WORD STRESS

STRESS: Word stress is the term used to describe the accent or

emphasis given to a particular syllable of a word, and it is a more or less
invariable attribute of that word when spoken in isolation. Words of more
than one syllable contain both stressed and unstressed syllables.
The stress syllable is longer, louder, and higher in pitch. Also the sounds
in a stressed syllable may be more clearly articulated and the vowels
may be purer. Another possible variable is the larger jaw, lips or other
facial movements of the speaker.
UNSTRESS: The consonants in an unstressed syllable may be more
weakly or even incompletely articulated.
The vowel in the syllable may sound less distinct. This is called reduction
and all vowels can undergo greater or lesser degrees of reduction.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STRESS: Longer words may have more
than one stressed syllable. For instance, the word Popularity. One stress
is stronger than the other, so we have a primary and a secondary stress.
This one hasnt got a pitch change. Sometimes, this kind of words
changes its stress pattern in connected speech.

STRESS IN TWO SYLLABLE WORDS

Many two-syllable words come from a one-syllable Word. Artist,

Art. The stress is on the syllable of the original word.

Most two syllable nouns and adjectives have stress on the first
syllable, even if they dont come from an original one-syllable
word.

Exceptions: asleep, mistake, machine, alone.

Most two syllable verbs have stress on the second syllable,

whether they come from a one syllable-word or not.

Exceptions: copy, cancel, and verbs ending in

ER and EN. They are stressed on the first syllable.

Some words are both noun and verbs. Record, contrast, desert,
export, object, present, produce, protest, rebel. (Noun:1st and Verb:
2nd)

Exceptions: No change of stress.

Answer, picture, promise, reply, travel, visit.

When we make two syllable words from two syllable nouns,

adjectives and verbs, the stress maintains on the stem. Happy,
unhappy. The stress is in happ.

STRESS IN COMPOUND WORDS

Compound words are made from two smaller words put together:
Bookshop. Book + shop. In most compound words, the stress is on
the first part.

If the first part of the c. word is an adjective, there may be stress

on the second part too, like in double room.

There may be stress on the second part of a compound noun

when:

The object in the second part is made out of the material in the first,
for example glass jar.
The first part tells us where the second part is like in car door.

If the compound word is not a noun, we often put stress on the

second part too.

Sometimes a compound word looks the same as a normal

adjective and noun, or a normal noun and verb. But the
pronunciation is different. Ex. Greenhouse.

STRESS IN LONGER WORDS

We can build longer words by adding parts to the beginning or end

of shorter words. Usually, this does not change the stress: it stays
on the same syllable as in the original word. Unforgettable. The
stress is in get, no matter what changes we make in the word.

Some endings do change the stress in the shorter word. Like

educate and education.

When we add the endings ION, IAN and -IC the stress always
moves to the syllable before these endings.
Electric, electrician.
Music, musician.
Decorate, decoration.
Communicate, communication.
Atom, atomic.

When a syllable changes from unstressed to stressed or vice versa,

the vowel sound often changes. Atom, atomic.

The ending AL does not change the stress of the word.

Economic, economical.

There are many longer word endings where the last letter is Y. The
stressed is places on the syllable three from the end.
Publicity, astronomy, photography, nationality, climatology,
chemistry.

If we add the ending IC to a word, the stress goes on the syllable

before IC. Photographic.

In words for an expert in the subject, the stress stays on the same
syllable as in the word ending in Y. Photography- Photographer