Phonetics_____________2nd Year LMD Teacher: Mr.Aounali

Lectures 5   :

I- Stress assignment on prefixes:

(1) In most of the words containing a prefix such as: a- , ab- , an- , co- , dis- , im- , in- , un- the primary stress is not applied to the prefix but on one of the the root syllables. E.g.: aside /əˈsaɪd/ , aback /əˈbæk/ , abnormal /æbˈnɔːməl/ ,anachronism /əˈnækrənɪzm'/ intoxicate /ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt /, impossible /ɪmˈpɒsəbl' /, invaluable /ɪnˈvæljʊbl' '/, dislike /dɪˈslaɪk/ Cooperative /kəʊˈɒpr'ətɪv/, cohabit /kəʊˈhæbɪt/, unfaithful /ʌnˈfeɪθfl'/, and uncertain /ʌnˈsɜːtn'/

(2) In most of cases, primary or secondary stress is applied to the prefix where appropriate. The prefixes de-, re- may receive the secondary stress on the prefix syllable.  E.g.: demotivate /ˌdiːˈməʊtɪveɪt/, remarry /ˌriːˈmæri/, reused /ˌriːˈjuːzd/, and reword /ˌriːˈwɜːd/

There are many exceptions in English because of the vastness of the language and the many languages from which it has borrowed so the stress placement is unpredictable; however, the rules do work in the majority of the words.

II- Stress with Suffix es   : unlike prefixes, it is possible for a suffix to alter the original pronunciation –stress placement- of the word stem on to which they are affixed. This depends on whether the suffix is stress-neutral, pre-stressed or stress-attracting. . 1. Stress-neutral suffixes: In some words containing stress-neutral (stress-fixing) suffixes which do not change the pronunciation of the word stem (-able, -ant , -ary, -dom, -ed, -er, -ful,-hood, -ing, -ise, -ish, ism, ist, -less, -like -ly, -ment, -ness, -s , -ship, -some, -th, -wise).

E.g: Babyish /ˈbeɪbɪɪʃ/ ; Considerable /kənˈsɪdrəbl'/ ; Eleventh /ɪˈlevənθ/ ; Happily /ˈhæpɪli/

Fearlessly /ˈfɪələsli/ ; Fatherhood /ˈfɑ:ðəhʊd/ ; Clarity /ˈklærɪti/ ; Uselessness / ˈjuːsləsnəs/

Amendment /əˈmendmənt/ ; Dramatize /ˈdræmətaɪz/; Emphasise /ˈemfəsaɪz/ ; Conclusive

/kənˈkluːsɪv/ ; Elitist /ɪˈliːtɪst/ ; Heroism /ˈherəʊɪzm'/ ; Frightful /ˈfraɪtfl'/ ; Difference

/ˈdɪfr'əns/ Urgency /ˈɜːdʒənsi/ ; Frozen /ˈfrəʊzn'/ ; Freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ ; Prophecy /ˈprɒfəsi/ ;

Ordinary /ˈɔːdɪnr'i/ ; Servant /ˈsɜːvn't/ ; Assistance /əˈsɪstəns/ ; Defiance /dɪˈfaɪəns/ ; Allowance /əˈlaʊəns/

Stress-Fixing SuffixES with Examples :

Stress-Fixing Suffixes

Examples

-able / -ible Consider – considerable, Avoid – unavoidable ,Visible/ˈvɪzɪbl'/-dom Martyr – martyrdom, Wise- wisdom , King –kingdom /ˈkɪŋdəm/

-ed Adapt – adapted /əˈdæptɪd/, Edit – edited , Reason -reasoned /ˈriːzn'd/

-ful Sorrow – sorrowful /ˈsɒrəʊfʊl/ , Beauty – beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl'/

-hood Brother – brotherhood, Adult – adulthood, Neighborhood /ˈneɪbəhʊd/-ing Educate – educating /ˈedjʊkeɪtɪŋ/, Interest – interesting/ˈɪntr'estɪŋ/

STRESS PLACEMENT IN COMPLEX WORDS

-ish (adj) Animal – animalish /ˈænɪməlɪʃ/, Forty – fortyish ,Woman- womanish-ism Alcoholism /ˈælkəhɒlɪzm'/, Commune – communism /ˈkɒmjʊnɪzm'/-ist Journal – journalist /ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst/, Physics – physicist /ˈfɪzɪsɪst/

