SIMPLE WORD

STRESS
What is word stress?

■ Not all syllables in a word are produced with the same effort, or
perceived in the same way.
■ Stressed syllables take more effort by the speaker than
unstressed syllables.
■ Stressed syllables are recognized by the hearer as different from
unstressed syllables.
How are words recognized as
stressed?
■ They are more prominent – more noticeable.
■ What makes them prominent, or noticeable?
– louder
– longer
– pitch changes (higher or lower)
– vowel might be different
Where is the stress in these
words?
father potato about
open apartment receive
camera relation perhaps
Where is the stress in these
words?
protect carrot paper
connect career captain

enter event language

Levels of stress

■ In two-syllable words and some three syllable

words, there are two levels of stress: primary stress,
and unstressed.
■ What about in long words that are more than three
syllables?

photographic
[f əʊ tə g r æ f ɪ k]
 Levels of stress
■ In two-syllable words and some three syllable
words, there are two levels of stress: primary
stress, and unstressed.
■ What about in long words that are more than three
syllables?
photographic
[f əʊ tə g r æ f ɪ k]
■ In long words (some 3-syllable words, and longer),
there are three levels of stress: primary stress,
secondary stress, and unstressed.
Where is the stress (primary and
(maybe) secondary) in these words?

entertain anthropology quantity

disaster psychological captain

indivisible individual ineffective

How do we decide where to put the
stress in a word?

There are two ways of thinking . . .

■ We have to learn the stress pattern when we learn the word (part
of what we know about the word).
■ We can learn some rules about stress patterns, and accept the
fact that there are always exceptions. ☺
What are the rules like?
■ Depends on whether the word is morphologically simple, or
complex.
■ Depends on grammatical category of the word.
■ Depends on how many syllables there are in the word.
■ Depends on the phonological structure of those syllables
(usually about the vowel, weak or strong).
(remember strong vs. weak syllables)
Strong syllables
Peak with long vowel or
diphthong, with or without
coda
Peak with short vowel with
coda
Only strong syllables can be
stressed
Not all strong syllables are
stressed
Can be unstressed
Weak syllables
Peak with /ə , i, u/ and no coda
Peak with /ə/ and coda
Peak with /ɪ/ and no coda, followed by
consonant-initial syllable
Syllabic consonants /n, l, r/
Weak syllables are always unstressed
All weak syllables are unstressed
Cannot be stressed (if they are stressed, they
become strong)
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable
Words

■ One or the other syllable will be stressed, but not both.

■ Roach says: General tendency – verbs stressed near the end,

nouns stressed near the beginning
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words

■ One or the other syllable will be stressed, but not both.

■ Roach says: General tendency – verbs stressed near the end,

nouns stressed near the beginning
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable
Words
1. Verbs
Verbs are generally stressed nearer the end of the word (final syllable)

'
apply / ə.plaɪ /
' 1st syllable is weak
attract / ə.trækt / 2nd syllable is strong
' Second syllable is stressed
arrive / ə.raɪv /
'
assist / ə.sɪst /
' Both syllables are strong
rotate / rəʊ.teɪt / Second syllable is stressed
'
maintain / meɪn.teɪn /
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words
1. Verbs
Verbs are generally stressed nearer the end of the word (final syllable), but we
have a. First syllable is stressed because the
some exceptions.
final syllable is weak.
b. Final syllable is unstressed
because it contains /əʊ/

‘enter'
/ 'ent.ə /
‘open' ‘follow'
'
/ 'əʊ.pən / / fɒl.əʊ /
'envy' ‘borrow'
'
/ 'en.vi / / bɒr.əʊ /
‘equal'
/ 'i:.kwəl /
 Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words
2. Adjectives
Adjectives are stressed according to the same rules as verbs.

