Lecture 6- Secondary Stress in Polysyllable Words

Phonetics________________2nd

Year LMD Teacher: Mr.Aounali . W

Introduction :

As you know, every English word must have a primary stress and optionally a secondary

stress. The latter is found in some words but not in others. i.e: Publicity vs Responsibility.

Secondary stress precedes in derivations, follows in compounds; at least there is one syllable

between primary and secondary stress. Secondary stress is on the syllable of derivation where

there was primary stress in the original word: participate / participation.

1. Automatic secondary stress:

/ / ; / / ; / / ; // ; //

2. Derivational secondary stress:

This time, when there are 3 or more syllables before the primary stress, the placement of

primary stress cannot be automatic but is the result of the derivation rule. Indeed, primary

stress may fall either on the first or on the second syllable of the polysyllabic word.

Derivation rule: the rule consists of 3 steps to be followed

1. Find the most direct ROOT from which the polysyllabic word is derived from.

2. Determine the place of PRIMARY STRESS in the root, using the appropriate stress rule.

3. Reduce PRIMARY STRESS in the root to SECONDARY STRESS in the derived word.

Ex 1: Verification / Suffix –tion: penult stress

Verify / / Verbal –fy rule: antepenult stress

Ex 2: Anticipation / / Suffix –tion: penult stress

Anticipate / / Verbal –fy rule: antepenult stress

Exercise: determine the placement of secondary stress in the following words:

Recommend, embryology, education, characteristic, automatic, eradication, pronunciation.

PLACING THE SECONDARY STRESS IN POLYSYLLABIC WORDS

When there are only 2 syllables before the primary stress, we can determine the place of

secondary stress in a systematic way, and we therefore call it “automatic” stress. Thus,

the secondary stress necessarily falls on the first syllable of the word. Why is tress automatic?

1- The syllable just before the primary stress must receive a zero stress.

2- The first syllable of the word, directly before the zero stress will receive secondary stress.

Examples: Picturesque ; Phonologic ; Engineering ; Electricity ; Polysyllable