THE ACCENTUAL STRUCTURE

OF ENGLISH WORDS
Every word pronounced in isolation has word-
stress.
• Word accent (stress) in a disyllabic or
polysyllabic word is a singling out one or
more of its syllables by giving them a
greater degree of prominence as compared
with the other syllable or syllables in the
same word.
This greater degree of prominence is effected
mainly by pronouncing the stressed syllable:

a) On a different pitch or with a change of pitch

direction in it;
b) With greater force of exhalation and greater
muscular tension;
c) With an increase in the length of the sounds in
the stressed syllable (quantitative changes);
d) Without reduction (qualitative changes).
In different languages one of the factors
constituting word stress is usually more
significant than the others. According to the
most important feature different types of word
stress are distinguished in different languages.
1. If special prominence in a stressed syllable is
achieved mainly through the change of pitch, or
musical tone, such accent is called musical, or
tonic. This type of word stress is observed in
Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese.
2. If special prominence in a stressed syllable is
achieved mainly through the intensity of
articulation, such type of stress is called dynamic,
or force stress. European languages such as
English and Russian possess predominantly
dynamic word stress.

3. If special prominence in a stressed syllable is

achieved mainly through the changes in the
quantity of the vowels, which are longer in the
stressed syllables than in the unstressed ones,
such type of stress is called quantitative.
4. Qualitative type of stress is achieved through
the changes in the quality of the vowel under
stress.
• In English word stress is marked by the
variations in force, pitch, quantity and quality.
• The nature of word stress in Russian differs
from that in English. The quantitative
component plays a greater role in Russian
accentual structure than in English.
Languages are differentiated according to the
placement of word stress. Traditionally they are
divided into those with a fixed stress and those
with a free stress.
• In languages with a fixed stress the occurrence
of the word stress is limited to a particular
syllable in a multisyllabic word, e.g. in French
the stress falls on the last syllable of the word.
In languages with a free stress its place is not
confined to a specific position in the word
(Russian, English).
 Stress in English and in Russian is not only free
but also shifting. In both languages the place of
stress may shift, which helps to differentiate
different parts of speech, e.g. ‘insult – to in’sult.
Thus the shifting of word stress serves to perform
distinctive function.
Stress also helps to constitute and recognize
words and their forms performing constitutive
and recognitive functions.
 A polysyllabic word has as many degrees of
stress as there are syllables in it.
• The British linguists usually distinguish three
degrees of stress in the word: primary, secondary
and weak stress. Unstressed syllables are
supposed to have weak stress.
• The American scholars find four contrastive
degrees of word stress: loud, reduced loud,
medial and weak stresses; or in other terms:
primary, secondary, tertiary and weak stress.
• The British conception of three degrees of word
stress is accepted as the teaching norm.
In spite of the fact that word accent in the English
stress system is free, there are certain factors that
determine the place and different degree of word
stress. V.A. Vassilyev describes four tendencies.
1. Recessive tendency results in placing the word-
stress on the initial syllable. It can be of 2 sub-
types: a) unrestricted recessive accent, which falls
on the first syllable: father [‘fa:ꝺә]; b) restricted
recessive accent, which is characterized by placing
the word stress on the root of the word if this word
has a prefix, which has lost its meaning: become
[bi’kᴧm], begin [bi’gin].
2. Rhythmic tendency results in altering stressed
and unstressed syllables, e.g. pronunciation
᷊ ꭍn]. This tendency is very strong in
[prә‚nᴧnsiᶦei
modern English. Due to its influence there are such
accentual variants as: hospitable [‘hɒspitәbl],
[hɒs’pitәbl].
3. Retentive tendency consists in the retention of
the primary accent on the parent word, e.g. person
[‘pә:sn] – personal [‘pә:snl]. More commonly it is
retained on the parent word as a secondary accent,
e.g. similar [‘similә] – similarity [‚simi’lꬱriti].
4. Semantic factor. It is observed in the compounds:
a) When compound nouns denote a single idea, e.g.
‘blacksmith, ‘drawing room.
b) When the first element of the compound is most
important, e.g. ‘birthday.
c) When the first element of the compound is
contrasted with some other word, e.g. ‘flute player,
not ‘violin player.
d) When a compound is very common and
frequently used it may have a single stress, e.g.
‘midsummer, ‘midnight.
 Accent in Kazakh Language
• Accent — an elevated pronunciation of some words
within a sentence or some syllables within a word,
sounds that differ from other language parts.
• The increase in the Kazakh language compared to
the Russian one is more stable and one specific
syllable of the word, usually later. If, according to
the words, the Affixes are used, then they are
changed to the last syllables of affixes. Accents are
divided into Word accents, thought accents, phrase
accents, and sound accents. The increased
pronunciation of one syllable within a word is called
a word accent.
 Accent in Kazakh Language
• In the Kazakh language, the emphasis is
mainly on the last syllable. For example: Бала
далада ойнап жүр -A child is playing in the
yard. The accent within the word falls on the
vowel. A thought accent is to isolate and
highlight a word within a sentence that is
given special attention. The accent of thought
highlights the word within the sentence. For
example: Айбек ерте тұрды - Aybek got up
early. The goal is to clarify and prove the
emphasis of thought.
 Accent in Kazakh Language

