ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY A practical introductioncuid-avanzado.wikispaces.com/file/view/English+Phonetics+and+Pho… · 1 ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY A practical introduction

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ENGLISH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY A practical introduction

CONSONANTS: Graphemes 1. Plosives (Manner of articulation)

SYMBOL CONSONANT/S EXAMPLES

/p/ bilabial voiceless

p Pen - /pen/ pp Flipper - /’flɪpƏ(r)/

mute p Cupboard - /’kʌbƏd/

/b/ bilabial voiced

b Ball - /bo:l/ bb Rubber - /’rʌbƏ(r)/

mute b – after m mute b - after b

Thumb - /Ɵʌm/ doubt - /daʊt/

/t/ alveolar voiceless

t Tax - /tæks/ tt Pottery - /’potƏri/

ed – after a voiceless sound, except /t/

Stopped - /stopt/ Liked - /laikt/

mute t Castle - /’ka:sƏl/

Listen - /’lɪsn/

/d/ alveolar voiced

d Day - /deɪ/ dd Ladder - /’lædƏr/

ed – after a voiced sound, except /d/

Loved - /’lʌvd/ Played - /pleɪd/

mute d Handsome - /’hænsƏm/

/k/ velar voiceless

k Sink - /sɪŋk/ ck Pick - /pɪk/ ; Rock - /rok/

c + a, o, u, r, l Cake - /keɪk/, Clean - /kli:n/, Cold - /kƏʊld/

cc + a, o, u, r, l Accord - /Ə’ko:d/

Acclaim - /Ə’kleɪm/

qu Quick - /kwɪk/ Queen - /kwi:n/

x Explain - /ɪk’spleɪn/ ch Choir (coro) - /’kwaɪƏ(r)/

mute k Know - /nƏʊ/, Knot - /not/

/g/ velar voiced

g Grow - /grƏʊ/

gg Egg - /eg/

Flogging (azotar) - /’flogɪŋ/ mute gh Light - /laɪt/, Brought - /bro:t/

Carlos Sánchez Garrido Profesor- Tutor Uned

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2. Fricatives (Manner of articulation)


/f/ labio-dental voiceless

f Force - /fo:s/ ff Staff - /sta:f/, Off - /of/ ph Photograph - /’fƏʊtƏgræf/ gh Laugh - /la:f/, Enough - /ɪ’nʌf/

Exception Lieutenant - /lef’tenƏnt/,/lu:’tenƏnt/ (strong form)

/v/ labio-dental voiced

v Vote - /vƏʊt/, Have - /hƏv/ f (exception) Of - /Əv/

Exception Nephew - /’nevju:/, /’nefju:/

/Ɵ/ th interdental voiceless z

In initial position Thief - /Ɵi:f/, Thing - /Ɵɪŋ/ In medial position Method - /’meƟƏd/ In final position Both - /bƏʊƟ/, Truth - /tru:Ɵ/

/ð/ th interdental voiced d

In initial position (articles and

demonstratives) The - /ðƏ/,This - /ðɪs/, These - / ði:z/

In medial position Brother - /’brʌðƏ(r)/, Leather - /’leðƏ(r)/

In final position Words ending in “-the”: Bathe - /beɪð/ Words ending in “-ths”: Mouths - /maʊðz/

/s/ alveolar voiceless

The /s/ sound is also used in the pronunciation of some regular plurals as well as in the 3rd person singular of the Simple Present of some verbs.

s

In initial position: Son - /sʌn/, Sun - /sʌn/ In medial position (in front of a voiceless consonant): Despair - /dɪ’speƏ(r)/ In final position (after a voiceless consonant): Cups - /kʌps/, House - /haʊs/

ss Bliss - /blɪs/, Kiss - /kɪs/ c + e/i Face - /feɪs/, City - /’sɪti/ sc + e/i Scene - /si:n/, Science - /’saɪƏns/

x – in front of a consonant or after an accented vowel

Explore - /ɪk’splo:(r)/, Taxi - /’tæksi/

mute s Island - /’aɪlƏnd/, British Isles - /’brɪtɪʃ aɪlz/

/z/ alveolar voiced

This sound is fully voiced in initial and medial positions; in end position , the contrast /s/-/z/ is not so marked (Ex: zoo - /zu:/, busy - /’bɪzi/).

