Word

Stress
what is stress
 in any word
one syllable receives
more emphasis
than the others
em phasis
der dede
 this is stress
or accento tonico in Italian
the level of your voice changes
Italian
 der de de
de  
often vowels change too
Italian
Italy
ɪtæliən
ɪtəli
 often the vowel
changes too

ɪtæliən
ɪtəli
BUT not always

ɪtæliən
ɪtəli
stress marks
in your dictionary
primary
stress
mark
streɪ

before the
stressed
syllable
secondary
stress
mark
in this presentation
administration
administration
administration
administration

de de de DER de
 NB no
secondary
stress mark

administration
ə ɪ ɪ ə
eɪ
administration
examples
1 syllable
 in one-syllable words
that syllable is stressed
 in one-syllable words
that syllable is stressed
DUH!
word
teach
port
2 syllables
 one stressed
one unstressed
 one stressed
one unstressed
DUH!
 one stressed
one unstressed
DUH de
wordy
teaching
porter
 it’s usually
the first syllable
that is stressed
 but sometimes
the second syllable
is stressed
report
some common words that
stress the second syllable
towards annul revenge allow

device police prolong above

forget besides report pursue

today immense refer collapse

3+ syllables
it’s similar with longer words
studying
reporter
referee
etc.
how to decide
1. look for the root
predominantly
pre.dom.in.ant.ly
pre.dom.in.ant.ly
 pre.dom.in.ant.ly
pre.dom.in.ate.ly
pre.dom.in.eer.ly
pre.dom.in-. ly
L. domināt- ppl. stem of dominārī
unforgettable
un.for.get.ta.ble
un.for.get.ta.ble
un.for.get.ta.ble
un.for.get.ta.ble
2. suffixes starting with -i or -u
When a suffix starts with -i or -u
the stress goes on the syllable
immediately before
examination
pacific
facetious
residual
capacity
superior
deficient
examination
pacific
facetious
residual
capacity
superior
deficient
typical suffixes are:
-ion
-ual
-ial
-ient
-ious
-ior
-ic
-ity
3. prefixes in 3-syllable words
 Prefixes are sometimes
stressed in 3-syllable words
 Prefixes are sometimes
stressed in 3-syllable words
continent
incident
precedent
exercise
continent
incident
precedent
exercise
this is more common in nouns
and adjectives
this is more common in nouns
and adjectives

and less common in verbs

and pariciples
 continent
BUT
to contain > containing
 incident
BUT
to incise > incisive
 precedent
BUT
to precede > preceding
BUT
 exercise n.
AND
to exercise v.
 4. identical
2-syllable nouns and verbs
many 2-syllable words have the
same form for noun and verb
many 2-syllable words have the
same form for noun and verb
e.g. to record (v.) a record (n.)
 in many of these pairs
the verb is stressed on the 2nd
and the noun on the 1st
 in many of these pairs
the verb is stressed on the 2nd
and the noun on the 1st
e.g. to record (v.) a record (n.)
 verb noun verb noun

record record impact impact

contrast contrast insult insult

decrease decrease permit permit

increase increase contract contract

 verb noun verb noun

rɪcord record ɪmpact ɪmpact

cəntrast cɒntrast ɪnsult ɪnsult

dɪcrease diːcrease pəmit pɜːmit

ɪncrease ɪncrease cəntract cɒntract

 not all verbs do this

address display promise

comfort exchange repair

control interest surprise

decay mistake report

In pairs:

- look at the words on the next slide

- decide where the stress is
photography partially predominance performance

calamitous envisaging intrinsically ridiculous

development fictitious deliciously discography

towards forgettable examination ambivalence

irrelevant political economic disruption

photography partially predominance performance

calamitous envisaging intrinsically ridiculous

development fictitious deliciously discography

towards forgettable examination ambivalence

irrelevant political economic disruption

 əʊ

HOMEWORK

- select 5 long words from your writing

- indicate the stress pattern using ‘de’
for unstressed syllables and ‘DER’ for
stressed syllables
e.g. computer – de.DER.de
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