Complex Word Stress (Autosaved)

COMPLEX WORD STRESS
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF COMPLEX WORDS
1. words made from a basic word form (the stem), with the
addition of an affix (prefix or suffix)
2. compound words, which are made of two (or occasionally
more) independent English words

STEMS
1.Base (root) and affixes
2. Inflectional suffixes & derivational suffixes

BASE (ROOT) & AFFIXES
 A base morpheme is the part of a word that has the principal meaning.
denial lovable
annoyance re-enter
 An affix is a bound morpheme that occurs before or after a base. There
are two kinds: prefixes and suffixes.
disagreeable friendliest
INFLECTIONAL SUFFIXES
Inflectional affix Name Examples
1. {-s} noun plural dogs, oxen, mice
2. {-s} noun singular possessive boy’s
3. {-s} noun plural possessive boy’s, men’s
4. {-s} present third-person singular vacates

5. {-ing} present participle discussing
6. {-d} past tense chewed, rode
7. {-d} past participle chew, eaten, swum
8. {-er} comparative sooner, nearer
9. {-est} superlative soonest, nearest
DERIVATIONAL SUFFIXES
 These consist of all the suffixes that are not inflectional.

-able, -age, -al, -en, -eer, -ful, -ing, -like
-less, -ly, -hood, -ese, etc.
happiness discovery
friendship shrinkage
STEMS
 The words to which the inflectional suffixes are attached are called
stems.
 The stem includes the base or bases and all the derivational affixes.
 Examples:
- playboys  stem: playboy
- beautified  stem: beautify
- industrializing  stem: industrialize
- higher  stem: high
In this book,
 Stem is what remains after removing derivation suffixes.

employee  stem: employ
comfortable  stem: comfort
widen  stem: wide
poisonous  stem: poison
Affixes have one of three possible effects on word
stress:
1. The affix itself receives the primary stress.
‘semi-’ + ‘circle’ ˈsɜːkl  ‘semicircle’ ˈsemisɜːkl
‘person’ ˈpɜːsn + ‘-ality’  ‘personality’ ˌpɜːsnˈæləti
2. The word is stressed as if the affix were not there.
‘pleasant’ ˈpleznt ‘unpleasant’ ʌnˈpleznt
‘market’ ˈmɑːkɪt ‘marketing’ ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ
3. The stress remains on the stem, not the affix, but is shifted to a different
syllable.
‘magnet’ ˈmæɡnət ‘magnetic’ mæɡˈnetɪk
SUFFIXES AND STRESS
1. Suffixes carrying primary stress themselves

 ‘-ee’: ‘refugee’ ˌrefjuˈdʒiː ‘evacuee’ ɪˌvækjuˈiː
 ‘-eer’: ‘mountaineer’ ˌmaʊntəˈnɪə ‘volunteer’ ˌvɒlənˈtɪə
 ‘-ese’: ‘Portuguese’ ˌpɔːtʃʊˈɡiːz ‘journalese’ ˌdʒɜːnəˈliːz
 ‘-ette’: ‘cigarette’ ˌsɪɡrˈet ‘launderette’ ˌlɔːndrˈet
 ‘-esque’: ‘picturesque’ ˌpɪktʃrˈesk
The primary stress is on the first syllable of the suffix.
If the stem consists of more than one syllable, there will be a secondary stress
on one of the syllables of the stem. This cannot fall on the last syllable of the
stem and is, if necessary, moved to an earlier syllable.
SUFFIXES THAT DO NOT AFFECT STRESS PLACEMENT
SUFFIXES THAT DO NOT AFFECT STRESS PLACEMENT
SUFFIXES THAT INFLUENCE STRESS IN THE STEM
In these examples, primary stress is on the last syllable of

the stem.
SUFFIXES THAT INFLUENCE STRESS IN THE STEM
 When the suffixes ‘-ance’, ‘-ant’ and ‘-ary’ are attached to single-syllable, the
stress is almost placed on the stem.
‘guidance’ ˈɡaɪdns ‘sealant’ ˈsiːlənt

 When the stem has more than one syllable, the stress is on one of the syllables in
the stem.
 If the final syllable of the stem is strong, that syllable receives stress.
‘importance’ ɪmˈpɔːtns ‘centenary’ senˈtiːnri

 Otherwise the syllable before the last one receives the stress:
‘inheritance’ ɪnˈherɪtəns ‘military’ ˈmɪlɪtri