s

In Medial position (between vowels or in front of a voiced consonant):

Husband - /’hʌzbƏnd/ In final position (after a vowel or a voiced consonant): Rose - /rƏʊz/, hands - /hændz/

z Lazy – ‘leɪzi/, Zeal (cello, fervor) - /zi:l/ zz Buzz - /bʌz/, Puzzle - /’pʌzƏl/ x Exactly - /ɪg’zæktli/, Exhaust - /ɪg’zo:st/


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/r/ post-alveolar voiced

r Red - /red/, rat - /ræt/ rr Arrive - /Ə’raɪv/, Sorry - /’sori/

Some points of interest: (i) Final /r/ is not pronounced in BrE (ex: car - /ka:(r)/); (ii) Linking /r/ (ex: far away - /fa:r Ə‘weɪ/); (iii) Intrusive /r/ (ex: the sofa over there - /ðƏ ‘sƏʊfƏrƏʊvƏ ðeƏ(r)/.

/h/ glottal voiceless

h Hat - /hæt/, Hero - /’hɪƏrƏʊ/ wh Who - /hu:/, Whose - /hu:z/

mute h

/h/ is not pronounced initially in four words (Ex: Heir - /eƏr/, Hour - /aʊƏ(r)/, Honest - /’o:nƏst/, Honour – /’onƏ(r)/); medially it is not pronounced in words like vehicle - /’vi:ɪkƏl/.

mute gh/ph Night – /naɪt/, Though - /ðƏʊ/

/ʃ/ palato-alveolar voiceless

sh Shoe - /ʃu:/, Bishop - /’bɪʃƏp/ -ti Station - /’steɪʃƏn/, Position - /pƏ’zɪʃƏn/

Others Special - /’speʃƏl/, Spatial - /’speɪʃƏl/ Sure - /ʃʊƏ(r)/, Ocean - /’ƏʊʃƏn/

/ƺ/ palate-alveolar voiced

-si Television - /’telƏvɪƺƏn/, Division - /dɪ’vɪƺƏn/

-sure Pleasure - /’pleƺƏ(r)/, Treasure - /’treƺƏ(r)/ -g (words borrowed

from French) Rouge (colorete) - /ru:ƺ/, Prestige - /pre’sti:ƺ/

3. Affricates (Manner of articulation)


/tʃ/ palato-alveolar voiceless

ch Cheese - /tʃi:z/, Charge - /tʃa:dƺ/

Orchard (huerto) - /’o:(r)tʃƏd/ -ture Future - /’fju:tʃƏ(r)/, Adventure - /Əd’ventʃƏ(r)/ -tion Question - /’kwestʃƏn/ tch Catch - /kætʃ/, Butcher - /’bʊtʃƏ(r)/

/dƺ/ palato-alveolar voiced

j Jam - /dƺæm/, Jug (jarra) - /dƺʌg/, Jar - /dƺa:(r)/

g + e/i Luggage - /’lʌgɪdƺ/, General - /’dƺenrƏl/

dg Bridge - /brɪdƺ/, Judge - /dƺʌdƺ/

Others Procedure - /prƏ’si:dƺƏ(r)/, Soldier - /’sƏʊldƺƏ(r)/


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4. Lateral (Manner of articulation)

SYMBOL CONSONANT/S EXAMPLES /l/

alveolar voiced l Lip - /lɪp/, Lot - /lot/ ll Really - /’riƏli/, Spell - /spel/, Fill it - /fɪlɪt/

All these examples have a “clear” /l/, one of the two allophones of this phoneme, which also shows a second allophone, usually called “dark” /l/. The following are the typical contexts where a dark /l/ is pronounced: a) In final position of a word (Ex: bill - /bɪl/). b) In front of a consonant (Ex: milk - /mɪlk/). c) After a vowel (Exs: oil - /oɪl/, pile - /paɪl/). d) Syllabic l (after a consonant at the end of a word).Exs: paddle - /’pædl/, puddle (charco) - /’pʌdl/

Let us notice also that the grapheme l is often mute, it is not pronounced. Some examples are: Could - /kʊd/, Should - /ʃʊd/, Half - /ha:f/, Calm - /ka:m/ [≠ Come - /kʌm/], Folk - /fƏʊk/