' 1st syllable is strong

Lovely / lʌv.li / 2nd syllable is weak
' First syllable is stressed
Even / i:.vən /

' Final syllable is unstressed because it contains /əʊ/

Hollow / hɒl.əʊ /
1st syllable is weak
' 2nd syllable is strong
Devine / dɪ.vaɪn / Second syllable is stressed

Both syllables are strong

' Second syllable is stressed
Complex / kɑm·pleks /
 Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words
3. Adverbs
Adverbs are stressed according to the same rules as verbs and adjectives.

1st syllable is strong

' 2nd syllable is weak
Often / ɒf.n̩ / First syllable is stressed

1st syllable is weak

' 2nd syllable is strong
Around / ə.raʊnd / Second syllable is stressed

Both syllables are strong

' Second syllable is stressed
Nearby / nɪər.bɑɪ /
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words
4. Nouns
a. Stress generally fall on the first syllable

'
Money / mʌn.i / Generally stress fall
' on the first syllable
Product / prɑː.dʌkt /
Larynx
'
/ lær.ɪŋks /

' 1st syllable is weak

Divan / dɪ.væn/ 2nd syllable is strong
' Second syllable is
Ballon / bə.luːn / stressed
'
Design / dɪ.zaɪn /
 Stress in Simple Two-Syllable
Words
Verbs adjectives adverbs
• If 2nd syllable is weak, 1st • (enter, open) • (lovely)
syllable is stressed. • (often)

• If 2nd syllable contains /əʊ/, • (follow) • (hollow) —

unstressed

• If 2nd syllable is strong and 1st • (apply) • (divine) • (around)

syllable is weak, 2nd syllable is
stressed

• If both syllables are strong, 2nd • (maintain) • (complex) • (nearby)

syllable is stressed
Stress in Simple Two-Syllable Words

nouns
• Stress will fall on the 1st syllable (money, product)

• unless 1st is weak and 2nd is strong. (balloon, design)

 Transcribe, divide into syllables,
mark stress
■ Envy • Castle
■ Equal • Echo
■ Borrow • Machine
■ Arrive • Advice
■ Explain • Review
■ Narrow • Popcorn
■ Correct
■ Obese
Stress in Simple three-Syllable Words
1. Verbs

' If the final syllable is strong, it will receive the

Entertain /' en . tə . teɪn / primary stress
'
Resurrect /' rez . ə . rekt /

' • If the final syllable is weak, it will be

Encounter / ɪn . kaʊn . tər / unstressed.
' • Primary stress will be placed on the preceding
Deliver / dɪ . lɪv . ər / syllable (second syllable)

Parody
' • If the second and third syllables are weak, they
/ pær . ə . di / will be unstressed.
' • Primary stress will be placed on the first
Monitor / mɒn . ɪ . tər / syllable.
Stress in Simple three-Syllable Words
2. Nouns

' The general rule is for stress to fall on the first

Quantity / kwɒn . tə . ti / syllable
'
Emperor / em . pər . ər /

' • If the first syllable is weak, it will be

Potato / pə . teɪ . təʊ / unstressed.
' • Primary stress will be placed on the second
Disaster / dɪ . zɑː . stə / syllable)

Intellect
' • Even if the last syllable strong, it will not usually
/ ɪn . tə . lekt / receive the primary stress.
'
Marigold / mær . ɪ . ɡəʊld /
Stress in Simple three-Syllable Words
3. Adjectives

' The general rule is for stress to fall on the first

Opportune / ɒp . rə . tʃuːn / syllable
'
Insolent / ɪn . səl . ənt /

' • If the first syllable is weak, it will be

Substantial / səb . stæn . ʃəl / unstressed.
' • Primary stress will be placed on the second
Historic / hɪ . stɒr . ɪk/ syllable)

'
anthropoid / æn . θrə . pɔɪd / Even if the last syllable strong, it will not usually
receive the primary stress.
'
Marigold / mær . ɪ . ɡəʊld /
 Transcribe, divide into syllables,
mark stress
■ recommend
■ encounter
■ minister
■ magazine
■ computer
■ telephone
■ difficult
■ fantastic
■ juvenile