Stress Placement and Morphology

Stress placement in morphologically complex words (1) suffix stem word(s) suffixated word(s) word class transcription incl. stress mark -age anchor anchorage noun / noun "Nk@ "Nk@IdZ -al refuse refusal verb / noun rI"fju:z rI"fju:z@l -ance maintain maintenance verb / noun meIn"teIn "meInt@n@ns -ee employ employee verb / noun Em"plOI EmplOI"i: -esque Dylan Dylanesque noun / adj "dIl@n "dIl@nEsk -ful duty dutiful noun / adj "dju:tI "dju:tIfUl -ial deny denial verb / noun dI"naI dI"naI@l

Stress placement in morphologically complex words (2) suffix stem word(s) suffixated word(s) word class transcription incl. stress mark -ic climate climatic noun / adj "klaImt klaI"mtIk -ion perfect perfection adj / noun "p3:fkt p3:"fEkS@n -ish devil devilish noun / adj "dEvl "dEvlS -ity civil civility adj / noun "sIvl sI"vIl@t -ive reflex reflexive noun / adj "rIflEgs r"flEgsIv -less regard regardless vb. or n. /adj rI"gA:d rI"gA:dl@s -like child childlike noun / adj "tSaIld "tSaIldlaIk -ly stupid stupidly adj / adv "stju:pId "stju:pIdlI

Stress placement in morphologically complex words (3) noun verb noun verb abstract abstract object object conduct conduct remit remit contrast contrast produce produce desert desert rebel rebel insult insult subject subject Rule for two-syllable nouns: If the second syllable contains a short vowel, the stress will usually be on the first syllable.

Stress placement in morphologically complex words (4) airport "E:pO:t loudspeaker laUd"spi:k@ classmate "klAsmeIt silk tie silk"taI fast food "fAst fu:d silkworm "sIlkw3:m good-looking gUd"lUkiN sunset "sVnsEt greenroom "gi:nrUm third-rate T3:d"eIt ill-mannered Il"mn@d white house waIt "haUs interest rate "Intr@st reIt White House "waIthaus Rules: Compounds with a “noun” as the first element tend have the stress on the first element. Compounds with an “adjective” as the first element tend to have the stress on the second element Exceptions: fast food / greenroom / White House (where there is an Adj+Noun alternative)