Phonology B

Question 1

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: points

Answer 1

Intro 3
Stressed syllables 4
Syllable weight 3
Fixed and free stress 3
Summary

Question 2

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: intro 3

Answer 2

• shape the rhythm and pronunciation of words
• syllables = divided based on MOP which governs grouping of consonants into syllables
• some lang = predictable stress patterns / english = predictable and unpredictable

Question 3

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: stressed syllables 4

Answer 3

• eng SS = longer, louder, marked by pitch change
• native speakers intuitively recognise SS
• interaction between syllabification + stress assignment = evident in how ss influences stress patterns
• closed syllables ending in a consonant = often attract stress to the preceding syllable, e.g ‘limit’

Question 4

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: syllable weight 3

Answer 4

Role in stress placement:
- heavy syllables attract weight
- weight distinction = factors like vowel length + presence of consonant clusters
- polysyllabic nouns: stress = tends to fall on penultimate syllable if heavy, otherwise on antepenultimate syllable

Question 5

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: fixed & free stress 3

Answer 5

Eng = both
- stressed patterns = predictable but exceptions exist -> variation
- eng nouns tend to avoid final stress: prefer penultimate or antepenultimate stress placement
- eng verbs = commonly final stress, esp if final syllable = heavy

Question 6

B: Do syllabification and stress assignment interact in English?: summary

Answer 6

Patterns cAn be identified: exceptions & variability demonstrate dynamic nature of langs