacementString(labels.defineMorphemes, {
                     token: token.surfaceText,
                   })}
-                  className={`tw:flex tw:h-auto tw:flex-row tw:items-center tw:rounded tw:px-0.5 tw:py-0 tw:font-mono tw:text-xs tw:italic tw:text-muted-foreground/50 tw:transition-colors${disabled ? '' : ' tw:cursor-pointer tw:hover:bg-accent'}`}
+                  className={`tw:flex tw:h-auto tw:flex-row tw:items-center tw:rounded tw:p-0 tw:font-mono tw:text-xs tw:italic tw:text-muted-foreground/50 tw:transition-colors${disabled ? '' : ' tw:cursor-pointer tw:hover:bg-accent'}`}
                   tabIndex={-1}
                   type="button"
                   variant="ghost"
@@ -461,7 +471,16 @@ export function TokenChip({
                     if (!disabled) openMorphemeEditor();
                   }}
                 >
-                  <span className="tw:whitespace-nowrap">{token.surfaceText}</span>
+                  <span className="tw:morphology-slot tw:border-transparent">
+                    <span className="tw:whitespace-nowrap">{token.surfaceText}</span>
+                    <span
+                      aria-hidden="true"
+                      className="tw:invisible tw:rounded tw:border tw:text-xs"
+                      data-testid="morphology-slot-spacer"
+                    >
+                      &nbsp;
+                    </span>
+                  </span>
                 </Button>
               </PopoverAnchor>
             )}
diff --git a/src/tailwind.css b/src/tailwind.css
index 3e4ba707..891771f7 100644
--- a/src/tailwind.css
+++ b/src/tailwind.css
@@ -185,6 +185,14 @@
   @apply tw:inline-flex tw:items-start tw:gap-1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * The single source of truth for a morphology slot's outer metrics, so an analyzed and an
+ * unanalyzed token share a height and every token gloss lands on one line across the strip.
+ */
+@utility morphology-slot {
+  @apply tw:inline-grid tw:w-fit tw:items-center tw:gap-x-0.5 tw:gap-y-0.5 tw:rounded tw:border tw:p-0.5;
+}
+
 @utility section-label {
   @apply tw:text-xs tw:font-medium tw:text-muted-foreground tw:uppercase tw:tracking-wide;
 }