Phonetics and Phonology
Word Stress
There are two very simple rules about word stress. They are:
- One word has only one stress.
- We can only stress vowels, not consonants.
- Garden / ˈɡɑːdən/ (the first syllable stressed)
- Thermometer /θərˈməˌmitɚ/ (the second syllable stressed)
- Education //ɛdjʊˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ (third syllable stressed)
- Examination //ɪɡˌzamɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
- Misunderstanding //ˌmɪsʌndəˈstandɪŋ/
So stress can be defined as the relative emphasis that is given to certain syllables in a word, or to certain words in a phrase or sentence.
In English, stressed syllables are louder than non-stressed syllables. Also, they are longer and have a higher pitch. Dictionaries show the primary stress with ( ` ) which is called the grave marker. There is no rule about which syllable is stressed in a word with more than one syllable. It has to be learned by practice.
However, certain verbs with two syllables generally have stress on the second syllable. But if they are used as nouns, the stress falls on the first syllable.• I have to record her voice. /rɪˈkɔːd/
• Can you let me have the record/ˈrɛkɔːd/?
• Please permit/pəˈmɪt/ me to go out.
• Have you got a permit/ˈpəːmɪt/ for that?
• You should transfer/transˈfə / these goods soon.
• She got a transfer/ˈtrɑːnsfə/ yesterday.
• Only lexical words ( Nouns, main verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs) are stressed.
• The function words/grammatical words (auxiliary verbs, prepositions, pronouns, articles) are not stressed.
Compound nouns are stressed on the first syllable:
• Whitehouse , Blackbird, Livingroom ,
Compound adjectives and compound verbs are stressed on the second syllable.
• Old-fashioned , sharp-edged , open-ended , understand, rewrite, overflow
• Intonation is about how we say something rather than what we say. In fact , it is the ‘melody’ present in the expression.
• Major Tones in English are Rising, Falling, and Fall-rise tones.
• There could be R+R, F+F, F+R, R+F depending on the way a person is trying to express himself.
• The pitch of the voice rises at the end of the sentence for rising tone.
• Rising tone invites the speaker to continue talking.
• It is used with yes/no questions and question-tags.
• Are you th↗irsty?
• Is that the new d↗octor?
• Would you like a cup of tea?’
• When we have list of choice we use rising tone for all the choices and falling for the last one.
• I want some water, some milk, some cheese and a piece of bread.
For statement and declarative sentences, there is a falling tone.
• I am going for a walk in the p↘ark.
• Pleased to meet ↘you.
• She wants to change her ↘room.
• It is also the major tone for WH questions.
• Where are you g↘oing?
In Fall-rise intonation the voice falls and then rises. Fall-rise tone is at the end of statements when the speaker wants to say that they are not sure, or when they may have more to add:
• It rained every day in the firs↘t w↗eek.(but since then there hasn’t been any rain)
• It is also used when we request information or invite somebody to do or have something
Is this your cam↘er↗a?
• Pronounce these words and write them down in the exercise books putting a grave mark before the stressed syllables.
Television photo photograph photographer photography photographic parents
increase (n) increase(v) Holiday
admiration weaker parents degree America exaggerate epitome comfortable interesting April
compass evening destroy devastate
demolish hippopotamus present(v)
Present (n)
Answer:
• ˈtelevision
• ˈphoto
• ˈincrease(n)
• ˈholiday
• ˈweaker
• ˈparents
• ˈcomfortable
• ˈinteresting
• ˈApril
• ˈcompass
• ˈevening
• ˈpresent(n)
• ˈphotograph
• phoˈtography
• Phoˈtographer
• photoˈgraphic
• inˈcrease(v)
• admiˈration
• Aˈmerican
• eˈpitome
• deˈstroy
• deˈmolish
• ˈdevastate
GENERAL RULES OF STRESS
a. Stress on most of the first syllable if they are two-syllable nouns and adjectives like
PRESent,
CHIna,
PRESent,
SLENder,
CLEVer,
HAPpy,
SAMples,
CARton,
PURple,
b. Stress on last syllable if they are most 2-syllable verbs or prepositions like:
preSENT,
exPORT,
deCIDE,
beGIN,
reLAX,
reCEIVE,
diRECT,
aMONG,
aSIDE,
beTWEEN,
c. Stress on the penultimate/second from end syllable in the words end with ‘ic, ‘sion’ and ‘tion’ like
’GRAPHic,
geoLOgic,
reveLAtion.
d. Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, -gy, and –al have stress third from the end like
deMOcracy,
dependaBIlity,
phoTOgraphy
geOLogy,
CRItical,
geoLOGical.
e. For compound nouns, the stress is on the first part like
BLACKbird,
GREENhouse,
SEAfood (sea + food),
ICEland (ice + land),
TOOTHpaste (tooth + paste),
FOOTball (foot + ball),
BAsketball (basket + ball)
f. For compound adjectives and verbs, the stress is on the second part like
bad-TEMpered,
old-FASHioned,
ten-Meter,
rock-Solid,
fifteen-Minute,
old-FAshione,
underSTAND,
overFLOW.
g. Three-syllable words ending with the suffixes er or ly, the stress is placed on the first syllable like:
ORderly,
SIlently,
LOvingly,
MAnager,
GARdener,
h. If there is a word that ends in a consonant or in a y, then the first syllable usually gets the stress. For examples:
RARity,
OPtimal,
GRAdient,
GEnorous
i. The stress is going to be on the syllable right before the suffix. This applies to words of all syllable lengths. For instances:
able: ADDable, DURable, LAUGHable
ial: differENTial, SOcial, fiNANcial
cian: muSIcian, phySIcian, cliNIcian
ery: BAkery, SCEnery
ian: coMEdian, ciVILian, techNIcian
ible: reSIstible, imPOSsible, TERRible
ic: arCHAic, plaTOnic, characteRIStic
ics: diaBEtics, paediAtrics, TOpics
ion: classifiCAtion, repoSItion, vegeTAtion
ia: MEdia, bacTERia, vicTORia
ient: inGREdient, PAtient, ANcient
ious: mySTERious, reLIgious, VARiou
ish: SELfish, ENglish, PUnish
osis: hypNOsis, diagNOsis
j. Words that use the suffix ade, ee, ese, eer, que, ette, or oon have the primary stress actually placed on the suffix. This applies to words of all syllable lengths. Examples:
i. ade: lemoNADE, cruSADE,
ii. ee: arCADEee: aGREE, jamborEE, guaranTEE
iii. eer: sightSEER, puppeTEER
iv. ese: SiamESE, JapanESE, chEESE
v. ette: cassETTE, CorvETTE, towelETTE
vi. que: unIQUE, physIQUE
vii. oon: baLOON, afterNOON, carTOON
k. Put stress on the second syllable from the end of the word with words ending in, ic, sion & tion.
iCONic, GRAPHic, hyperTENsion, nuTRItion
l. Reflexive Pronoun usually takes second syllable stress like:
mySEL,
themSELVES
m. If the number is a multiple of ten, the stress is placed on the first syllable like ONE-hundred