Word Structure and Stress

(Makk Zsófi)

after certain suffixes have been attached to a word, the original stress pattern may change

átom – atómic Japán – Jàpanése

horízon – hòrizóntal

Derived words:

since suffixation has made the word longer, primary stress shifts to the right, and the original primary stress reduces to secondary (rightmost rhythmic beat!)

Derivational Secondary Stress (e.g. adáptable – adàptabílity

éducate – èducátion jústify – jùstificátion)

Derivational Secondary Stress blocked

to avoid stress clash:

Iambic Secondary Stress

(horízon – hòrizóntal , Japán – Jàpanése)

or

Major Stress Deletion

(átom – atómic , Gérman – Germánic)

Family of suffixes

Two classes:

- Stress-neutral:

unable to affect the stress pattern of the word (e.g., -ing, -ed, -s, -like)

-Stress-fixing/non-neutral:

systematically change the place and/or the degree of the stresses (e.g., -ion, -ic, -ese, -al)

Examples

Stress-neutral suffixes: • -able: consíder – considerable,

avóid – unavóidable • -ing: éducate – éducating,

ínterest – ínteresting

• - ism: álcohol – álcoholism

fanátic – fanáticism • -ness: cáreless – cárelessness,

lùkewárm – lùkewármness

Examples

Stress-fixing suffixes: Self-stressed: are primary stressed themselves

• -ade: lémon – lemonade, cánnon – cannonade • -een: séven – seventeen• -ese: jóurnal – journalese, Japan – Japanese• -esque: Róman – Ròmanésque, pícture – pìcturésque

Examples

Stress-fixing suffixes Pre-stressed: require primary stress to fall on the syllable which immediately

precedes them in the word • -ic: ecónomy – economic, átom – atómic • -ion: sólve – solútion, éducate – èducátion, adápt – adaptation• -ulous: míracle – miráculous, rídicule – ridiculous

Resources:• Balogné Bérces – Szentgyörgyi (2006):

Pronunciation of English

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