5. Nasal (Manner of articulation)

SYMBOL CONSONANT/S EXAMPLES /m/

bilabial voiced m Mother - /’mʌðƏ(r)/

mm Mummy - /’mʌmi/

/n/ alveolar voiced

n Nanny - /’næni/ nn Annoy (molestar, irritar) - /Ə’noɪ/

mute n In words ending in mn (Ex: Autumn - /’o:tƏm/) /ŋ/

velar voiced (it never appears in initial

position)

ng Hang - /hæŋ/, Wrong - /ro:ŋ/, Singing - /’sɪŋɪŋ/

n + g/k/c Finger - /’fɪŋgƏ(r)/, Uncle - /’ʌŋkƏl/

VOICELESS SOUNDS (Strong) VOICED SOUNDS (Weak)

/p/, /t/, /k/, /Ɵ/, /tʃ/, /ʃ/, /s/, /h/, /f/

/b/, /d/, /g/, /ð/, /dƺ/, /ƺ/, /z/, /l/,

/m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /r/, /j/, /w/, /v/

Vowels are voiced too.

MANNER OF ARTICULATION

PLACES OF ARTICULATION

- Plosives: /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/ - Affricates: /tʃ/, /dƺ/

- Fricatives: /f/, /v/, /Ɵ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ƺ/, /h/

- Nasal: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/ - Lateral (Aproximants): /l/, /r/, /j/, /w/, /l/

Alveolar, Labiodental, Dental, Palatal, Bilabial, Velar, Palato-alveolar…

(See figure 1)


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SEMIVOWELS: Graphemes

These special sounds have a two-fold (duplicado) nature. They are like vowels in that, when we pronounce them, the air does not come across any obstacle in the mouth, but they are also similar to consonants because they require a vowel in order to form a syllable.


/w/ bilabial voiced

w Weed - /wi:d/, Wet - /wet/, Wave - /weɪv/ wh What - /wot/, Why - /waɪ/, When - /wen/

q/g + u Queen - /kwi:n/, Quick - /kwɪk/

Language - /’læŋgwɪdƺ/

mute w Write - /raɪt/, Wrong – /ro:ŋ/, Sword - /so:d/ Others One - /wʌn/, Won - /wʌn/, Choir - /’kwaɪƏ(r)/

/j/ palatal voiced

y Yes - /jes/, Young - /jʌŋ/, Yet - /jet/ u University - /ju:nɪ’vЗ:sƏti/, Tune - /tju:n/

ew Few - /fju:/ eu Europe - /’jʊƏrƏp/

Others Suit - /sju:t/ or /su:t/, Queue (cola) - /kju:/ Beauty - /’bju:ti/

PLACES OF ARTICULATION

Figure 1. Places of Articulation


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VOWELS: Basic Characteristics

English has got a vocalic system consisting of 14 different phonemes. It is customary (habitual/de costumbre) to refer to each of them by means of a number:

1. /i:/ 2. /ɪ/ 3. /e/ 4. /æ/ 5. /a:/ 6. /o/ 7. /o:/ 8. /ʊ/ 9. /u:/ 10. /ʌ/ 11. /3:/ 12. /Ə/

13. /i/ (weak form)

The following diagram represents English vowels in relation to the position of some articulatory organs in the mouth.

In the above diagram, the terms “Close”, “Half-Close”, “Half-Open”, and “Open”

are meant to describe the position of the tongue in the articulation of each vowel. This means, if it is closer to the palate (Ex: vowel number 1) or more distant from it (Ex: vowel number 5). The terms on the horizontal axis indicate the part of the tongue that is raised towards the palate: the front, the back or the centre.

Two important concepts in the description of English vowels are “quatity” – length or duration of the vocalic sound (hence ‘long’ [Ex: /a:/ ] and ‘short’ [Ex: /æ/ ] vowels) – and “quality” – the particular position adopted by the articulatory organs in order to produce a vocalic sound.

