UNIT III

Word stress and Grammatical category

Stress placement may distinguish between certain nouns and adjectives, on the
one hand, and verbs, on the other, most of which are two syllable words with
identical spellings and identical or similar phonemic patterns. All they have to
remember is that nouns and adjectives take stress on the first syllable and verbs
on the second.

Examples:

Accent (n)

Accent (v)

Final (a)

In the majority of cases, the unstressed syllable of the verb contains a weak
vowel, but this tendency is not so strong with nouns and adjectives.

Suspect

Contest

Suspect

Contest

In a few cases it is only the stress pattern which distinguishes between noun,
verb, as in the pair:

Perfect (v)

Perfect (n)

Perfect (a)

Alternative accentual patterns:

There are a number of words with optional stress patterns, the most common of
which we should be aware of, in order not to discard the options they have not
adopted as incorrect.

The following notations do not account for prominent syllables:

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 Two-syllable words

( ) - ( )

Adult /ˈædʌlt/ Contact (v) /ˈkɒntækt/

Defect (n) /dɪˈfekt/ Research /rɪˈsetʃ/

( )–( )

Regime /reɪˈʒi:m/ Terrain /təˈreɪn/

 Three-syllable words

( )–( )

Disputant /dɪsˈpju:tənt/ Exquisite /ˈekskwɪzɪt/

( )–( )

Registrar /ˌredʒɪˈstrɑ:/ Submarine /ˌsʌbməˈri:n/

( )–( )

Caravan /ˈkærəvæn/

( )–( )

Sonorous /ˈsɒnərəs/

 Four-syllable words

( )–( )

Controversy (n) /ˈkɒntrəvɜ:si/ Formidable /fɔ:ˈmɪdəbl/

( )–( )

Applicable /əˈpɪkəbl/

( )–( )

Television /ˈtelɪvʒən/

 Five-syllable words

( )–( )

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Necessarily /ˈnesəserɪli/ Momentarily /ˌməʊmənˈterəli/

Word stress patterns

The main stress patterns in their citation forms are illustrated in the next
section. the following principles areworth mentioning. Example:

1. Every word has one, and only one, primary stress

2. Secondary stresses (normally one, less frenquently two) always precede,

and never follow, primary stresses in words. There is a strong tendency in
English for secondary and primary stresses to be separated by unstressed
syllables. Therefore, consecutive stresses are relatively unusual. They derive
mostly from prefixation. Example:

Redo /ˈri:´du:/ Unlike /ˈʌn´laɪk/

3. A three-syllable word with a primary stress, on the last syllable has a

secondary stress on the antepenultimate syllable magazine /ˈmægə´zi:n/, in
a few cases where the primary stress is on the penultimate syllable, the
secondary may occur on the previous syllable remarry /ˈri:´mæri/. A four-
syllable word with primary stress on the penultimate syllable has a secondary
stress on the first syllable conversation /ˈkɒnvə´seɪʃn/; if it has the primary
stress on the last syllable, then the secondary stress will normally be on the
first syllable, misunderstand /ˈmɪsʌndə´stænd/

4. Five and six-syllable words with the primary stress on the fourth syllable
from the left the secondary stress either on the first syllable organization
/ˈɔ:gənaɪ´zeɪʃn/, or on the second, consideration /kənˈsɪdə´reɪʃn/.

5. English derivatives do not always follow the stress pattern of the roots they
come from. Example, person /ˈpɜ:sn/- personification /pəˈsɒnɪfɪ´keɪʃn/.

6. Primary stress usually separate vowels occurring in sequence and hiatus

is produced, rather than the corresponding semi-vowel + diphthong sequence.
Example: variation /ˈveəri´eɪʃn/- graduation /ˈgrædʒu´eɪʃn/.

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 We shall use the so-called "tadpole" notation to account for syllables:

1. TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS:

-Primary stress + unstressed syllable: island /ˈaɪlənd/, circus /ˈsɜːkəs/

-primary stress + prominent syllable: empire /ˈempaɪə/, aspect /ˈæspekt/

-unstressed syllable + primary stress: again /əˈgen/, career /kəˈrɪə/

-prominent syllable + primary stress: canteen /kænˈtiːn/, cartoon /kɑːˈtuːn/

-secondary stress + primary stress: Chinese /ˌʧaɪˈniːz/, rebuild /ˌriːˈbɪld/

2. THREE-SYLLABLE WORDS:

*Catholic /ˈkæθəlɪk/, necessary /ˈnesɪsəri/

*handicap /ˈhændɪkæp/, paragraph /ˈpærəgrɑːf/

*advantage /ədˈvɑːntɪʤ/, develop /dɪˈveləp/

*ambition /æmˈbɪʃ(ə)n/, authentic /ɔːˈθentɪk/

*tomato /təˈmɑːtəʊ/, recipient /rɪˈsɪpɪənt/

*non-fiction /nɒn-ˈfɪkʃən/, scientific /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/