• A combination accent is the pronunciation of

several words in a sequence, separated by a single
accent. This is often typical for complex words, a
combination of basic and auxiliary words. For
example: мектепке дейін, әке-шеше, әдет-ғұрып
т.б. - pre-school, paternity, custom, etc.
• Sound accent — the pronunciation of a sound in a
word with a highlighted, raised voice or stretch.
For example: po-o-PA-ai, ta-ma-Sha!- по-ой-па-ай,
та-ма-ша! Sound accents are often used when
pronouncing words that express mood. In
pronunciation, it expresses the emotions of the
speaker.
 Accentual Structure in English and Kazakh
• Word stress or accent is usually defined as the
degree of force or prominence with which a
sound or syllable is uttered. Languages differ
with word stress placement and degrees of it.
• In the Turkic languages, particularly in Kazakh,
word stress usually falls on the final syllable.
English, Uzbek, and Russian are called stress
languages or languages with dynamic stress
(force stress), in which intensity is more
significant than the other correlates-duration
and pitch.
 Accentual Structure in English and Kazakh
• In English, the word stress is fixed, while in
Kazakh it is also fixed on the last syllable of the
notional word and it is movable and often falls
to the right side to the suffixes: Eng. `teach -
`teach +er, - `teach+ing; Kaz. `іс – іс+`кер –
іскер+`лер – іскерлер+`дің – әскерлердің+`бе?
• Stress is one of the ways of word building in
these compared languages:
• Eng.: `present (noun) – pre`sent (verb), `expert
(noun) – ex`pert (verb).
• Kaz.: `алма (noun) – ал`ма (verb)
 Accentual Structure in English and Kazakh

• Sentence-stress in English is the governing

stress in connected speech. All words have
their individual stress in isolation. When words
are connected into thought groups, and
thought groups into sentences, content words
(nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) keep their
stress and function words lose their stress.
The most important words in a sentence
receive stronger stress. The last stressed word
in a sentence receives the strongest stress
with the help of falling or rising intonation.
 Sentence Stress

• Sentence stress is the main means of providing

rhythm in speech. Rhythm is the key to fluent
English speech. The stressed syllables are like
the beats of the metronome: regular, loud, and
clear. The unstressed syllables between the
beats are shortened, obscured and joined
together. Sentence stress is the key component
of English intonation. Intonation organizes
words into sentences, distinguishes between
different types of sentences and adds
emotional coloring to utterances.
 The general characteristics of word stress.
Stressed (accented) syllable is the syllable pronounced
with special prominenece.
Special prominence is is aquired by more energetic
articulation and given to that or this syllable on purpose in
order to single it out among the other syllables.
In a stressed syllable:
– the force of utterance is greater
– the pitch of the voice is higher
– the vowel becomes longer
– the the vowel sounds very distinct
The accentual structure of the word, or its
stress-pattern is the correlation of varying
prominence of syllables in a word.
 The general characteristics of word stress.

