Brief note on pattern of stress in English phonetics. Explain with examples.

In English phonetics, the pattern of stress refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables
within a word or phrase. Stressed syllables are pronounced with greater prominence, while
unstressed syllables receive less emphasis. The pattern of stress can vary depending on the
number of syllables in a word and its lexical category (e.g., noun, verb, adjective). Here’s a brief
explanation with examples:

1. Monosyllabic Words: In monosyllabic words (words with a single syllable), the stress is
typically placed on that syllable. For example:
- Cat [kæt]
- Pen [pɛn]
- Dog [dɔɡ]

2. Two-Syllable Words: In two-syllable words, stress can fall on either the first syllable (initial
stress) or the second syllable (final stress), depending on the word’s lexical category and its
specific pronunciation. Examples include:
- Noun with initial stress: Record [ˈrɛkɔrd]
- Verb with final stress: reCORD [rɪˈkɔrd]
- Adjective with initial stress: PREsent [ˈprɛzənt]
- Adjective with final stress: comPLETE [kəmˈplit]

3. Words with Three or More Syllables: In longer words, the pattern of stress can be more
complex, and it often follows general rules based on syllable patterns. Some common patterns
include:
- Words with suffixes: When a word has a suffix, the primary stress usually falls on the syllable
before the suffix. For example:
- Happiness [ˈhæp.i.nɪs]
- Beautiful [ˈbyuː.tɪ.fəl]
- Compound words: In compound words, each individual word retains its own stress pattern.
For example:
 - Blackbird [ˈblæk.bɜrd]
- Raincoat [ˈreɪn.koʊt]

It’s important to note that stress patterns can vary across different accents and dialects of English.
While there are general patterns, there can be exceptions and variations influenced by regional
and individual speech patterns. Additionally, stress patterns can convey meaning distinctions,
such as noun-verb pairs (e.g., “reCORD” as a noun and “reCORD” as a verb), so paying
attention to stress is crucial for accurate pronunciation and understanding in English.