CHAPTER 11: COMPLEX WORD STRESS

11.1 Complex words

11.2 Suffixes
11.3 Prefixes
11.4 Compound words
11.5 Variable stress
11.6 Word-class pairs
 11.1 COMPLEX WORDS

 Two major types:

1. Words made from a basic word form (called stem), with
the addition of an affix
2. Compound words, which are made of two (or occasionally
more) independent English words (e.g. ‘ice cream’,
‘armchair’)
 STEM

 Stem is what remains after affixes are removed.

employee  stem: employ
comfortable  stem: comfort
widen  stem: wide
poisonous  stem: poison
Affixes have one of three possible effects on word stress:

1. The affix itself receives the primary stress.

‘semi-’ + ‘circle’ ˈsɜːkl  ‘semicircle’ ˈsemisɜːkl
‘person’ ˈpɜːsn + ‘-ality’  ‘personality’ ˌpɜːsnˈæləti
2. The affixes do not change the stress of the stem.
‘pleasant’ ˈpleznt ‘unpleasant’ ʌnˈpleznt
‘market’ ˈmɑːkɪt ‘marketing’ ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ
3. The stress remains on the stem, not the affix, but is shifted to a
different syllable.
‘magnet’ ˈmæɡnət ‘magnetic’ mæɡˈnetɪk
 11.2 SUFFIXES
1. Suffixes carrying primary stress themselves
 ‘-ee’: ‘refugee’ ˌrefjuˈdʒiː ‘evacuee’ ɪˌvækjuˈiː
 ‘-eer’: ‘mountaineer’ ˌmaʊntəˈnɪə ‘volunteer’ ˌvɒlənˈtɪə
 ‘-ese’: ‘Portuguese’ ˌpɔːtʃʊˈɡiːz ‘journalese’ ˌdʒɜːnəˈliːz
 ‘-ette’: ‘cigarette’ ˌsɪɡrˈet ‘launderette’ ˌlɔːndrˈet
 ‘-esque’: ‘picturesque’ ˌpɪktʃrˈesk
The primary stress is on the first syllable of the suffix.
If the stem consists of more than one syllable, there will be a secondary
stress on one of the syllables of the stem. This cannot fall on the last syllable
of the stem and is, if necessary, moved to an earlier syllable.
 11.2 SUFFIXES
2. Suffixes that do not affect stress placement
 11.2 SUFFIXES
2. Suffixes that do not affect stress placement
 11.2 SUFFIXES
3. Suffixes that influence stress in the stem

- In these examples primary stress is on the last syllable of the

stem.
 11.2 SUFFIXES
3. Suffixes that influence stress in the stem
 When the suffixes ‘-ance’, ‘-ant’ and ‘-ary’ are attached to single-syllable,

the stress is almost placed on the stem.

‘guidance’ ˈɡaɪdns ‘sealant’ ˈsiːlənt

 When the stem has more than one syllable, the stress is on one of the

syllables in the stem.

+ If the final syllable of the stem is strong, that syllable receives stress.

‘importance’ ɪmˈpɔːtns ‘centenary’ senˈtiːnri

+ Otherwise the syllable before the last one receives the stress:

‘inheritance’ ɪnˈherɪtəns ‘military’ ˈmɪlɪtri

 11.3 PREFIXES
 The effect of prefixes on stress does not have the comparative regularity,
independence and predictability of suffixes.
‘disagree’ ˌdɪsəˈɡriː ‘disqualify’ dɪsˈkwɒlɪfaɪ
‘disable’ dɪsˈeɪbl ‘disappear’ ˌdɪsəˈpɪə
 There is no prefix of one or two syllables that always carries primary stress.
‘autofocus’ ˈɔːtəʊfəʊkəs ‘autobiography’ ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi
‘autochanger’ ˈɔːtəʊtʃeɪndʒə ‘autodidact’ ˌɔːtəʊˈdaɪdækt
‘anti-hero’ ˈænti hɪərəʊ ‘anti-personnel’ ˌænti pɜːsəˈnel
 Stress in words with prefixes is governed by the same rules as those for
polysyllabic words without prefixes.
 11.4 Stress in compound words

 Compound words are words made up of two or more independent words.

 Compound words are written in different ways:
+ written as one word (e.g. ‘armchair’, ‘sunflower’, ‘handbag’
+ separated by a hyphen (e.g. ‘open-minded’, ‘cost-effective’
+ separated by a space (e.g. ‘desk lamp’, ‘battery charger’)
 Rules
-Compound words which combine two nouns normally have the stress on
the first noun.
‘typewriter’ ˈtaɪpraɪtə ‘teacup’ ˈtiːkʌp
‘washing machine’ ˈwɒʃɪŋ məʃiːn ‘greenhouse’ ˈɡriːnhaʊs
 14.1 Stress in compound words
 Compounds with an adjectival first element and the –ed morpheme at the end
have stress on the second element, and the first elements often have
secondary stress.
‘bad-tempered’ ˌbæd ˈtempəd
‘heavy-handed’ ˌhevi ˈhændɪd
‘green-fingered’ ˌɡriːn ˈfɪŋɡəd
‘cold-blooded’ ˌkəʊld ˈblʌdɪd
 Compounds in which the first element is a number in some form also tend to
have final stress.
‘three-cornered’ ˌθriː ˈkɔːnəd
‘second-class’ ˌsekənd ˈklɑːs
 11.4 Stress in compound words

 Compounds functioning as adverbs are usually final-stressed.

‘North-East’ ˌnɔːθ ˈiːst
‘downstream’ ˌdaʊnˈstriːm
 Compounds which function as verbs and have an adverbial first
element take final stress.
‘downgrade’ ˌdaʊnˈɡreɪd
‘back-pedal’ ˌbæk ˈpedl
‘ill-treat’ ˌɪl ˈtriːt
 11.5 Variable stress
 Stress position may vary for one of two reasons:
1. as a result of the stress on other words occurring next to the word in question.
- The main effect is that the stress on a final-stressed compound tends to move
to a preceding syllable and change to secondary stress if the following word
begins with a strongly stressed syllable.
ˌbad-ˈtempered but a ˌbad-tempered ˈteacher
ˌhalf-ˈtimbered but a ˌhalf-timbered ˈhouse
2. Not all speakers agree on the placement of stress in some words.
controversy ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi kənˈtrɒvəsi
ice cream ˈaɪs kriːm ˌaɪs ˈkriːm
kilometer kɪˈlɒmɪtə ˈkɪləmiːtə
formidable fəˈmɪdəbl ˈfɔːmɪdəbl
 11.6 Word-class pairs

 Pairs of two-syllable words with identical spelling differ from each

other in stress placement, apparently according to word class
(noun, verb, or adjective)
 The stress is placed on the second syllable of the verb but on the
first syllable of the noun or adjective.