by Prof. Diana Martínez Salatín

1. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Course Designer & Tutor:
Prof. Diana Martínez Salatín
E-mail: pronunciaciondelingles@yahoo.com.ar
Skype ID: diana.martinez.salatin

2. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
WHAT IS STRESS?
STRESS
 Stressed syllables are most often defined as those syllables
within an utterance that are l o n g e r, LOUDER, and
hiGHer in pitch.
 Looking at this phenomenon from the speaker’s point of
view, stress involves a greater outlay of energy as the
speaker expels air from the lung and articulates syllables.
 From the listener's point of view, the most salient
features of stress are probably longer vowel duration in the
stressed syllable and higher pitch.

3. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The difference between stressed and unstressed syllables
is greater in English than in most other languages - with the
possible exception of German. Compare the relatively
unstressed pattern of French words with the more
differentiated stress pattern of their English cognates:

4. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
To indicate strongly stressed syllables in phonetic
transcription we have chosen the convention of a
superscript accent mark (') placed before the syllable; to
indicate lightly stressed syllables we use a subscript
accent
(,); unstressed syllables are not specially marked.
Compare:
GenAm
 Another feature of word stress in English is that it can occur on virtually any
syllable depending in part on the origin of the word. This apparent lack of
predictability as to where the stress falls is confusing to learners from language
groups in which stress placement is more transparent.

5. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Far from being random, stress placement in English words derives from
the rather colourful history of the language. Today, roughly 30% of the
vocabulary of English stems from its Old English origins and retains the
native Germanic stress patterns. Many of the remaining words have
been acquired through historical events, such as the Norman
Conquest, which brought much French vocabulary into English, or
through the influences of Christian religion and academia, which have
done much to secure the position of words of Greek and Latin origin in
the English language.
Example:
We can see this in borrowings such as GRAMmar (from French gramMAIRE) and
CHOColate (from Spanish chocoLAte). In fact, the longer a borrowed word has been in
the English language, the more likely it is that this type of stress shift will occur.

6. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
WHERE THE STESS FALLS IN A WORD
Factors that influence stress placement
include:
 the historical origin of a word,
 affixation,
affixation
 the word's grammatical function in an
utterance.

7. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
For words of Germanic origin, the first syllable of the base
form of a word is typically stressed:
Today, even many two-syllable words that have entered
English through French and other languages have been
assimilated phonologically and follow the Germanic word
stress pattern:

8. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Words that have not been assimilated to the Germanic pattern have
less predictable word stress in their base forms, but stress is often
predictable if certain affixes or spellings are involved.
PREFIXES
As a general rule, words containing prefixes tend to be strongly
stressed on the first syllable of the base or root element, with the
prefix
either unstressed or lightly stressed:
In English, prefixes tend to fall into one of two categories:
prefixes of Germanic origin and prefixes of Latinate origin.

9. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The Germanic prefixes include: a-, be-,for-,fore-,mis-, out-, over-, un-, under-,
up-, and with- (as in awake, belief, forgive, forewarn, mistake, outrun, overdo,
untie, understand, uphold, and withdrawn.) Some of these prefixes (a-, be-, for-,
and with-) are always unstressed in the words in which they occur. Others usually
receive light stress, as in the following highly productive prefix + verb
combinations:
An exception to this general pattern (light or no stress on the prefix and strong
stress on the base) occurs when a word with a prefix (such as fore-, out-, over-,
under-, or up-) functions as a noun and has the same pattern as a noun
compound (see the following list). In this case, the prefix or its first syllable tends
to be strongly stressed, with the noun receiving only light stress:

10. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Notice the difference in word stress in the following examples, where the prefix is
attached in one case to a noun and in the other case to a verb.
In these examples, the difference in the stress patterns helps to reinforce the
differences between parts of speech.

11. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The second category is prefixes of Latinate origin. These include: a(d)-, com-, de-,
dis-, a-, en-, in-, ob-, per-, pre-, pro-, re-, sub-, and sur- (as in the verbs complain,
discharge, inhale, persuade, subside, etc.). As with prefixes of Germanic origin, it is
usually the base (not the prefix) that receives strong stress. However, unlike Germanic
prefixes - many of which receive light stress when added to verbs - the majority of
Latinate prefixes are unstressed when part of a verb. Among the most frequent of
these
Latinate prefixes, which account for hundreds of verbs in English, are the following:
In all these cases, the unstressed nature of the prefix extends to its variant
forms. Thus com- would also include its allomorphic variants, co-, col-, con-,
and cor-, just as in- also includes im-, il-, and ir-.

12. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
We see similar differences in word stress with the Latinate prefixes. In other
words, when these prefixes are part of a word that functions as a noun, the prefix
often receives strong stress. Compare the following sentences:
However, there are also examples of Latinate prefixes that receive light
stress because they are still being used to form new words: e.g., re- in
REDO, REHEAT, REBUILD.

13. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
SUFFIXES
Suffixes affect word stress in one of three ways:
1. They may have no effect on the stress pattern of the root word.
2. They may receive strong stress themselves.
themselves
3. They may cause the stress pattern in the stem to shift from one syllable to
another.
For the most part, the neutral suffixes, which do not affect the stress pattern
of the root word, are Germanic in origin. These suffixes include, for example,
-hood (childhood), less (groundless), -ship (friendship), and -ful (cheerful).
In fact, if we compare examples of English words that employ such neutral
suffixes with their modem-day German equivalents, we can easily see the
historical relationship:

14. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Words with Germanic or neutral suffixes (whether the stem is of Germanic
origin or not) still tend to maintain the stress pattern of the base form:
Unlike the Germanic suffixes, suffixes that have come into the English
language via French often cause the final syllable of a word to receive strong
stress, with other syllables receiving light or no stress. In most cases, the
following categories represent borrowings from modem-day French:

15. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Suffixes can also cause a shift of stress in the root word - that is, as certain
suffixes are added to a word, they can cause the stress to shift to the syllable
immediately preceding the suffix. Note the stress shift caused by the addition of
the following suffixes to the root word:
In these, as in many other words in English, a change of suffix not only brings about a shift in
stress but also a change in the accompanying vowel reduction or neutralization in the
unstressed syllables. Because of the nature of tense and lax vowels, there is sometimes an
accompanying change in syllable structure or syllabification.

16. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
In certain cases, suffixation may cause a complete change in vowel quality
from tense to lax rather than a shift in stress, as in the words page /f / vs.
paginate /p/, and mime //, / vs. mimic ///.
Finally, it is important to note that in cases where the base and the suffix have
Different historical origins, it is the suffix that determines the English stress
pattern.
For example, Germanic suffixes such as -ly and -ness, which can be added to
words of Romance origin, cause no shift in stress: PASsive, PASsively,
PASsiveness.
Compare this with the shift from PASsive to pasSIVity that occurs with the
addition of the Latinate suffix -ity. This stress shift would extend even to a base
word of Germanic origin if it were to take a Latinate suffix (e.g., FOLDable vs.
foldaBILity).

17. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
NUMBERS
Cardinal and ordinal numbers that represent multiples of ten (20, 30, 40, 50, etc.) have predictable
stress on the first syllable.
Two different stress patterns are possible with the -teen numbers and their ordinal counterparts:
Native speakers tend to use the first of these patterns before a noun in attributive position (e.g., the
THIRteenth man) and when counting. Overall, the second pattern is more common in phrase-final or
utterance-final position, or when speakers are trying to make deliberate distinction between the ten
and teen digits.
When pairs of words such as thirteen and thirty might be confused, native speakers may prefer the
second pattern (i.e. strong stress on the second syllable) to differentiate clearly:

18. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The -teen numbers are compounds - that is, combinations of two or more base
elements. The same is true of all hyphenated numbers: for example, thirty-seven,
eighty-four. Like the -teen numbers, hyphenated numbers have two possible stress
patterns depending on the context:
If a number is used without another number as a contrast, the first pattern is used
unless the number is utterance final, in which case the second pattern is preferred:
Pattern 1: I have TWENty-THREE dollars.
Pattern 2: John is only TWENty-THREE.
The first pattern is also preferred if the multiple of ten is in contrast or is given special
emphasis:
Pattern 1: I said TWENty-THREE, not THIRty-THREE
If however, it is the second number in the compound that is contrasted, the second
pattern is used:
Pattern 2: I said TWENty- THREE, not TWENty-TWO.

19. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
COMPOUND NOUNS
A compound noun is a fixed expression which is made up of
more than one word and which has the function of a noun.
Some are written as two words, some with a hyphen, and
some as one word:
'crash ,barrier ,double-'glazing 'baby,sitter
Notice that some compound nouns have main stress on the
first part and others have main stress on the second part.

20. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The following types of compound noun usually have main stress on the first part:
• noun + noun
' arms race ' fire ex,tinguisher ' night-time ' pillar-box
' lipstick ' news, paper ' airport ' poverty ,trap
Exceptions: infor,mation tech'nology ,town ' hall ,family ' doctor
Notice, however, that if the first part gives the material that the second part is made out of, main
stress usually goes on the second part. Compare:
, cotton ' wool but a ' cotton , plant
Exceptions are most compounds ending with -cake, -bread and -juice:
' cheesecake, ' gingerbread, ' orange , juice
• noun + -ing form
' bird-, watching ' house-,hunting ' fly-,fishing
Exceptions: pe,destrian ' crossi ng ,ball ' bearing ,thanks ' giving
• -ing form + noun
' dressing ,gown ' sitting ,room ' freezing ,point
Exceptions: , managing di'rector de,fining ' moment ,casting ' vote
• verb + noun
' search ,party con'trol ,tower ' think ,tank

21. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Most adjective + noun compound nouns have main stress on the second
part and secondary stress on the first part:
,social se'curity ,hot po'tato ,absolute ' zero
Exceptions: ' blind spot ' dental ,floss ‘ easy ,chair ' broadband ' greenhouse
Note that this includes:
• adjective + -ing form
,central ' heating ,global 'warming , passive ' smoking
• past participle + noun
,split in'finitive inverted 'commas ,lost 'property

22. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
A compound adjective is a fixed expression
which is made up of more than one word and
which has the function of an adjective.
Most compound adjectives are written with a
hyphen, but a few are written as one word:
skin-deep long-term threadbare

23. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The following types of compound adjective usually have main stress on
the first part:
• compound adjectives usually written as one word
'airtight 'carefree 'praise,worthy
Exceptions: , nation'wide ,hand'made
• noun + -ing form
'hair-,raising ‘free-,paying 'time-con,suming
• noun + past participle
' poverty-,stricken 'pear-shaped 'health-re,lated
Exceptions: ,eagle-'eyed ,home-'grown

24. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
The following types of compound adjective usually have main stress on the second part:
• noun + adjective
,fat-'free ,sky-'high ,snow-'white (and other colour compounds)
Exception: ' camera-shy
• adjective + noun
,long-'term ,full-'length ,high-'profile
• adverb or adjective + past participle
,fully-'grown ,long-'sighted ,well-'dressed
• adverb or adjective + -ing form
, easy-'going ,hard-'working ,well-'meaning
Exceptions: ' backward -,look ing 'forward-,looking
• self- as the first part
,self-'confident ,self-in'flicted ,self-'governing
Most compound adjectives with main stress on the second part can have stress shift.
shift
Compare:
The tiger was fully-GROWN. But It was a FULly-grown TIger.
The prices were sky-HIGH. But They were SKY-high PRIces.

25. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Stress will vary between such "true" noun compounds and words that look like noun
compounds but are actually functioning as adjective + noun sequences. Compare:
In the first of these sentences, White House is functioning as a noun compound –
hence
the strong stress is placed on the first element of the compound.
In the second sentence, white is lightly stressed and functions simply as an adjective
modifying the noun house; thus the strong stress falls on the second (or major)
element.
Examples of other word sequences that can function as either noun compounds or
adjective + noun phrases depending on stress and context are greenhouse, blackbird,
cold cream, yellow jacket, blackboard, and hot plate.
When such word sequences are used as noun compounds, they are often spelled as
one
word. The same patterns can occur in more complex contrasts, such as the following:

26. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Two-, three- and four-letter abbreviations said as individual
letters often have main stress on the last letter and
secondary stress on the first:
the ,E'U the ,U'K the ,BB'C ,DN'A the ,YMC'A
Abbreviations like this usually have stress shift. Compare:
He works for the BBC. But He works for BBC Radio
She’s from the UK. But She’s a UK CITizen.

27. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
REFLEXIVES
One grammatical category that exhibits complete
predictability of stress is reflexive pronouns, in which
self/selves receives strong stress in virtually any
environment:

28. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verbs consist of two or three words and are composed of verbs followed
by adverbial particles and/or prepositions. They are informal colloquial verbs of
Germanic origin that can often be paraphrased with a more formal single verb of
Latinate origin:
The prepositions that are the second element of some two-word phrasal verbs or
the third element of three-word phrasal verbs are: about, at, for, from, of, to,
and
with. The most common adverbial particles in two-word verbs are: across, ahead,
along, away, back, behind, down, in(to), off, onp over, under, and up.

29. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
We can distinguish syntactically between the prepositions
and the adverbial particles used to form phrasal verbs. In
formal registers, prepositions can be fronted with their
objects in wh-questions and relative clauses:
Formal About whom are you talking?
Formal I know the woman about whom they were
talking.
Particles, however, never permit such fronting in any
register:
Incorrect Up what word did you look?
Incorrect The word up which we looked has four
meanings.

30. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
We can classify phrasal verbs into three main patterns. In all three
patterns, the verb head has at least one stressed syllable and the
following elements are either unstressed (if functioning as
prepositions) or stressed (if functioning as adverbial particles):

31. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
These stress patterns appear when phrasal verbs are spoken in isolation or when the phrasal
Verb represents the last piece of new information in the predicate:
predicate
Pattern 1 She's LOOKing at it.
Pattern 2 They were STANDing aROUND.
Pattern 3 He RAN aWAY with it.
However, for phrasal verbs in patterns 2 or 3, if some other content (i.e., stressable) word
comes after the verb head and carries important new information, then that word is strongly
stressed and the verb and particle are only lightly stressed:
He TRIED ON a COAT.
We PUT the DOG OUT.
He RANaWAYwith the MONey.
We PUT UP with the NEW diRECtor.
For phrasal verbs in the first pattern, only the verb head receives light stress if it is followed
by some other content word that carries the new information and receives strong stress:
LOOK at the BAby!
They TALKED about the MERger.

32. ENGLISH WORD STRESS
Adapted & summarised from:
 Celce-Murcia, M.; Brinton, D. & Goodwin, J. 2007. Teaching
Pronunciation – A reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of
Other Languages. USA: Cambridge University Press.
 Hancock, M. 2006. English Pronunciation in Use – Intermediate.
Dubai: Cambridge.