Chapter 3
English Phonology, Phonotactics, and Suprasegmentals
Exercise 3.3Word Stress
Using acute and grave accents, mark primary and secondary stress (where present) in the following words.
papyrus
feminine
millionaire
harmonica
pelican
geometry
vocabulary
compliment
pedigree
hypotenuse
summary
memorandum
architecture
discipline
caterpillar
penetration
vigilante
peripheral
macaroni
imperialism
satellite
characterize
chromosome
accidental
Transcribe the following sets of words and mark primary and secondary stress with super and subticks. Note the reduction of vowels in unstressed syllables.
catastrophe
catastrophic
synonym
synonymous
repeat
repetitive
repetition
How does stress affect the quality of the first t in repetitive and repetition?
How does stress affect the quality of the p?
migrate
migratory
migration
intellect
intellectual
intelligent
apply
application
applicable
applicability
exhibit
exhibition
How does stress affect the voicing of the consonants in exhibit and exhibition?
How does stress differentiate these derivationally-related words?
| proverb | proverbial |
| reflex | reflexive |
| perfect | perfection |
| tranquil | tranquility |
| injure | injurious |
| enter | entertain |
Give strong and weak forms of that and show how they are used in a sentence.
Give two sentences in which the word afternoon has a different syllable stressed.
papýrus
féminine
mìllionáire
harmónicà
pélican
geómetry
vocábulàry
cómpliment
pédigrèe
hypótenùse
súmmery
mèmorándum
árchitècture
díscipline
cáterpillar
pènetrátion
vìgilánte
perípheral
màcaróni
impérialìsm
sátellìte
cháracterìze
chrómosòme
àccidéntal
/kəˈtæstrəfi/
/kætəˈstrɑfɪk/
/ˈsɪnənɪm/
/səˈnɑnəməs/
/rəˈpit/
/rəˈpɛtətɪv/
/ˌrɛpəˈtɪʃən/
In repetitive, the first t is flapped [rəˈpʰɛɾətɪv] because the accent immediately precedes, but in repetition, flapping does not occur because the accent follows. In repeat [rəˈpʰit] and repetitive [rəˈpʰɛɾətɪv], the /p/ is aspirated because it occurs before a stressed vowel, but in repetition it is not aspirated. Note that the same principles for flapping and aspiration would apply in 2(a) and 2(e). Also, the same principle for aspiration would apply in 2(f).
/ˈmaɪɡreɪt/
/ˈmaɪɡrəˌtɔri/
/maɪˈɡreɪʃən/
/ˈɪntəˌlɛkt/
/ˌɪntəˈlɛktʃuəl/
/ɪnˈtɛlədʒənt/
/əˈplaɪ/
/ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən/
[əˈplɪkəbḷ] or [ˈæplɪkəbḷ]
/əˌplɪkəˈbɪlɪti/ or /ˌæplɪkəˈbɪləti/
/ɛɡˈzɪbɪt/
/ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/
Voicing occurs when the consonants are not stressed. Compare of /əv/, an unstressed preposition, and off /ɑf/, a stressed adverb.
The N has initial-syllable stress (próverb, réflex), while the A has stress on the second syllable (provérbial, refléxive).
The A has initial-syllable stress (pérfect, tránquil), while the N has stress on the second syllable (perféction, tranquílity).
The V has initial-syllable stress, while the A has stress on the second syllable (injúrious) or third syllable (entertáin).
| strong: | [ðæt] | I want that one. (demonstrative) |
| That is the best one. (pronoun) | ||
| weak | [ðət] | I know that I am right. (conjunction) |
I saw him this afternóon.
I attended an áfternoon cóncert.