Relajadas

Tensas


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VOWELS: Graphemes

• VOWEL NUMBER 1 /i:/

SYMBOL VOWEL/S EXAMPLES

/i:/

ee Tree - /tri:/, Sheep - /ʃi:p/, Green - /gri:n/ ea Tea - /ti:/, Meal - /mi:l/, Read - /ri:d/ (Past: /red/) ie Piece - /pi:s/, Field - /fi:ld/, Thief - /Ɵi:f/

ei, ey Seize (agarrar)- /si:z/, Receive- /rɪ’si:v/, Key- /ki:/

e He - /hi:/ or /hi/ (weak form), Me - /mi:/ or /mi/ Complete - /kƏm’pli:t/

i Machine - /mƏ’ʃi:n/, Police - /pƏ’li:s/ Others Quay (muelle) - /ki:/, People - /’pi:pƏl/

• VOWEL NUMBER 2 /ɪ/


/ɪ/

i Sit - /sɪt/, Rich - /rɪtʃ/, Tip - /tɪp/ y City - /’sɪti/, Pity - /’pɪti/ ie Ladies - /’leɪdiz/, It - /ɪt/, Give - /gɪv/

e December - /dɪ’sembƏ(r)/, Wanted - /’wontɪd/ Pretty - /’prɪti/, Pocket - /’pokɪt/

Others Village - /’vɪlɪdƺ/, Private - /’praɪvɪt/, Build - /bɪld/

Business - /’bɪznɪs/, Busy - /’bɪzi/, Women - /’wɪmɪn/

• VOWEL NUMBER 3 /e/


/e/ e Leg - /leg/, Sell - /sel/, Men - /men/ ea Dead - /ded/, Head - /hed/, Breath - /breƟ/

Others Many - /’meni/, Any - /’eni/, Said - /sed/ Friend - /frend/, Bury - /’beri/, Thames - /temz/

• VOWEL NUMBER 4 /æ/


/æ/ a Bad - /bæd/, Black - /blæk/, Packet - /’pækɪt/ Marry - /’mæri/, Carry - /’kæri/


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• VOWEL NUMBER 5 /a:/


/a:/

ar Car - /ka:(r)/, Far - /fa:(r)/ Garden - /’ga:dn/, Party - /pa:ti/

a + ss Glass - /gla:s/, Pass - /pa:s/, Grass - /gra:s/

a + st/lf/nt/th/lm Past - /pa:st/, Half - /ha:f/, Can’t - /ka:nt/

Bath - /ba:Ɵ/, Calm - /ka:m/

Others Aunt - /a:nt/, Laugh - /la:f/, Heart - /ha:(r)t/

Clerk - /kla:k/, Sergeant - /’sa:dƺƏnt/

• VOWEL NUMBER 6 /o/


/o/

o Hot - /hot/, Rock - /rok/, Gone - /gon/ Bottle - /’botƏl/, Doctor - /’doktƏ(r)/

w/qu +a Was - /woz/, Watch -/wotʃ/, Wash - /woʃ/ Want - /wont/, Quality - /’kwolƏti/

au Because - /bɪ’koz/, Austria - /’ostriƏ/

Sausage - /’sosɪdƺ/

Others Cough - /kof/, Knowledge - /’nolɪdƺ/, Yacht - /jot/

• VOWEL NUMBER 7 /o:/


/o:/

or Horse - /ho:s/, Pork - /po:k/, Forty - /’fo:ti/ a + ll Ball - /bo:l/, Tall - /to:l/, Fall - /fo:l/

a + l + consonant Salt - /so:lt/, Talk - /to:k/ aw Saw - /so:/, Law - /lo:w/ au Fault - /fo:lt/, Daughter - /’do:tƏ(r)/, Cause - /ko:z/ ou Bought - /bo:t/, Ought - /o:t/, Brought - /bro:t/

w + ar War - /wo:(r)/, Warm - /wo:m/ Dwarf (enano/a) - /dwo:(r)f/

our Four - /fo:(r)/, Court - /ko:(r)t/, Pour - /po:(r)/ ore Before - /bɪ’fo:(r)/, Bore - /bo:(r)/, Store - /sto:(r)/

oor, oar Door - /do:(r)/, Floor - /flo:(r)/, Board - /bo:(r)d/

Others Broad - /bro:d/, George - /dƺo:dƺ/


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• VOWEL NUMBER 8 /ʊ/


/ʊ/

oo Good - /gʊd/, Book - /bʊk/, Foot -/fʊt/ Wood - /wʊd/, Look - /lʊk/

u Put - /pʊt/, Butcher - /’bʊtʃƏ(r)/ Sugar - /’ʃʊgƏ(r)/, Pull - /pʊl/

ou Could - /kʊd/, Would - /wʊd/, Should - /ʃʊd/ o Wolf - /wʊlf/, Woman - /’wʊmƏn/