PREFIXES AND STRESS
 The effect of prefixes on stress does not have the comparative regularity,
independence and predictability of suffixes.
‘disagree’ ˌdɪsəˈɡriː ‘disqualify’ dɪsˈkwɒlɪfaɪ
‘disable’ dɪsˈeɪbl ‘disappear’ ˌdɪsəˈpɪə
 There is no prefix of one or two syllables that always carries primary stress.
‘autofocus’ ˈɔːtəʊfəʊkəs ‘autobiography’ ˌɔːtəbaɪˈɒɡrəfi
‘autochanger’ ˈɔːtəʊtʃeɪndʒə ‘autodidact’ ˌɔːtəʊˈdaɪdækt
‘anti-hero’ ˈænti hɪərəʊ ‘anti-personnel’ ˌænti pɜːsəˈnel
 Stress in words with prefixes is governed by the same rules as those for
polysyllabic words without prefixes.
STRESS IN COMPOUND WORDS
 Compound words are words made up of two or more independent words.
 Compound words are written in different ways:
+ written as one word (e.g. ‘armchair’, ‘sunflower’, ‘handbag’
+ separated by a hyphen (e.g. ‘open-minded’, ‘cost-effective’
+ separated by a space (e.g. ‘desk lamp’, ‘battery charger’)
 Rules
- Compound words which combine two nouns normally have the stress on
the first element.
‘typewriter’ ˈtaɪpraɪtə ‘teacup’ ˈtiːkʌp
‘washing machine’ ˈwɒʃɪŋ məʃiːn ‘greenhouse’ ˈɡriːnhaʊs
 Compounds with an adjectival first element and the –ed morpheme at the end
have stress on the second element, and the first elements often have secondary
stress.
‘bad-tempered’ ˌbæd ˈtempəd
‘heavy-handed’ ˌhevi ˈhændɪd
‘green-fingered’ ˌɡriːn ˈfɪŋɡəd
‘cold-blooded’ ˌkəʊld ˈblʌdɪd
 Compounds in which the first element is a number in some form also tend to
have final stress.
‘three-cornered’ ˌθriː ˈkɔːnəd
‘second-class’ ˌsekənd ˈklɑːs
 Compounds functioning as adverbs are usually final-stressed.
‘North-East’ ˌnɔːθ ˈiːst
‘downstream’ ˌdaʊnˈstriːm
 Compounds which function as verbs and have an adverbial first
element take final stress.
‘downgrade’ ˌdaʊnˈɡreɪd
‘back-pedal’ ˌbæk ˈpedl
‘ill-treat’ ˌɪl ˈtriːt
VARIABLE (CHANGING) STRESS
 Stress position may vary for one of two reasons:
1. as a result of the stress on other words occurring next to the word in question.
- The main effect is that the stress on a final-stressed compound tends to move to a
preceding syllable and change to secondary stress if the following word begins with a
strongly stressed syllable.
ˌbad-ˈtempered but a ˌbad-tempered ˈteacher
ˌhalf-ˈtimbered but a ˌhalf-timbered ˈhouse
2. Not all speakers agree on the placement of stress in some words.
controversy ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi kənˈtrɒvəsi
ice cream ˈaɪs kriːm ˌaɪs ˈkriːm
kilometer kɪˈlɒmɪtəˈkɪləmiːtə
formidable fəˈmɪdəbl ˈfɔːmɪdəbl
WORD-CLASS PAIRS
 Pairs of two-syllable words with identical spelling differ from each

other in stress placement, apparently according to word class
(noun, verb, or adjective)
 The stress is placed on the second syllable of the verb but on the
first syllable of the noun or adjective.

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COMPLEX WORD STRESS

TWO MAJOR TYPES OF COMPLEX WORDS

addition of an affix (prefix or suffix)

2. compound words, which are made of two (or occasionally

more) independent English words

2. Inflectional suffixes & derivational suffixes

1. {-s} noun plural dogs, oxen, mice

2. {-s} noun singular possessive boy’s

3. {-s} noun plural possessive boy’s, men’s

4. {-s} present third-person singular vacates

 These consist of all the suffixes that are not inflectional.

 Stem is what remains after removing derivation suffixes.

1. Suffixes carrying primary stress themselves

In these examples, primary stress is on the last syllable of

stress is almost placed on the stem.

‘guidance’ ˈɡaɪdns ‘sealant’ ˈsiːlənt

‘importance’ ɪmˈpɔːtns ‘centenary’ senˈtiːnri

‘inheritance’ ɪnˈherɪtəns ‘military’ ˈmɪlɪtri

 Pairs of two-syllable words with identical spelling differ from each

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