The accentual structure of English words. Primary and secondary accent. Functions of the word stress. The basic rules of English word accentuation.

In English there are three degrees of word stress: stressed syllables (primary stress), half-stressed syllables (secondary stress) and weak or unstressed syllables. A large group of polysyllabic simple words bear both the primary and the secondary stresses, eg ,conver'sation.

There are several large groups of words in English with two equally strong stresses. These words consist of two morphemes. The use of the second strong stress is caused by the semantic significance of both equally stressed elements of the word, eg 're'write, 'fourteen.

Word stress in English as well as in Russian is free, in the sense that the primary stress is not tied to any particular syllable in all the words. But it always falls on a particular syllable of any given word.

The secondary stress is manifested in polysyllabic words with the primary stress on the third or on the fourth syllable from the beginning, eg popularity, responsibility.

In words with the primary stress on the third syllable the secondary stress usually falls on the first syllable, eg ,deco'ration.

If the primary stress falls on the fourth or fifth syllable the secondary stress is very commonly on the second syllable, eg ar,ticu'lation, experimentation.

Consequently the position of the secondary stress is often that of the primary stress in the original word, i.e. in the word from which the derivative word is formed, cf 'possible — ,possi'bility, appreciate — ap,preci'ation.

In some cases the position of the secondary stress is connected with the type of the suffix which can influence the accentual pattern. But there is still no good ground for establishing regular rules in this case.

To avoid making accentual mistakes it is necessary to the learner to know the basic rules of English words:

1. In most disyllabic word the accent falls of the initial syllabic

2. In the disyllabic words with a prefix which has lost its meaning the stress falls on the second syllable that is to say on a rood syllable (become).

3. In disyllabis words ending in –aty, -ise, -ize, -ly the stress falls on the last syllable (dictate, surprise)

4. In most word in 3 or 4 syllables the accent falls on the 3 syllable from the end of tne word (family)

5. The accent on the 3 syllable from the end is especially typical of polysyllabic word with the suffix (recognize) –ize, -ly, -ate. The accent falls on the3 syllabic from the end of the word before the following suffixes:

- logy (psychology), -logist ( biologist)

- graphy ( geography), -grapher (geographer)

- cracy (democracy)

The accent falls on the 2 second syllable from the end of the word:

- ian (physician)

- unce ( experience)

- ient ( expedient)

- cient (efficient)

- al (parental)

- ial (essential)

- ual ( habitual)

- eores ( courage)

- ious (delicious)

- iar (familiar)

The accent falls on the final syllable formed by the following suffixes:

- ee (refuge – refugee/ employ – employee)

- eer ( engine – engineer)

- esque (picture – picturesque)

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Syllabic structure of words. Syllable formation and syllable division.	\|	Intonation and its components. The intonation group. Terminal tones.

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