Lecture 9

STRESS IN COMPLEX WORDS

 Contents
1. Types of complex words

2. Stress in complex words

3. Variable stress
4. Word-class pairs
 1. Types of complex words

1.1. Derived words (words with affixes)

❖ …………………: E.g.: teacher, students
❖ …………………: E.g.: undo, retake
1.2. Compound words
❖ ………………..: E.g.: armchair, sunflower
❖ ……………….:
E.g.: Desk lamp, battery charger
❖ ………………..:
E.g.: Gear-change, fruit-cake
2. Stress in complex words

2.1. Stress in Derived words

2.2. Stress in Compound words
2.1. Stress in Derived words

Effects of affixes on word stress

❖ ………………………………………………..
E.g. Person /'pə:sn/→ Personality /,pə:sə'næləti/
❖ ……………………………………………….
E.g.: pleasant /'pleznt/ → unpleasant /ʌn'pleznt/
❖ …………………………………………………
E.g.: magnet /'mægnit/ → magnetic /mæg'netik/
 Suffixes

Suffixes that ……………… primary stress

Suffixes that ………………………stress
placement in the stem
Suffixes that ……………….. stress
placement in the stem
Suffixes that …………. primary
stress
Commonly, primary stress is on the
………………………..of suffix. If stem consists
of more than one syllable 🡪 secondary stress
on the stem

Stem Suffix carrying Derived word

primary stress
Japan -ese Japanese
/ʤə'pæn/ /,ʤæpə'ni:z/
Suffixes that …….. primary
stress
Suffix carrying Examples
primary stress
“-ain” Entertain /,entə'tein/ , Ascertain /,æsə'tein/
(for verbs only)
“-ee” Refugee /,refju:'ʤi:/, Evacuee /i,vækju'i:/

“-eer” Mountaineer /,maƱntə'niə/ , Volunteer /,vɔ lən'tiə/

“-ese” Portuguese /,pɔ:tju'gi:z/, Journalese /,ʤЗ:nə'li:z/

“-ette” Cigarette /,sigə'ret/ , Launderette /,lɔ:ndə'ret/

“-esque” Picturesque /,piktʃə'resk/

“-ique” Unique /ju:'ni:k/

Suffixes that …………………..stress
placement

-able -age -al -en

-ful -ing -ish (adj) -like

-less -ly -ment -ness

-ous -fy -wise -y

(adj or noun)
Suffixes that ……………….stress placement

☞ Examples:

• ‘-able’: comfort /'kʌmfət/ vs. comfortable /'kʌmfətəbl/

• ‘-al’: refuse /ri'fju:z/ vs. refusal /ri'fju:zl/
• ‘-en’: wide /waid/ vs. widen /'waidn/
• ‘-ish’: devil /'devl/ vs. devilish /'devəli∫/
 Notes
Adjectives end with suffix ‘-ish’ :
………………………………………………
…..
Verbs end with ‘-ish’:
………………………………………………
………………………………………………
…………………………………..
E.g.: devil (n) /ˈdevl/ - devilish (a) / 'devəli∫/
demolish (v) /di'mɔli∫/
 Suffixes that …………….. stress placement
in the stem

Primary stress on the last syllable of the stem

Suffixes Stem Derived words
“-eous” advantage /əd'vɑ:ntiʤ/ advantageous/,ædvən'teidʤəs/
“-graphy”: photo /ˈfəʊtəʊ/ photography /fə'tɔgrəfi/
“-ial” proverb /ˈprɒvɜːb/ proverbial /prə'vЗ:biəl/
“-ic”: climate /ˈklaɪmət/ climatic /klai'mætik/
“-ion” perfect /'pЗ:fikt/ perfection /pə'fek∫n/
“-ious” injure /'indʒə/ injurious /in'dʒuəriəs/
“-ity”: tranquil /'træηkwil/ tranquility /træη'kwiləti/
“-ive” reflex /'ri:fleks/ reflexive /ri'fleksiv/
 Notes
Stem + ‘-ance’ / ‘-ant’ / ‘-ary’ 🡪 stress on stem
✔ Final syllable of stem is strong 🡪
………………………………………………
……………
E.g.: importance /im'pɔ:təns/
✔ Final syllable of stem is not strong 🡪
………………………………………………
……………
 Prefixes
No rule on stress like suffix

Just preserve stress of stems

2.2. Stress in Compound words

When is primary stress

placed on the first
constituent word of the
compound & when on the
second???
Stress on the first element
Compound of 2 nouns
• E.g.:
✔ ‘Typewriter /ˈtaɪpraɪtə(r)/
✔ ‘Car park /ˈkɑː pɑːk/
✔ ‘Sunrise /ˈsʌnraɪz/
✔ ‘Suitcase /ˈsuːtkeɪs/
✔ ‘Tea-cup /ˈtiːkʌp/
Stress on the second element
❖…………………………………………………………

E.g.: bad-tempered /ˌ bæd ˈ tempəd/

❖…………………………………………………………
E.g.: second-class /ˌ
sekənd ˈ klɑːs/
❖…………………………………………………………
E.g.: head-first /hed ˈ
fɜːst/
❖………………………………………………………………
E.g.: downgrade /ˌ daʊnˈ ɡreɪd/
 3. Variable stress
Stress placement may change for 2 reasons:

❖…………………………………………………
❖…………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
…..

bad-'tempered A 'bad-tempered 'teacher

heavy-'handed A 'heavy-handed 'man

half-'hearted
A 'half-hearted 'attempt
……………………………………
…..
Controversy Controversy

Ice-cream Ice-cream

Formidable Formidable
 4. Word-class pairs
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Prefix + stem
Verbs Nouns/ Adjectives
Stress on second syllable Stress on first syllable
Desert /di'zə:t/ Desert /'dezət/
Protest /prə'test/ Protest /ˈprəʊtest/
Exercise 1: Put the following words into the
suitable categories based on the effects of
their affixes on words stress
available environment specially effective
official cigarette volunteer undo
practical responsible celebrity overweight
photography excellent picturesque unique
courageous childish energetic invitation
lengthen Vietnamese questionnaire refugee
 Exercise 1:
Put the following words into the suitable categories
based on the effects of affixes on words stress

No. Primary stress Unchanged primary Changed primary

on affix stress on stem stress on stem
Exercise 2: Put the following words into the
correct column according to stress pattern
available environment specially afternoon
official cigarette volunteer undo
practical importance responsible celebrity
overweight excellent assistant unique
retake childish energetic invitation
lengthen Vietnamese questionnaire refugee
homesick darkroom download ladybird
handwriting kind-hearted five-a-side downtown
 Exercise 2: Put the following words into the
correct column according to stress pattern

1. ■▪ 2. ▪■ 3. ■▪▪ 4. ▪■▪ 5. ▪▪■ 6. ▪■▪▪ 7. ▪▪■▪

Exercise 3: Transcribe the following word
pairs
Abstract (n) Abstract (v)
Perfect (adj) Perfect (v)
Present (n) Present (v)
Desert (n) Desert (v)
Subject (n) Subject (v)
Record (n) Record (v)
Object (n) Object (v)
Conduct (n) Conduct (v)
Contrast (n) Contrast (v)
Protest (n) Protest (v)
Exercise 4: Find out stress in these following compound words

1. Football
2. Fire-raiser
3. Car crash
4. Snowball
5. Railroad
6. Volleyball
7. Passer-by
8. Mailbox
9. Post office
10. Mother-in-law
THANK YOU!