Seminar 6

1. Nature of word stress

2. Placement of word stress in English
3. Degrees of word stress in English
4. Phonemic distribution in stressed syllables
5. Functions of the English word stress
6. Stress tendencies in modern English
7. Stress patterns of English words
8. Basic rules of accentuation
9. Variations of word stress in connected speech. Sentence stress

1. Accent the following polysyllabic words with two or three degrees of stress. Show the
differences between British and American pronunciation models.
accelerate oratory enumerate
justify memorize nationalize
adversary functionary demonstrate
testify abdicate verify
economize ceremony legitimate
2. Study the columns of the accentuation oppositions. Transcribe and accent the words. What
phonological functions of word stress are realized? How is it connected with the phonemic
composition of a word?
accent — to accent record — to record
progress — to progress abstract — to abstract
addict — to addict produce — to produce
forecast — to forecast perfect — to perfect
contrast — to contrast increase — to increase
conflict — to conflict patent — to patent
3. Observe the realization of different types of the recessive tendency in the following words.
Put down accent marks and explain the origin of the words.
implore honour review
brother sister begin
disdain diplomat nourish
expect cattle restaurant
fellow withdraw reason
chauffeur forget finger
yellow foresee demand
enemy husband daughter
submit father apart
renew saunter clinic
persuade water clothes
pretend refuse command
4. Read the following words. Put down stress marks and state the origin of words. Comment
on the realization of rhythmical tendency in English accentuation.
psychology decollete characteristic
satisfactory impression infantile
terrorist development distance
umbrella administration parenthesis
stiletto personal phenomenon
violoncello archaeology volcano
5. Examine the columns of derivative words. Transcribe the words and put down accent
marks. Explain the interrelation of stress tendencies in modern English. State the connection
of word-stress, syllable structure and phonemic composition of a word.
attitude — attitudinal atom — atomic
palatalize — palatalization benefit — beneficence
organize — organization possible — possibility
idiom — idiomatic calculate — calculation
hospitable — hospitality contribute — contribution
abbreviate — abbreviation active — activity
6. Arrange the following words into three groups. Put down accent marks. Comment on the
distribution of stress.
chairman
give in irregular baseball
bad-tempered vice-president inartistic
ex-husband kind-hearted sub-editor
pre-packed before-mentioned unknown
wristwatch fall down beamsman
narrow-minded immortal seventy-four
farther-in-law beat back ninety-five
intercultural misbehave ultramodern
bathroom pass over cupboard
overdone girlfriend non-stop
watch out headache radio-active
twenty-eight illiterate antiseptic
short-sighted good-looking
underfeed well-informed
bring down