-less Bottom – bottomless /ˈbɒtəmləs/, Defense – defenseless /dɪˈfensləs/-like Autumn-like /ˈɔːtəmlaɪk/, Businesslike /ˈbɪznɪslaɪk/, native-like-ly Careless – carelessly /ˈkeələsli/, Apparent – apparently /əˈpærəntli/-ment Development /dɪˈveləpmənt/,Accompaniment /əˈkʌmpənɪmənt/-ness Tenderness /ˈtendənəs/, Greatness /ˈgreɪtnəs/, Quietness /ˈkwaɪətnəs/-s Images /ˈɪmɪdʒɪz/, Advances /ədˈvɑːnsɪz/ , Forests /ˈfɒrɪsts/-ship Censorship/ˈsensəʃɪp/,Dictatorship/dɪk

ˈteɪtəʃɪp/,Sponsorship/ˈspɒnsəʃɪp/-some Adventuresome, Quarrelsome /ˈkwɒrl'səm/,Venturesome /ˈventʃəsəm/ -wise Other - otherwise /ˈʌðəwaɪz/, Corner- cornerwise /ˈkɔːnəwaɪz/

2. Stress-attracting suffixes: A suffix which attracts stress or changes the stress placement

E.g : Japanese /ˌʤæpəˈniːz/ ,Nineteen/ˌnaɪnˈtiːn/ ,Engineer/ˌenʤɪˈnɪə/,Vietnamese/ˌvɪetnəˈmiːz/

3. Pre-stressed suffixes: it is one in which the affixation of the suffix causes stress to be assigned to a syllable before it. There are a number of different types of pre-stressed suffixes. Here is an example where the stress falls on the syllable immediately before the suffix. E.g: Despotic /dɪˈspɒtɪk/, Psychologic/ˌsaɪkəˈlɒʤɪk/, Specific/spəˈsɪfɪk/, Philosophic/fɪləˈsɒfɪk/

3.1-Stress on penultimate syllable :( penultimate = second from end) 

Rule-1   : Words ending in –ic , -sion / and –tion ; the stress will be on the second syllable from the end.

E.g : GRAPHic/ˈgræfɪk /, geoGRAPHic / ʤiəˈgæfɪk /, geoLOGic/ ʤiəˈlɒʤɪk/ or television /telɪˈvɪʒən/ , revelation /revəˈleɪʃən/.

Exceptions, For example, some people say teleVIsion /telɪˈvɪʒən/ and others say TELevision /ˈtelɪvɪʒən/. Another example is:CONtroversy/ˈkɒntrəvɜ:si/ and controversy /kənˈtrɒvɜ:si/.

The stress falls two syllables ahead of the suffix: Insecticide /ɪnˈsektɪsaɪd/

3.2 -Stress on ante-penultimate syllable   : ( ante-penultimate = third from end)

Rule-2 : Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy or ending in -al; the stress will be on the third syllable from the end.

E.g: deMOyhcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geology /ʤɪˈɒləʤi/ and CRItical, geoLOGical, PsychOlogy, PhonOlogy,PROphecy , neCESSity ,Syllable /ˈsɪləbl/

The suffix-ation is actually a combination of the stress-neutral -ate and the pre-stress suffix -ion. In words containing -ation, the strongest stress is always on the penultimate syllable, it is

Phonetics_____________2nd Year LMD Teacher: Mr.Aounali

'mixed' pre-stressed suffixes where the stress may fall either one or two syllables before the suffix, e.g.: Condemnation /ˌkɒndemˈneɪʃṇ/

Ireland /ˈaɪələnd/,Britain/ˈbrɪtn/,Irish /ˈaɪərɪʃ/ , Orderly /ˈɔːdli/ , Widen  / ˈwaɪdṇ / ; Rotten  / ˈrɒtṇ / ,Hungary  / ˈhʌŋgṛi /.

Consider the following examples:

Educate – educating – education

Adapt – adapted – adaptation

Diagnose – diagnoses – diagnostic

Journal – journalist – journalese

Autumn – autumn-like – autumnal

First, auto-stressed (or self- stressed) suffixes and endings are primary stressed themselves.

Suffix/ending Examples

Suffix-ending

Examples

-ade lémon – lèmonáde, bàrricáde, cánnon – cànnonáde -aire míllion – mìllionáire, quéstion – quèstionnáire-ee réfuge – rèfugée, tráin – trainée-een vélvet – vèlvetéen, séven – sèventéen-eer/ier éngine – ènginéer , bombárd – bòmbardíer-elle mozélle, nacélle-enne comédian – comèdiénne, Cayénne-esce àcquiésce, èffervésce-ese jóurnal – jòurnalése, Japán – Jàpanése-esque Róman – Ròmanésque, pícture – pìcturésque-esse largésse, noblésse-ette cigár – cìgarétte, cassétte-eur/ euse èntreprenéur , masséuse-ine cuisíne, ravíne-ique antíque, critíque, techníque, uníque-itis lárynx – làryngítis, appéndix - appèndicítis-oo/oon kàngaróo, cartóon