Speech Work: Stress Placement on Two or More Syllable Words

In this lesson, we will explain the morphophonemic approach at identifying a stressed syllable. In this approach, stress placement is determined as a result of the occurrence and arrangement of vowels (short, long, diphthongs) and consonants in syllables.

 

Guidelines

A   (i) For two syllable words, Simple Adjectives, Adverbs and Prepositions,

Stress the first syllable when the second syllable contains a short vowel and one or a final consonant. E.g. ENter, ENvy, Open, Equal.

However, a two syllable verb that ends in the diphthong (әu) is stressed on the first syllable for example FOllow, BOrrow.

 

(ii) Stress the second syllable if it contains a long vowel or diphthong and ends with more than one consonant. E.g.     withDRAW, inVITE, conTACT, aLIVE.

 

iii)Three syllabled verbs

If the last syllable contains a long vowel, diphthong or   more than our consonant stress it. If the last syllable           contains a short vowel or not more one consonant     stress the second syllable e.g. resuRRECT, enterTAIN,       enCOUNTER, deTERmine

 

B   (i)Nouns of two syllables

Stress the first syllable if the second syllable contains a short vowel otherwise stress the second e.g. MOney, PROduct, LArynx, eSTATE, balLOON, deSIGN.

 

(ii)Nouns of three syllables

If the last syllable contains a short vowel or the diphthong /әu/, it receives no stress. If the middle syllable contains a long vowel or diphthong or ends with more than one consonant, that middle syllable is stressed e.g. poTAto, diSASter, boNANza, syNOPsis, diSASter, apPOINTment.

 

If the last syllable contains a short vowel and contains not more than one consonant, stress the first syllable e.g. QUANtity, EXercise, CUStody, SCHOlarship, EMperor, CInema.

 

EVALUATION

Identify three guidelines for identifying a stressed syllable.

 

See also

Grammar: Rules of Concord

The Use of the Dictionary

Structure: Prepositional Phrase

Writing: Article Writing

Vocabulary Development: Prefixes

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