• VOWEL NUMBER 9 /u:/


/u:/

oo Food - /fu:d/, Moon - /mu:n/, Soon - /su:n/ ew Flew - /flu:/, Grew - /Gru:/

u June - /dƺu:n/, Rude - /ru:d/, Nude - /nju:d/

ou Group - /gru:p/, Soup - /su:p/ [≠ Soap - /sƏʊp/], Through - /Ɵru:/

ue Blue - /blu:/, True - /tru:/, Glue - /glu:/

ui Fruit - /fru:t/, Suit - /su:t/ or /sju:t/, Juice - /dƺu:s/

o Do - /du:/ (weak forms: /dʊ/ or /dƏ/) Move - /mu:v/, Who - /hu:/

• VOWEL NUMBER 10 /ʌ/


/ʌ/

u Uncle - /’ʌŋkƏl/, Butter - /’bʌtƏ(r)/, Cup - /kʌp/ o Gloves- /glʌvz/, Mother- /’mʌðƏ(r)/, Month- /mʌnƟ/

ou Country - /’kʌntri/, Young - /jʌŋ/, Enough - /ɪ’nʌf/ Others Blood – /blʌd/, Flood -/flʌd/, Does - /dʌz/ or /dƏz/


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• VOWEL NUMBER 11 /3:/


/3:/

ir Bird - /b3:(r)d/, Skirt - /sk3:(r)t/, Thirty - /’Ɵ3:ti/ ur Turn - /t3:(r)n/, Church - /tʃ3:(r)tʃ/, Nurse - /n3:(r)s/ ear Search - /s3:(r)tʃ/, Early - /’3:(r)li/, Learn - /l3:(r)n/

w + or World - /w3:(r)ld/, Work - /w3:(r)k/, Worse - /w3:(r)s/ er Term - /t3:(r)m/, Person - /’p3:(r)sn/, Serve - /s3:(r)v/

Others Journey - /’dƺ3:(r)ni/, Colonel - /’k3:(r)nl/

• VOWEL NUMBER 12 /Ə/ (schwa) This vowel typically occurs in unaccented syllables and may be spelled with most

vowel letters. Remember also that it is the norm in the so-called weak forms of articles, auxiliary verbs and some prepositions.

Let us now see some examples of schwa in initial, medial, and final position. - Initial: About - /Ə’baʊt/, Afraid - /Ə’freɪd/, Surprise - /sƏ’praɪz/ - Medial: Observation - /obzƏ(r)’veɪʃƏn/, Organization - /o:rgƏnƏ’zeɪʃƏn / - Final: Letter - /’letƏ(r)/, River - /’rɪvƏ(r)/, Matter - /’mætƏ(r)/

POSITION OF THE MOUTH TO PRONOUNCE EVERY PHONEME


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DIPHTHONGS [/’dɪfƟoŋz/]: Graphemes SYMBOL VOWEL/S EXAMPLES

/eɪ/

a Plate - /pleɪt/, Take - /teɪk/, Nature - /’neɪtʃƏ(r)/ ai Plain (sencillo) / Plane (avión) - /pleɪn/, Wait - /weɪt/ ay Play - /pleɪ/, Stay - /steɪ/, Pay - /peɪ/ ei Eight / Ate - /eɪt/, Weigh - /weɪ/, Neighbour - /’neɪbƏ(r)/ ea Great - /greɪt/, Break / Brake (freno) - /breɪk/, Steak - /Steɪk/

Others Halfpenny - /’heɪpni/, Jail / Gaol (prisión) - /dƺeɪl/


/Əʊ/

o So - /sƏʊ/, Old - /Əʊld/, Home - /hƏʊm/ oa Road - /rƏʊd/, Boat - /bƏʊt/, Coat - /kƏʊt/ ow Know / Now - /nƏʊ/, Grow - /grƏʊ/ ou Soul - /sƏʊl/, Shoulder - /’ʃƏʊldƏ(r)/ oe Toe - /tƏʊ/


