Word Stress - Guidelines

• read: Roach Chapter 10

We first ask: is the word simple, complex or compound?

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple

Complex

Compound:

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple : one morpheme: enter, deny,

return, cotton, potato

Complex

Compound

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple : one morpheme: enter, deny,

return, cotton, potato

Complex : bound or unbound stem with bound morphemes (affixes: prefixes or suffixes): singer, goodness, unlock, capable, conversation

Compound

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple : one morpheme: enter, deny,

return, cotton, potato

Complex : bound or unbound stem with bound morphemes (affixes: prefixes or suffixes): singer, goodness, unlock, capable, conversation

Compound: more than one unbound morpheme: greenhouse, handbag, overcast, whitewash

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple: complicated rules, many

exceptions

Complex: fairly simple and fixed rules(see Roach)

Compound: fairly simple rules, not many exceptions (see Roach)

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple: complicated rules, many

exceptions

I know of no simple or exceptionless set of rules, but try googling “word stress”:

• http://oak.ucc.nau.edu/tn24/wordstress/wstresstext.html

• http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/pron/word_stress.shtml

1. SIMPLE WORDS

We have to consider the following:

• the phonological structure of the syllable

• the number of syllables

• the grammatical category

1. SIMPLE WORDS

• Phonological structure: 'heavy' and 'light' syllables

A 'heavy' syllable• contains a long (tense) vowel or a diphthong

OR• ends in more than one consonant.

Otherwise the syllable is light.

1. SIMPLE WORDS

1. SIMPLE WORDS

1. SIMPLE WORDS

1. SIMPLE WORDS

Word Stress - GuidelinesSimple : one morpheme: enter, deny,

return, cotton, potato

Complex : bound or unbound stem with bound morphemes (affixes: prefixes or suffixes): singer, goodness, unlock, capable, conversation

Compound: more than one unbound morpheme: greenhouse, handbag, overcast, whitewash

2. Complex Words

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Unclear distinction, not always useful

legal – illegal

lawful – unlawful

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• stem + affix (prefix, infix, suffix)

• Is the affix productive (=common, can be applied to new words) ?

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect:comfort + able, wonder + ful

-age, -al, -en, -ing, - ish

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect

2. Effect the stress-pattern

3. Take the stress themeselves

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect

2. Effect the stress-pattern

3. Take the stress themeselves

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect

comfort - able, wonder - ful

-age, -al, -en, -ing, - ish

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect

2. Effect the stress-pattern.

attract the stress to the syllable before the suffix

photo - graphy, perfect – ion, tranquil – ity

-eous, -ious, -ial, -ic, -ive

2. Complex Words: suffixes

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Suffixes:

1. Have no effect

2. Effect the stress-pattern

3. Take the stress themeselvesrefugee, mountaineer, Portuguese, cigarette, picturesque

3. Complex words: two stems

• Roach, Chapter 11

• suitcase, sunrise, toothbrush

• tooth-brush, car-ferry, hay-fever,

• Web page, hay fever, summer time

3. Complex words: two stems

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Variable stress

it’s upstairs, an upstairs bedroom

he’s bad-tempered, a bad-tempered man

3. Complex words: two stems

• Roach, Chapter 11

• Word-class pairs, p110

insult, objet, protest, record