4.1. Review: word stress
As this is the last unit of the year, let's review outstanding features of word stress learnt:
English words have certain patterns of stress which you should observe strictly if you want to be understood. The best way to learn English stress is to listen to audio materials and to repeat them after the speaker. The links on the entrance pages of the sections Phonetics, Phrases, and Vocabulary lead to the sites that offer useful listening materials, including sounds, syllables, words, sentences, and conversations. An overview of typical English patterns of word stress in this material will help you to recognize and understand word stress when you work with listening materials.
Note: Main stressed syllable in the word is indicated by capital letters in this material, for example, LEMon. In words with double stress, capital letters with a stress mark before them show the syllable with primary stress, and small letters with a stress mark before them show the syllable with secondary stress, for example, 'eco'NOMics.
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General guidelines on word stress |
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Generally, common English nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are more often stressed on the first syllable than on any other syllable. Verbs with prefixes are usually stressed on the second syllable, i.e., on the first syllable of the root after the prefix. English words can't have two unstressed syllables at the beginning of the word; one of these syllables will be stressed. If a word has four or more syllables, there are usually two stresses in it: primary stress (strong stress) and secondary stress (weak stress). Also, secondary stress may be present (in addition to primary stress) in shorter words in the syllable in which the vowel sound remains long and strong. Prefixes are often stressed in nouns and less often in verbs. Suffixes at the end of the word are rarely stressed, except for a few nouns, adjective, and verb suffixes that are usually stressed: rooMETTE, 'ciga'RETTE / 'CIGa'rette, Chi'NESE, 'SIGni'fy, 'ORga'nize, 'DECo'rate. In longer derivative words, stress may fall on a suffix or prefix according to typical patterns of word stress. Endings are not stressed. |
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Stress in derivatives |
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Stress in a derivative may remain the same as in the word from which it was derived, or it may change in a certain way. When nouns are formed from verbs, or verbs are formed from nouns, the following patterns of stress often occur. The same stress: deNY (verb) – deNIal (noun); reVIEW (noun) – reVIEW (verb); HOSpital (noun) – HOSpitalize (verb) Shift of stress: preSENT (verb) – PRESent (noun); reFER (verb) – REFerence (noun) Other parts of speech derived from nouns and verbs have the following typical patterns of stress: Adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable or repeat the stress of the nouns from which they were derived: COLor (noun) – COLorful (adj.). But stress may change in longer derivative adjectives: METal (noun) – meTALlic (adj.); ARgument (noun) – 'argu'MENtative (adj.). Adverbs are usually stressed on the first syllable or repeat the stress of the adjectives from which they were derived: ANgry – ANgrily; WONderful – WONderfully. Gerunds and participles repeat the stress of the verbs from which they were formed: forGET – forGETting – forGOTten; 'ORga'nize – 'ORga'nizing – ORganized. |
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Typical patterns of stress |
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Let's look at typical examples of stress in English words. Main factors that influence stress are the number of syllables in the word, and whether the word is a noun, an adjective, or a verb. ONE-SYLLABLE WORDSOne-syllable nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are stressed on the vowel sound in the word. Note that a diphthong is one complex vowel sound that forms only one syllable. A diphthong is stressed on its first main component. Eg: book, cat, rain, boat, crow, chair, late, fast, soon, now TWO-SYLLABLE WORDSTwo-syllable nouns: Two-syllable nouns are usually stressed on the first syllable. Eg: TEACHer, STUDent, CARpet, LESson Nouns may be stressed on the last syllable if there is a long vowel sound or a diphthong in it. Words of foreign origin (especially words of French origin) may be stressed on the last syllable. Eg: trainEE, caREER, deLAY, conCERN Two-syllable adjectives: Two-syllable adjectives are usually stressed on the first syllable. Eg: FOOLish, NATive, CAREless Some adjectives are stressed on the last syllable if there is a long vowel sound or a diphthong in it. Eg: abSURD, comPLETE, exTREME, moROSE If there is a prefix in an adjective, stress often falls on the first syllable of the root after the prefix. Eg: inSANE, imMUNE, enGAged Two-syllable verbs: Two-syllable verbs are usually stressed on the second syllable, especially if the first syllable is a prefix. Eg: adMIT, apPLY, beGIN, beLIEVE But there are many verbs that are stressed on the first syllable. Eg: HAPpen, CANcel, PRACtice |