1. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) English for Science Pronouncing Polysyllables Long words, stress patterns and clues for saying the right thing.

2. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables Stress, stress marks and clues to where words are stressed; In words with 2 or more syllables. In English as in German, some syllables in polysyllabic words receive more emphasis than others. Stressed vowels have a more distinct, unstressed a less distinct sound. What's going on here? What's stress?

3. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables Stress on the wrong syllable may result in unintentional mirth. Try this with a foreigner: Give him a list of past participles beginning with umge- and then ask him/her to pronounce the word Umgebung. (S)he will probably say: 'Umge'bung instead of Um'gebung because the past participles (e.g. 'umge'fahren) are pronounced that way. A stress mark (') indicates where the stress is. Stress in the wrong place, stress marks

4. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables Sometimes stress may be on either syllable, changing the function of the word, e.g.: 'produce, n. (Erzeugnis) pro'duce, v.t. (erzeugen) Stress Marks: bisyllables/Stress Clues In words with > 2 syllables look for: endings like –ic; the CIA group (sh!); or the third last syllable. Clues

5. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables  -ic, -ical, -ically: are all stressed on the syllable before the –ic. 'practical 'practically; 'skeptic 'skeptical 'skeptically; 'basic 'basically; 'physical 'physically. At least one exception: 'rhetoric. -ic Rules and Examples

6. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables CSTGCSTG I OAOA  Common to this group are: the sounds ʃ, ʧ, ʒ or ʤ ; the i is indistinct; the final vowel is minimalised ( ə). CIA (sh!) Rules and Examples facial spatial Asia station tension region

7. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables  Keep an eye open for the CIA group which has a number of different spellings including those with other initial letters including: tu (ʧ), su( ʃ, ʒ ): 'nature, 'lesion, 'leisure; ni, nu: 'onion, 'tenure; ri: me'morial.  And, unfortunately, CIA spellings which do not indicate stress, e.g. associ'ation. More CIA (sh!)

8. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables  If the –ic or CIA rules do not apply then a word of Latin or Greek origin may be stessed on the third last, or antepenultimate syllable. 'ultimate = last pe'nultimate = second (nearly) last antepe'nultimate = third last Third Last Syllable Rule and Examples

9. SuSe 2009© 2009, Lee Traynor, MA (Oxon) EfS Pronouncing Polysyllables 'photograph pho'tographer but photo'graphic  In the last example the –ic rule prevails. Conflict?