*guarantee /ˌgærənˈtiː/, cigarette /ˌsɪgəˈret/

3. FOUR-SYLLABLE WORDS:

*category / ˈkætɪgəri/, irritable / ˈɪrɪtəbl/

*calculator /ˈkælkjʊleɪtə /, operator / ˈɒpəreɪtə/

*characterize / ˈkærɪktəraɪz/, capitalize / kəˈpɪtəlaɪz/

*obligatory / ɒˈblɪgətəri/, laboratory / ləˈbɒrətəri/

*appreciate /əˈpriːʃɪeɪt /, apologize / əˈpɒləʤaɪz/

*authority / ɔːˈθɒrɪti/, mortality / mɔːˈtælɪti/

*variation / ˌveərɪˈeɪʃən/, elementary /ˌelɪˈmentəri/

*acceptation /ˌæksepˈteɪʃ(ə)n/, departmental / ˌdiːpɑːtˈmentl/

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*interconnect / ˌɪntə(ː)kəˈnekt/, interrelate /ˌɪntərɪˈleɪt/

*uncountable / ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/, subcontinent /ˌsʌbˈkɒntɪnənt/

4. FIVE-SYLLABLE WORDS

*Figuratively / ˈfɪgjʊrətɪvli/, capitalism / ˈkæpɪtəlɪzm/

*Communicative / kəˈmjuːnɪkətɪv/, vocabulary / vəʊˈkæbjʊləri/

*Curiosity /ˌkjʊərɪˈɒsɪti/, university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪti/

*Differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃɪeɪt/, rehabilitate /ˌriːəˈbɪlɪteɪt/

*Classification /ˌklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, characteristic / ˌkærɪktəˈrɪstɪk/

*Continuation / kənˌtɪnjʊˈeɪʃən/, pronunciation / prəˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃən/

*Predisposition /ˌpriːdɪspəˈzɪʃən /, devaluation /ˌdiːvæljʊˈeɪʃən/

5. SIX-SYLLABLE WORDS

*unimaginative /ˌʌnɪˈmæʤɪnətɪv/, individualism / ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlɪz(ə)m/

*characteristically / ˌkærɪktəˈrɪstɪkəli/, irritability /ˌɪrɪtəˈbɪlɪti/

*familiarity /fəˌmɪlɪˈærɪti /, responsibility / rɪsˌpɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/

*electrification / ɪˌlektrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, personification / pɜːˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

*differentiation /ˌdɪfərenʃɪˈeɪʃən/, recapitulation /ˌriːkəˌpɪtjʊˈleɪʃən/

6. SEVEN-SYLLABLE WORDS

*invulnerability / ɪnˌvʌlnərəˈbɪlɪti/, impracticability / ɪmˌpræktɪkəˈbɪlɪti/

*irresponsibility / ɪrɪsˌpɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/, superficiality /ˌsjuːpəˌfɪʃɪˈælɪti/

Stress in Compound words

Stress in English compounds, with its varying position, is real stumpling-block for
Spanish-speaking learners due mainly to the rather fixed occurrence word stress
has in Spanish. Two types of phenomena are meant by variation: first, or the
second element in the citation pattern and, secndly, this may also vary according
to context. On the other hand, all citation patterns of Spanish compounds have

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the primary stress on the second element, irrespective of internal structure and
meaning.

Stress in English compound words is defined as a lexical unit consisting of

more than one base but functioning both grammatically and semantically
as a single word.

 Compound Words

A compound word is formed from two simple words in English. To pronounce

then correctly is important, otherwise we could give the wrong message or even
have a negative result. The stress can vary depending on which part of speech
the word is:

A compound word is made up of 2 (or more) words:

foot+ball= football face+book= facebook hot+dog= hotdog

break+through= breakthrough down+fall= downfall old+fashion(ed)=
old fashioned absent+mind= absent minded half+dead= half
dead

Word stress/ Emphasis

Both components are stressed BUT one component has the primary stress (more
stress).

Swiching the primary and secondary stress can change the meaning of a word.

NOUN + NOUN COMPOUNDS

We put the primary stress on the first component (even the words are written
separately)

Football= FOOT-ball facebook= FACE-book armachair= ARM-chair

Swimming pool= SWIMming pool

*Chaning meaning: stress is the main distinguishing mark between a compound

noun (stress on the first component) and a regular/ free Attribute+ noun
combination in which primary stress is on the second word (on the noun).

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GREENhouse or greenHOUSE= a place for growing plants OR a house that is
green.

Stress Shift:

A syllable bearing primary stress is the one which normally initiates pitch contrast,
a secondary stress is less likely to be pitch contrast, initiator, but it can certainly
play that role when the rhythmic pressure of the context causes the redistribution
of stresses called “stress shift”. This change of roles is the result of the tendency
in English to separate strong, primary stresses by weak, unstressed syllables.

Stress shift in English affects both simple and compound words whose citation
pattern consists of a secondary stress followed by a primary stress in the same
word. This double-stress pattern, however, accommodates to the pattern of
stresses which precede and follow in the text, in such a way that stresses on
consecutive syllables are avoided.

 When suffixes are added to a word, no shift in stress occur. Example:

Honest- honesty holy- holiness attend- attendance direct- directive

Reason- reasonable improve- improvement

 Creating new words by adding certain suffixes can cause the main word
stress to shift rightward.
Suffix base derived
-al politic political
-ual context contextual
 The stress shifts will occur with the addition of the strong suffix if the word
is long enough, and if the stress is far back enough on the base.
 If the main stress is already close enough to the end of the word, then
addition of a strong suffix will not cause the stress to shift any farther:
Polemic ------polemical

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