Rules for Accentual Patterns

1. All English words have some accent, primary or secondary, on the first or the second syllable.

E.g. ‘cough, ‘cut, ‘great

‘office, ‘basic, ‘country

Ciga’rette, ‘advertise, ar’tistic

Poli’tician, appli’cation, recom’mended

2. Words with weak prefixes are accented on the root, and not the prefix.

e.g., a’broad, a’cross, ad’mit, ad’vice,

a’head, a’lone, a’loud, a’mount,

a’part, at’tend, be’low, be’tween,

com’pose, cor’rect, de’velop, ex’pect,

oc’cur, pre’fer, re’duce.

3.The inflectional suffixes -es, -ing, -ed, and the following derivational suffixes do not affect the accent:

-age, -dom, -en, -er,

-ess, -ful, -fy, -less,

- let, -ly, -ment, - ness,

-or, -some, -ward.

• Words ending with –ion- accent on the last but one

syllable

e.g : appli'cationimagi'nationconver'sationdetermi'nationintro'ductionqualifi'cation

Connotation, association, concession, relation, satisfaction, preparation, combination, identification, creation, deviation, situation, emotion, determination, digestion, designation, medication, nutrition, attribution, civilization, affection, tension, tradition, composition.

colonization, unification, isolation,

domination, communication, opposition,

conclusion, distinction, assertion,

location, elaboration, industrialization,

frustration, plantation, submission,

aviation, globalization, westernization,

transcription, computerization

Aspiration, expectation, translation,

reaction, fiction, interpretation,

publication, function, emancipation,

proclamation, segregation, discrimination,

condition, constitution, declaration,

obligation, graduation, desolation,

continuation, foundation, justification,

degeneration, destination, devotion,

satisfaction, tribulation, persecution,

redemption, situation, oppression,

nullification, interposition, transformation,

exaltation, revelation, celebration

Words ending with –ic, -ical, ically- accent on the last but one

syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

e.g. apolo'getice'lectrice'lectricalscien'tificsympa'thetic

gram’matical,

patrio’tic,

po’litical,

po’litically,

sympa’thetically

Words ending with –ial, -ially- accent on the last but one syllable

(syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.

arti'ficial confi’dentiallycere’monial es’sentiallyconfi'dentiales'sentialme'morial

In’dustrial, of’ficial, presi’dential,

matrimonial, denial, partial,

terrestrial, celestial, serial,

genial, martial, cordial,

bestial, centennial, menial,

special, imperial,

Words ending with –ian- accent on the last but one

syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.elec’tricianpoli’tician

mu’sician li’brarian

Physician,

magician,

musician,

Russian,

Indian,

beautician.

Words ending with –ious- accent on the last but one

syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.'anxiousin'dustrious

in'jurious lu'xurious

la’borious, re’bellious,

vic’torious, malicious,

devious, pernicious,

ferocious, perfidious,

judicious, suspicious,

curious, dubious,

Words ending with –ity- accent on the syllable preceeding the

suffix, i.e., on the third syllable from the end. - The ante-penultimate syllable

• e.g.ac'tivitymo'rality

ne'cessityorigi'nalitypossi'bility

Elec’tricity, e’quality, gene’rosity,

mo’rality, origi’nality, continuity,

monstrosity, connectivity, variety,

duplicity, atrocity, curiosity,

proclivity, sensitivity, adversity,

serendipity, tenacity, celebrity,

stupidity, quantity, acidity,

veracity, velocity, publicity,

university, humanity, piety,

conductivity, possibility, probability,

Words of more than two syllables ending with –ate

- primary accent is placed two syllables before the suffix, i.e. on the third syllable from the end.

• e.g.‘complicate‘cultivate

‘educate‘fortunate‘separate

Facilitate, felicitate, activate,

complicate, duplicate, concentrate,

potentate, differentiate, estimate,

confiscate, articulate, communicate,

classmate, dictate,