Stress in Compound Words

Stress in longer words and compound words

What is stress?

• In a word with more than one syllable, syllables that stand out more than others are stressed. An unstressed syllable is one that does not stand out.

one-stress word/two-stress word

• A one-stress word has one stressed syllable (e.g /kəmˈpliːt/ complete ).

• A two-stress word has one syllable with main stress and another with secondary stress. (e.g./ˌdɪs.əˈgriː/ disagree)

main stress (or primary stress)

• In a word with more than one syllable, the syllable with main stress stands out more than any other. In most dictionaries the symbol ' is placed before the syllable with main stress.

‘ -shows main stress E.g. hundred [ ˈhʌn.drəd ] kindergarten [ˈkɪndəˌgɑːtən]controversial [ˌkɒn.trəˈvɜːʃəl ]

secondary stress

• In some words with more than one syllable, a syllable with secondary stress stands out less than the syllable with main stress, but more than the remaining syllables. In most dictionaries the symbol , is placed before the secondary stressed syllable

,- shows secondary stresse.g. kindergarten [ˈkɪndəˌgɑːtən]Controversial [ˌkɒn.trəˈvɜːʃəl ]

Prominence • A prominent word stands out from other words

around it.For example, in the phrase II one of my FRIENDSII

friends is prominent and the other words non-prominent.

• If a word has more than one syllable, it is only necessary to make one syllable prominent (the prominent syllable) in order to make the whole word stand out.

For example, in II it's your responsiBILityll, -BIL- is the prominent syllable and responsibility the

prominent word.

stress shift• When a word is used in conversation and

emphasized, one of the stressed syllables is made prominent. In a one-stress word this is the stressed syllable, and in a two-stress word it is usually the syllable with main stress.

• Prominence can move to the secondary stressed syllable in a word like 'controversial' when it is followed by a word with another prominent syllable, particularly when the first syllable of the following word is prominent:

She gave a CONtroversial ANswer.

Other words which often have stress shift include:

• , alto'gether, , inde'pendent, , indi 'stinct, , medi'ocre, , satis'factory, , uni'versity, ,week 'end, ,worth'while.

• some place names which have main stress on the last syllable, such as: , Ber' lin, , Kow' loon,

, Montre ' al.• -teen numbers - , thir'teen, , nine ' teen; and

two-part numbers - , forty- ' five, , seventy- ' eight.

Longer words…

• Some words are made up of a root and a suffix:

Suffixes which don't usually change the stress pattern

• Suffixes which don't usually change the stress pattern in the root word include -able, -age, -al*, -er, -ful, -less, -ness, -ous and -fy.

' comfort - ' comfortable' amplify - ' amplifier' foolish - ' foolishnessper' cent - per' centagere ' gret - re ' gretfuld i ' saster - d i ' sastrous• Exceptions with -able and -al include:a d ' mire - ' admirable' medicine - me' dicinalpre ' fer - ' preferable' agriculture - agri ' cultural

Before the suffixes -ious, -ulous, -orous and –eous…

• The main stress usually comes in the syllable before the suffix:' industry - i n 'dustriousa d ' vantage - advan' tageous' mystery - my' sterious' outrage - out' rageous• Some suffixes themselves usually have the main stress. These

include -ee, -eer, -ese and -ette., a bsen ' tee , refu ' gee , engi ' neer , mounta i ' neer,Japa n ' ese , Nepa l ' ese , cigar' ette d i ' skette• Exceptions include: ' omelette, ' etiquette, em' ployee (although

less commonly we use , employ'ee). Note : Some people say 'ciga rette.

suffixes: -ial, -ic, -ion, -ive, and -ity

• The main stress is usually on the syllable immediately before the suffixes:

' ed i tor - edi ' torialac ' celerate - ac , cele' ration' generous - , gene' rosity' atmosphere - , atmos 'pheric' instinct - in ' stinctivedi 'verse - di 'versity

When a word ends with one of the consonants t or s and the suffix -ion

• -tion is pronounced: /tʃən/ after the letter s: suggestion, digestion/ʃən/ after other letters: education, adoption• -sion is pronounced:/ʃən/ after a consonant: extension,

comprehension/Ʒən/ after a vowel: decision, persuasion• -ssion is pronounced: /ʃən/ admission, expression

Some words change the pronunciation of the vowel in the main stressed

syllable

A change in the pronunciation of the consonant(s) that follow it

• In other words like this, there is a change in the pronunciation of the vowel in the stressed syllable and also the spelling of either this vowel and/or the consonant(s) that follow it:

Some words are made up of a prefix and a root.

Common prefixes include: de-, dis-, il-, re-, un-

• In some words the prefix is unstressed and is only made prominent for particular contrast

• Usually have only one (main) stressed syllable:dislike /dɪˈslaɪk/ or have secondary stress on the

prefix reconsider/ˌriː.kənˈsɪd.ər/

de- and re- prefixes

• the prefix is usually pronounced /dɪ/ and /rɪ/ if it is unstressed and /di:-/ and /ri:-/ if it has secondary stress. Compare:

• d e ' gra de /d ɪ/ but: , decom ' pose /di:-/• re ' c \ a i lll /r ɪ/ but: , recon ' sider /ri:-/

• Some words beginning re- have the same spelling but a different stress and meaning depending on whether re- means 'again' or not:

• Note! When re- means 'again', the words are sometimes spelt with a hyphen, e.g. re-cover, re-count

In some words with prefixes, the prefix itself is stressed.

Compound nouns

• A compound noun is a fixed expression which is made up of more than one word and which

has the function of a noun. Some are written as two words, some with a hyphen, and some as one word

' crash , barrier , double- 'glazing' baby,sitter

The following types of compound noun usually have main stress on the

first part:NOUN + NOUN (' airport)• Notice, however, that if the first part gives the

material that the second part is made out of, main stress usually goes on the second part. Compare: , cotton ' wool but: a ' cotton , plant

• Exceptions are most compounds ending with -cake, -bread and -juice:

' cheesecake, ' gingerbread, ' orange , j u ice

NOUN + -ING FORM• ' bird-,watching 'house-,hunting 'fly-,fishing.

Exceptions: pe,destrian 'crossing, ,thanks'giving

-ING FORM + NOUN• dressing,gown 'sitting,room 'freezing,pointExceptions: ,managing di'rector de,fining'moment

,casting'vote VERB + NOUN• ' search,party con'trol,tower

• NB!• Other phrases may have the same forms, but

are not compounds. In these, main stress usually goes on the second word. Compare :

'driving,licence ( a compound) but:,driving 'rain

• Most ADJECTIVE + NOUN COMPOUND NOUNS have main stress on the second part and secondary stress on the first part:

, social se'curity , hot po'tato , absolute 'zeroExceptions: ' blind spot, 'dental,floss 'easy,chair

'broadband 'greenhouse• ADJECTIVE + -ING FORM, central ' heating• PAST PARTICIPLE + NOUN, split in'finitive, global ' warmingi n,verted 'commas, passive ' smoking, lost ' property

What is . . . a system that records phone messages for you? voicemaila building made of glass used for growing plants? greenhousea way of studying where you mainly study at home? distance learninga problem that no-one wants to deal with? hot potatothe activity of looking for a house to live in? house-huntingthe temperature at which liquid becomes gas? boiling pointa group of people who look for someone who is missing? search partythread used for cleaning between the teeth? dental flossa ring of rubber for holding things together? rubber band