Word Stress Flashcards
Definition of stressed syllables.
longer, louder and higher in pitch.
What allows the native speaker to tap out the rhythm of syllables within a word or words within an utterance?
The increase in muscular energy and respiratory activity of expelling air from the lungs and articulating syllables.
From the listener’s point of view, what are the most salient features of stress?
Longer vowel duration in the stressed syllable and higher pitch.
What is greater in English than in most other languages - with the possible exception of German, its Germanic language cousin?
The difference between stressed and unstressed syllables.
3 levels of word stress.
Strongly stressed, lightly stressed and unstressed syllables.
Stress placement in English derives from what?
Careful history of the language.
For words of Germanic origin, which syllable of the base form of a word is typically stressed?
The first syllable.
2 examples of words of Germanic origin with the right syllable stressed?
FAther
WISdom
What is the percentage of the 1000 most used words in English coming from Germanic origins?
83% (but only few words in the whole lexicon of English).
What usually happens to stress syllables in loan (borrowed) words?
The stress usually changes to an initial position like Germanic stress.
Prefixes: Germanic versus Latinate prefixes influence.
Germanic: unstressed or lightly stressed prefixes (primary stress on root word).
Latinate: unstressed prefixes (except when create new verbs).
Suffixes affect word stress in what 3 ways?
- They may have no effect on the stress pattern of the root word.
- They may receive strong stress themselves.
- They may cause the stress pattern in the stem to shift from one syllable to another.
For the most part, from what origin are the neutral suffixes that do not affect the stress pattern of the root word?
Germanic origin.
What origin of suffixes cause the final syllable of a word to receive strong stress, with other syllables receiving light or no stress?
French origin.
Cardinal and ordinal numbers that represent multiples of ten (20-30-40..) have primary syllable on which syllable?
First syllable.
Two stress patterns for numbers ending in -teen like “thirtheen” and when each one is used.
- 1st syllable (THIRteen) = Native speakers tend to use this pattern before a noun in attributive position (e.g., the THIRteenth man) and when counting.
- 2nd syllable (thirTEEN) = This pattern is more common in phrase-final or utterance-final position, or when speakers are trying to make a deliberate distinction between the ten and teen digits. When pairs of words such as thirteen and thirty might be confused, native speakers may prefer the second pattern (i.e.. strong stress on the second syllable) to differentiate clearly.
Noun compounds: primary stress.
On the first compound (first syllable or word).
Nouns with -self/selves suffixes: stressed syllable?
On the -self/selves. (himSELF).
In a sentence, what words tend to receive stress?
nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
In a sentence, what words tend to be unstressed?
articles, prepositions and auxiliary verbs.
