Word stress in English L2

AMAND 2022-2023
***Definition of a syllable
• A syllable is a bigger unit than a phoneme. It contains 3 main zones:
onset (consonant, optional) => Nucleus (vowel, necessary) => Coda
(consonant, optional). In word stress, the syllable is the unit used.

/k æ t/
***Split the words into syllables using a .
Identify the onset, nucleus, coda
• Level 0 : black, cat, goose, cow, thought,
• /blæk/ /gu:s/ / kaʊ/ /θɔːt /
• I, oh, aye
• /aɪ/ /ǝʊ/ /aɪ/
• stopped, trapped, screamed, breathed
• /..ɒ …../ /..æ……/ /….iː……../ / …………./
• Ta.ble, plas.tic, ma.gic, di.ff(e)rent
• similar, secular, fantastic
Box 1: 1-syllable word
• If the word has 1 syllable it is called « monosyllabic ».
• If the word is a LEXICAL word / CONTENT word => STRESSED on itself
‘Come, ‘wash, ‘play, ‘run, ‘eat, ‘pear, ‘red, ‘blue, ‘bag…(Vb, adj. Noun)

• If its a grammatical word (the, a, in, is, were, as, and…) => not
stressed.
• (auxiliaries, determiners, pronouns, prepositions …)
Box 2: two-syllable words
NOUNS & ADJECTIVES: are often stressed on the FIRST syllable.
Ex: TAble, CURtain, MOUNTain.
A « stress-mark » is used: (International Phonetics Alphabet system)
‘ta.ble, ‘cur.tain, ‘mount.ain
1 0 1 0 1 0 (Lionel Guière system)
Justify the stress pattern of :
Appear (Vb), former (adj.), players (N)
• 2-syllable nouns & adjectives are generally stressed on the FIRST
syllable.
• Hence: ‘for.mer ‘play.ers
1 0 1 0

• 2-syllable verbs are generally stressed on the SECOND syllable.

• Hence: ap’pear
• 0 1
Box 3: Three-syllable words: FAmily
• Many words of 3 syllables are stressed on the FIRST syllable:
‘Fa.mi.ly, ‘el.e.phant, ‘si.mi.lar, ‘re.gu.lar, ‘com.pe.tent…
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

Account for the stress-pattern of the word « homicide ».

ÞMany words…
ÞHence:
‘Ho.mi.cide
1 0 0
Stress-imposing endings / strong suffixes
• Category 1: the most frequent= > stress is 1 syllable before the suffix.
• E’COnomy = eco’NO.mic / e.co’NO.mi.cal
• ‘SImple => sim’PLIS.tic => sim’PLI.ci.ty

• A’TTEN.tion

• Category 2 & 3…to be continued

• Category 2 of strong suffixes: lexical stress is 2 syllables before the
strong suffix.
• ‘Pa.ra.lyz(ing), ‘An.a.lyse(ing), ‘me.mo.rise(ing)
• ‘Con.cen.trate, ‘con.cen.trat(ing).
The words “paralyse”, “analyse” and “concentrate” contain a stress-
imposing ending of category 2, stress falls 2 syllables before the strong
suffix. Hence:
‘pa.ra.lyse, ‘an.a.lyse ‘con.cen.trate, e.va.lu.ate
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Annotation for the exam
Category 3: primary stress is on the suffix
itself!
• -EE(c) -OO(c)
• E.g. kangaroo, balloon, employee, trainee, refugee,
• French-style words:
• -ine: magazine, machine,..
• -esque: picturesque, arabesque, Romanesque…
• 2 syllable verbs in –ate:
• Narrate, fixate, frustrate, debate, create.(UK English).
Secondary Stress
• Secondary stress is usually at the beginning of the word. A great
majority of words have early stress.
• Kan.ga.roo , Ja.pa.nese
***The rule is: since there CANNOT be 2 unstressed syllables at the
beginning of a word, a secondary stress is needed to preserve the rhythm
of the language.***
• Kan.ga.roo , Ja.pa.nese
• 0 0 1 0 0 1
• 2 2
Advanced learners tend to put more stress at the beginning of the word
on the secondary.
Exercise: split the words into syllables & add
the primary & secondary stress
• Information
• Situation
• Portuguese
• Arabesque
English vowels: monophthongs
English vowels: diphthongs
• One vowel slides into another one. A diphthong is considered as ONE
sound / phoneme despite its complexity. The first part of the sound is
usually longer and the second one is usually shorter (often
transcribed in superscript)
• Closing diphthongs :
aɪ (PRICE), eɪ (FACE), ɔɪ (CHOICE)
aʊ (MOUTH), …. ǝʊ (uk) oʊ (us) (GOAT)

• Centring diphthongs (some are disappearing) => end in ǝ

ɪǝ (NEAR), eǝ (uk: ɛ:, us: ɛr) (SHARE), (j)ʊǝ (CURE) => ɔː (us: ɔr)
Transcribe in IPA (centring)
• there near here
/ /
Tour, clear, Claire
/ /
Poor, dear, dare,
/ /
Mere, mare, lure
/ /
Correction
there near here Poor, dear, dare,
/ ðeəʳ ðɛ:, ˈnɪəʳ, hɪəʳ / /ˈpʊəʳ ˈpɔːʳ, ˈdɪəʳ , ˈdeəʳ ˈdɛ: /

Tour, clear, Claire Mere, mare, lure

/ˈtʊəʳ ˈtɔːʳ, ˈklɪəʳ , ˈkleəʳ ˈklɛ:/ /ˈmɪəʳ , ˈmeəʳ ˈmɛː, ˈljʊə /
Checked and Free environments for vowels
• This will help us predict the pronunciation of STRESSED vowels based
on the way they are spelt (us: spelled) and what comes after it/its
environment.
• Make sure …
• The vowel is in the stressed syllable: pro’TECtion, re’ly, ‘import
• The vowel is written with ONE letter = MONOGRAPH (fr: monogramme)
• The vowel is NOT followed by an <r>
Checked environment => SHORT /lax
vowels (voyelles relâchées)
<spelling> / IPA / (short) i.e. / e.g.
<a> /æ/ ‘trap, de’tach
<e> /e/ /ɛ/ ‘dress, res’pect
<i> / <y> /ɪ/ ‘kit, dis’tinct
<o> Uk: /ɒ/ US: /ɑː/ ‘lot, un’lock
<u> /ʌ/ ‘cut, ‘lunch,
de’bunked
Transcribed the checked vowels and the rest!

•Luck, black, knot, glen, dim

•/lʌk blæk nɒt gle ɛn dɪm/
•Thin, that, thud, gem, chuck, shock
/θɪn ðæt θʌd dʒem tʃ ʌ k ʃ ɒ k /
Checked environments: 1-2/3
1. The stressed vowel (monograph) is followed by
1 consonant before the end of the word.
Þ‘V + C# (# => end of a word)
ÞE.g.: cat, cup, pen, pin, pot, bet, but…
2. The stressed vowel (monograph) is followed by
2 consonants or more ANYwhere in the word.
=> ‘V + CC(C)
=> E.g.: lock, inspect, better, butter, bunker, thunder
Checked environments: 3/3
3. The stressed vowel (monograph) is followed by 1
consonant or more + the suffix –IC, -ICAL or –ITY
(except <u>)
Þ‘panic, po’lemic, ‘critical, pan’demic,

EXCEPT: ‘music (/ju:/) , im’punity (/ju:)

CHECKED => SHORT
• BUT words
• BUTTER words
• -IC, -ICAL, -ITY ( except <u>)