Word-stress is the singling out of one or more

syllables in a word which is accompanied by the
change of the force of utterance, pitch of the voice,
qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the
sound, which is usually a vowel.
Word-stress is a complex phenomenon, marked by
the variations in force, pitch, quantity and quality.
Word-stress is a greater degree of prominence,
given to one or more syllables in a word, which singles
it out through changes in the pitch and intensity of the
voice and results in qualitative and quantitative
modifications of sounds in the accented syllable.
 Principles of classification of word-stress. Types of stress.

• According to
phonologically relevant
features.
• According to the position in
words.
• According to the degree of
special prominence.
 Principles of classification of word-stress. Types of stress.
According to the phonologically relevant feature

dynamic musical quantitative qualitative

(force-) stress (tonic) stress stress stress
intensity of change of pitch length of a colouring
articulation vowel of a vowel
oriental and
African
Scandinavian languages subsidiary
languages Ex. Japanese do not exist
[hana] separately from
English, French, “beginning”
“nose”
“flower” dynamic stress
German, Russian
 Principles of classification of word-stress. Types of stress.
According to the position in words

fixed word-stress free word-stress

in all the words of the in different words of a
languages one and the languge any position
same position English, Russian, German
Finnish, Polish, French

constant stress shifting stress

on the same morpheme in on different morphemes
grammatical forms of a in grammatical forms
word or in derivatives or in derivatives
(ex. wonder, wonderful, wonderfully)
(ex. ig'nore – 'ignorant, 'contrast – to con'trast
 Principles of classification of word-stress. Types of stress.
according to the degree of special prominence

A. Gimson, D. Jones majority of British phoneticians

degrees of stress = stress syllable
number of syllables in primary strongly-stressed
the word secondary weakly-stressed
Ex. examination weak unstressed
[3ig-2zæ-4mi-1nei-5∫n]
American phoneticians
B. Bloch H. Sweet
G. Trager H. Gleason extra-strong (emphatic) [;]
loud [´] primary [´] strong [˙]
reduced loud [^] secondary [^] medium (half) strong [‫]׃‬
medial [ ̀] tertiary [ ̀] weak [ˇ]
weak - weak [ˇ]
 The accentuation tendencies of English.

1.Recessive tendency

2.Rhythmical tendency

3.Retentive tendency
 The accentuation tendencies of English.
Recessive tendency
consists in placing the word-stress on the initial syllable;
is characteristic of all Germanic languages;
influenced the constant nature of word-stress in Anglo-
Saxon and Scandinavian polysyllabic derivative words
ex. 'wonder, 'wonderful, 'wonderfully ;
affected polysyllabic French words, borrowed during
and after the Norman conquest ex. 'colour, 'marriage,
'reason;
is still felt in Modern English ex. 'cosmonaut.

unrestricted recessive stress restricted recessive stress

on the first syllable on the root of words with a
ex. 'father, 'mother prefix, which lost its meaning
ex. be'gin, for'get, a'mong
 The accentuation tendencies of English.
Rhythmic, or rhythmical tendency

historically (diachronically) genuinely

rhythmical stress (synchronically)
primary rhythmical stress
on the third syllable from the secondary
end in three- and four-syllabic on the second pretonic
words syllable in polysyllabic
ex. 'family, ar'ticulate words
ex. e'xami'nation
recessive
rhythmical
cine'ma tendency 'cine' ma
' cine'ma tendency
primary secondary primary
 The accentuation tendencies of English.
Retentive tendency
consists in retaining the stress in a derivative on the
same syllable on which it falls on the original word

primary
primary
a'ssimilate
'similar retentive tendency

' simi'larity
secondary
 Functional characteristics of word-stress.

functions

constitutive recognitive
–organizes the facilitates recognition and
syllables of a word comprehension of words
into a language unit
–devides sound
continuum into words distinctive
accenteme –phonologically
relevantdegree of word-
ex. family stress

[ 'fæ-mi-li] primary opposition weak

Ex. 'import – im'port
 Conclusion

Thus, word stress is a complicated

phonetic phenomenon which is
determined by certain accentuation
tendencies, is classified according to
various principles, performs definite
linguistic functions and has different
degrees.