/aɪ/

i Time - /taɪm/, Write - /raɪt/, Nice - /naɪs/ y Try - /traɪ/, Fly - /flaɪ/, Sky - /skaɪ/ [ski - /ski:/] ie Die - /daɪ/, Lie - /laɪ/, Pie - /paɪ/ ei Either - /’aɪðƏ(r)/ or /’i:ðƏ(r)/, Height - /haɪt/

Others Eye - /aɪ/, Buy / Bye - /baɪ/ SYMBOL VOWEL/S EXAMPLES

/aʊ/ ou House - /haʊs/, Pound - /paʊnd/ ow Town - /taʊn/, Crowd - /kraʊd/


/oɪ/ oi Oil - /oɪl/, Point - /poɪnt/, Voice - /voɪs/ oy Boy - /boɪ/, Oyster - /’oɪstƏ(r)/, Enjoy - /ɪn’dƺoɪ/


/ɪƏ/

ear Near - /nɪƏ(r)/, Fear - /fɪƏ(r)/, Dear - /dɪƏ(r)/ eer Cheer - /’tʃɪƏ(r)/, Beer - /bɪƏ(r)/ ere Here - /hɪƏ(r)/, Sincere - /sɪn’sɪƏ(r)/ ier Pier (embarcadero, muelle)- /pɪƏ(r)/, Fierce (feroz) - /fɪƏs/ ea Theatre - /’ƟɪƏtƏ(r)/, Idea - /aɪ’dɪƏ/

Others Theory - /’ƟɪƏri/, We’re - /wɪƏ(r) /


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/eƏ/

are Care - /keƏ(r)/, Stare - /steƏ(r)/ air Fair - /feƏ(r)/, Hair - /heƏ(r)/, Airport - /’eƏpo:(r)t/

ear Bear - /beƏ(r)/, Wear - /weƏ(r)/

*[Tear (n) - /teƏ(r)/ = rotura. Vs. Tear (n) - /tɪƏ(r) = lágrima] *[Tear (verb: tore - torn) - /teƏ(r)/ = Romper, rasgar]

Others Their /There - /ðeƏ(r)/ or /ðer/, Heir - /eƏ(r)/ Mayor - /’meƏ(r)/ or /’meɪƏ(r)/, Air - /eƏ(r)/


/ʊƏ/

ure Sure - /ʃʊƏ(r)/, Pure - /pjʊƏ(r)/ *[Nature - /’neɪtʃƏ(r)/]

ur Plural - /’plʊrƏl/ or /’plʊƏrƏl/, Rural - /’rʊrƏl/ or /’rʊƏrƏl/ Mural - /’mjʊrƏl/ or /’mjʊƏrƏl/, *[Burn - /b3:(r)n/]

eu Europe - /’jʊrƏp/ or /’jʊƏrƏp/

oor, our Poor - /pʊƏ(r)/, Tour - /tʊƏ(r)/, *[Our (pron) - /’aʊƏ(r)/] Moor (llanura, páramo) - /mʊƏ(r)/

Others Curious - /’kjʊƏriƏs/, Furious - /’fjʊƏriƏs/ TRIPHTHONGS [/’trɪfƟoŋz/]: Graphemes

SYMBOL EXAMPLES

/aɪƏ/ Tyre - /’taɪƏ(r)/, Fire - /faɪƏ(r)/

/eɪƏ/ Layer (capa, estrato) - /’leɪƏ(r)/, Player - /’pleɪƏ(r)/

/oɪƏ/ Employer (patrón/a)- /ɪm’ploɪƏ(r)/, Soya (soja)- /’soɪƏ/

Loyal - /’loɪƏl/, Royal - /’roɪƏl/

/aʊƏ/ Power - /’paʊƏ(r)/, Shower - /’ʃaʊƏ(r)/, Hour - /aʊƏ(r)/

/ƏʊƏ/ Slower - /’slƏʊƏ(r)/, Lower – /’lƏʊƏ(r)/

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Site UFR : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/

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English Word Stress – Main Rules1

I.- PRIMARY STRESS:

1 A°) Normal Stress Rule:

a) Two-syllable words are normally stressed on the first syllable (code/10/):

foreign2, mountain, legal, …

b) Three-syllable words are normally stressed on the first syllable (code /100/)

(character, family, …

c) Words of more than three syllables are normally stressed on the

antepenultimate (code /-100/) and may need a secondary stress (see section II below)

original, curiosity, …(unless a strong suffix assigns the primary stress to the

penultimate as in characterization /200010/, popularization /200010/, or elsewhere as

in characteristically /20010(0)0/ where one strong suffix is followed by two weak

suffixes).

