word stress in English

Question 1

words of two or three syllables

Answer 1

tend to be stressed on the first syllable
many exceptions: words that begin with a prefix, loanwords from French or Latin (stress on last or last but one), verbs with 2: last syllable stressed

Question 2

words of four or more syllables

Answer 2

tend to be stressed on antepenultimate syllable, third from end
exceptions: words that end in a suffix which determines the position of the stress (stress-imposing suffix) or a suffix which leaves the stress in the stem unchanged (stress-neutral suffix)

Question 3

stress-neutral suffixes

Answer 3

when these are added to a word, the position of the stress in the stem does not change
e.g. -ful: suc’cess => suc’cessful

Question 4

stress-imposing suffixes

Answer 4

these cause the stress to fall on a particular syllable in the stem, in the following examples the suffix attracts the stress to the syllable immediately preceding it:
-ity: ‘clarity, uni’formity

Question 5

stressed suffixes

Answer 5

these are stressed themselves

e.g.: -EE: addres’see

Question 6

prefixes

Answer 6

are generally not stressed except from particular contrast

Question 7

stress in noun/adjectives - verb pairs

Answer 7

noun / adjective carries the stress on the first syllable, verb on the second / last syllable

Question 8

stress in two-word compounds

Answer 8

1. spelling:

compounds written as one word: early stress
compounds where the elements are separated by a hyphen or by a space: either early or late stress

2. word class:

compounds that are nouns: early stress
compounds that are verbs or adjectives: late stress

3. structure of the compound

• first part a noun: early stress
• not a noun: late stress

EXCEPTIONS: late stress in compounds where the first part is a noun

• first part is a noun referring to a material / ingredient and second part is a noun, BUT early stress if the second part is ‘cake’ or ‘juice’
• first part is a place
• first part is a noun referring a date / period
• first part is derived from verb / gerund and the second part is a prepositon
• second part is a place name except ‘street’ is early stress

Question 9

compounds usually have early stress if:

Answer 9

1. first part is a preposition and second part is a noun

2. first part is a preposition and second part is a verb (phrasal verb with the two elements reversed)

Question 10

compound vs. phrase

Answer 10

compound: early stress
phrase: late stress

Question 11

stress in -ing forms

Answer 11

In combinations of an -ing form plus a noun, there is early stress if the -ing form operates as a gerund (used rather like a noun): the object helps you to achieve an aim or carry out an activity. The combination is a compound in these cases.

There is late stress if the -ing form operates as a present participle (when it is rather used like an adjective). The combination is a phrase here.