Scribd
Upload
731 views2 pages

Word Accent

This document discusses word accent in English. It explains that English words can have primary and secondary accents on different syllables. The primary accent receives the strongest emphasis and is marked with a bar above the syllable. The secondary accent is weaker and is marked below the syllable. It is difficult for non-native English speakers to learn word accent placement as the accent can fall on different syllables in words and can shift in related words. The document provides examples of accent shifts in nouns, verbs, compounds, and words with prefixes.

Uploaded by

Student
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
731 views2 pages

Word Accent

This document discusses word accent in English. It explains that English words can have primary and secondary accents on different syllables. The primary accent receives the strongest emphasis and is marked with a bar above the syllable. The secondary accent is weaker and is marked below the syllable. It is difficult for non-native English speakers to learn word accent placement as the accent can fall on different syllables in words and can shift in related words. The document provides examples of accent shifts in nouns, verbs, compounds, and words with prefixes.

Uploaded by

Student
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Word Accent

The word is a linguistic entity composed of one or more phonemes. The words I and air
consist of one phoneme each – the diphthong /ai/ and /eᵊ/. The words she and jaw have two
phonemes each /ᶴ/ and /i:/, and /ᵈᶾ/ and /ᵓ:/. The word pet has three phonemes /p/, /e/ and /t/.

In an English word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is pronounced with greater
prominence than the other(s). The syllable that is pronounced more prominently is said to be
‘accented’ or to ‘receive the accent’.

In polysyllabic words, more than one syllable may be prominent. For example, in the word
examination /ig-zӕ-mi-nei-ᶴn/ which has five syllables, the syllable that has the maximum
prominence is the fourth syllable / nei/, the syllable that has the next degree of prominence is
the second syllable /zӕ/.

The syllable which receives the maximum prominence is said to receive primary accent and
any other prominent syllable in the same word is said to receive secondary accent. Primary
accent is marked with a vertical bar above and in front of the syllable to which it refers.
Secondary accent is marked with a vertical bar below and in front of the syllable to which it
refers. Eg.,

Examination /ig-ˌzӕ-mi-ˈnei-ᶴn/
Notification /ˌnᵊᵤ-ti-fi-ˈkei-ᶴn/

For a non-native speaker of English it is difficult to place the accent on the correct syllable of
a word. This is because in English words the accent is both free and fixed. It is free in the
sense that it is not associated with a particular syllable of a word. In words like teacher,
wisdom and doctor, the first syllable receives the accent, whereas in words like canteen,
remark and behave the accent is on the second syllable. The accent in English words is fixed
in the sense that the main accent always falls on a particular syllable.

Since the accent in English words is not associated with a particular syllable, a non-native
speaker of English will have to learn this very important aspect of spoken English.

There is another difficulty about English word accent and that is the shift in the accented
syllable. In derivatives a shift in the accent is quite common, although there are exceptions. (a
ˈgree and aˈgreement)

Let us look at some examples:

Aˈcademy (2nd syllable)


Acaˈdemic (3rd syllable)
Acadeˈmician (4th syllable)

ˈPhotograph (1st syllable)


Phoˈtographer (2nd syllable)
Photoˈgraphic (3rd syllable)
ˈPolitics ( 1st syllable)
Poˈlitical (2nd syllable)
Poliˈtician (3rd syllable)

Another aspect of English word accent involves the usage. That is to say, there are some
disyllabic words in English in which word-accent depends upon whether the words are used
as nouns/adjectives or as verbs. When used as nouns/adjectives, the accent is on the first
syllable and if these are used as verbs, the accent is on the second syllable.

For example, conduct, present, contact and contrast.

Accent in compound words:


By compound word is meant a word composed of two separable words. In most compound
words the primary accent falls on the first element/ word of the compound word.
Eg., footprint, outfit, blackboard, raincoat, ice-cream

However, a few compound words with –ever and –self as the second element receives the
accent on the second element.
Eg., herself, whatever, himself, however

Words with weak prefixes always take the accent on the root word.
Eg., abroad, become, ahead, immortal

Whereas strong prefixes take the accent on them.


Eg., non, anti, mid, over

You might also like