1 B°) Main classes of exceptions for two-syllable words /01/:

a) Words beginning with a Latin or Germanic prefix (remind, decide, except... ;

about, behind, forget...)3

b) Verbs ending in <-ate> (create, frustrate, translate...)

2°) Retrieving the original word (= the deriving word) To calculate the main stress of longer words, you must first remove any "weak"

suffix, and then count from the end.

The principal weak suffixes, added to words without modifying the stress of the

stem, are:

a) grammatical suffixes such as <-ed>, <-en>, <-ing>, <-(e)s>, <-er>, <-est>…

b) agent suffixes such as <-er>,<-or>,

1 A few explanations:

An asterisk * means that the form proposed at the right of this symbol is not acceptable.

A capital V stands for Vowel and a capital C for Consonant.

/0/ symbolizes an unstressed syllable, /1/ the primary stress and /2/ the secondary stress.

The forms written between this type of brackets <…> represent the spelling of a word or a piece of word. Hence,

<-ate> means “words ended with the letters mentioned between these brackets”. 2 In foreign, the first three letters are not a German prefix but are part of the word, whereas in forget, <for-> is

an unstressed strong prefix. For example, it may be replaced by another prefix such as <be-> in beget, a verb

which can be found in the English version of the Bible: and he begat…

In this abridged course, a bold character or bold chain of characters means that this part of the word bears a

primary or a secondary stress. The usual symbols will be used in the full course.

/0/ symbolizes an unstressed syllable, /1/ the primary stress and /2/ the secondary stress. 3 The rule is not complete in this abridged course which shows the main tendencies only. There may be other

cases which will be explained in the unabridged course.

Simone RINZLER – Université Paris X - Nanterre - WORD STRESS SR_RH 03.doc - 2/2

Site UFR : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/

Page personnelle Simone RINZLER : http://anglais.u-paris10.fr/article.php3?id_article=513

c) any suffix beginning with a consonant such as <-ful>, <-less>, <-ness>,

<-ment>, <-ly>,…

3A°) Words of three or more syllables are normally stressed on

the antepenultimate (code /100/ or /-100/) a) Three-syllable words are normally stressed on the first syllable (code /100/):

character, family, …

b) Words of more than three syllables are normally stressed on the

antepenultimate (code /-100/) and may need a secondary stress (see section II below)

3B°) Main classes of exceptions: a) Words ending in <-ic> (code/-10/): eccentric, symbolic, catastrophic,…

(CAUTION: a few words, which are not derived adjectives, are stressed according to

the "Normal" Stress Rule (code /100/ or /-100/) and must be learnt by heart: Arabic,

arithmetic, arsenic, Catholic, heretic, lunatic, politics, rhetoric)

b) Verbs ending in <-ish> /-10/ (demolish, diminish, extinguish)

c) Words ending in <-ion>, or more generally in CiV(C)#4

, CeV(C)# or

CuV(C)# (or Vi/e/uV(C)#, have their main stress on the syllable immediately

preceding the ending (code/-10/): education, colonial, atrocious,

advantageous, conspicuous, residual, ratio…

II.- SECONDARY STRESS :

1°) Whenever two or more syllables precede the main stress, there

must be a secondary stress, because the rhythm of English requires

that no word can begin with two unstressed syllables.

This can be summed up thus: (code */00-/)

2°) When ONLY two syllables precede the main stress, the

secondary stress falls on the first: mathematics /2010/ ; education /2010/ ; perspicacity /20100/

This can be summed up thus: (code /201-/)

3°) When more than two syllables precede the main stress (code

*/00-/), consult the nearest deriving form (= the root word). The

main stress of the deriving form becomes the secondary stress of the

derived form: character /100/ → characteristic /20010/;

eradicate /0100/ → eradication /02010/

4 The # symbol means that this is the end of the word (after all the suffixes have been removed).

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