WORD STRESS (5 MARKS)

STRESS: In a word, some syllables are pronounced with greater force than others.The
syllable which is pronounced with greater force is said to be stressed or accented.

Rules of word stress

In English, word stress is not fixed on a particular syllable. It can be the first syllable, second,
third and so on. But for some word endings there are certain rules of word stress. [However,
there are exceptions to some of these rules], Given below are some of the common rules

RULE 1

Most words ending in-self, -ee, eer,- ette,-een, -ique,-ain- take the stress on the last
syllable.

-self -ee -eer

My’self absen’tee volun’teer
Your’self refe’ree ca’reee
him’self licen’see auctio’neer
Her’self devo’tee pio’neer

-ette -een -ique ain

Kitche’nette fif`teen an’tique ab`tain
Ga’zette can’teen cri’tique enter`tain
Geor’gette thir’teen u’nique ascer`tain
Ciga’rettee four’teen o’blique

RULE 2

Most of words ending in -ion, -ial, -ic,-ious/eous take stress on the penultimate syllable,
I.e., the second syllable from the end.

-ion -ial -ic -ious/eous

Va’cation ‘social ‘logic de’licious
Prepa’ration fi’nancial his’toric am’bitious
Confu’sion re’medial fa’natic ‘courteous
Edu’cation cere’monial mag’netic cou’rageous

RULE 3

Words ending in -ical, -ian, -ity, -ize, -logy,-graphy-ate-ise-ify- take stress on the
ante-penultimate syllable, I.e., the third syllable from the end.

-ian -ical -ity

‘guardian his’torical possi’bility
‘Indian ‘optical legi’bility
Mu’scian ‘practical visi’bility
Co’median gram’matical oppor’tunity

-
 -ize -logy -graphy
‘emphasize anthro’pology spec’trography
‘humanize an’thology bi’ography
‘symbolize the’ology chore’ography
‘authorize physi’ology or’thography

Ate ise ify

`Separate `realise `justify
Ar`ticulate `exercise `passify
E`xaggerate I`dentify

Exceptions: `characterise
`categorise

RULE 4:

Compound words which have stress on the first syllable

►Compound words are

noun+noun,adjective+noun,noun+verb,adjective+verb,preposition+verb,prepo
sition+adjective= compound words

‘Wheelchair `handwash
‘newspaper `dryclean
‘Windmill `overlook
‘Blackboard `overactive
‘Keystone `playtime
‘Seasick `overcoat
‘Masterpiece, etc.,

RULE 5:

Disyllabic nouns and adjectives and words with a silent ‘r’ have stress on the first
syllable.

‘artist ‘evening ‘answer ‘irksome

‘Always ‘journey ‘article ‘happen
‘Beauty ‘lawyer ‘busy ‘manners
‘Doctor ‘sister ‘brother ‘danger
‘Father ‘water ‘actor ‘leader

RULE 6:

If a word is a noun or adjective the stress is on the first syllable and if the same word
functions as a verb, the stress is on the second syllable.

Noun/ Adjective Verb

‘Subject Sub’ject
‘Object Ob’ject
‘Conduct Con’duct
‘Absent Ab’sent
‘Suspect Sus’pect
‘Permit Per’mit
 ‘Progress Pro’gress
‘Record Re’cord
‘Increase In’crease
‘Produce Pro’duce
‘Import Im’port

RULE 7:
Disyllable words that begin with prefixes like a-,an-,be-,de-,con-,in-,ex-,re-,have stress
on the second syllable.

An’tique de’scribe a’mong per`tain a`dopt

Pro`long a`larm re`gard re`main a`ssure
Be`gan ex`tract bel`ieve there`fore for`got
Re`ly be`side su`ppose eigh`teen to`day
Ad`vance be`cause de`ceive de`gree com`bine
Per`haps ex`pense con`tain pre`pare pre`sent
De`crease

RULE 8:
Tri-syllabic words which have stress on the second syllable.

A`ccustom a`ccording De`cember de`parture

Con`tinue con`ception in`debated in`habit
Il`lustrate e`xamined de`termined re`luctance

RULE 9:
Disyllabic(2-syllables) words with -ate-ise-ize-ct- in such words the stress is on the
second syllable

Nar`rate de`bate vi`brate lo`cate

Re`vise ex`cise bap`tize chas`tise
E`nact at`tract in`ject in`fect
RULE 10
The derivational suffixes such as-age,-ance,-en,-ess,-ful,-hood,-ice,-ish,-ive,-less,
Ly,-ment,-ness,-or,-ship,-ter,-ure,-and-zen do not normally affect the stress.

For example:

Age `carray `carriage

`Cover `coverage
`Marry `marriage

Ance ap`pear ap`pearance

At`tend at`tendance
Per`form per`formance

En `bright `brighten
`Light `lighten

Er be`gin be`giner
`Common `commoner
Per`form per`former

Ess `tiger `tigeress

`Baron `baroness
 Full `beauty `beautiful
`Colour `colourful
Re`venge re`vengeful

Hood `brother `brotherhood

`Priest `priest
`Lively `livelihood

Ice `coward `cowardice

Ish `fever `feverish

`Yellow `yellowish

Ive at`tend at`tentive

Con`clude con`clusive
Per`mit per`missive

Less `colour `colourless

`Manner `mannerless

Ly `certain `certainly
`Purpose `purposely

Ment `manage `management

A`chieve a`chievement
In`volve in`volvement

Ness `bitter `bitterness

`Truthful `truthfulness

Or col`lect `collector
Con`duct con`ductor

Ship `author `authorship

`Scholar `scholarship

Ter `laugh `laughter

Zen `city `citizen

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