English words can be divided into syllables. Each spoken vowel sound makes one syllable. A syllable can be • • • • a vowel sound alone, a vowel before a consonant, a vowel after a consonant, or a vowel betvveenconsonants. Consonant-vowelVowel-consonant Consonant-vowel Listen to these examples of one-syllable words and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES ice be Vowel alone I cute you tough consonant to oh on big Each syllable in a word has a degree of emphasis, called stress. There are three stress levels in English, primary (/), secondary (I), and unstressed (-). Each word of two or more syllableshas one syllable that is longer and louder than the others. It has primary stress. In the examples that follow, these syllables are represented in extra bold letters. Some words and syllables have secondary stress, which is slightly weaker than the primary one, but louder and longer than an unstressed one. These syllables are represented in bold letters in the examples. There are many unstressed syllables in English. They have a short, soft vowel sound and may be difficult to hear at first. They are represented in the examples in Roman type. Unstressed vowels pronounced jaj are in light blue italics. Be careful to emphasize any consonants that occur with unstressed vowels. 145 UNiT ThiRTY--Two :::::::::: A WTwo,SyllAbLE WoRds =====-=-:: ------=------ Introducing Primary Stress A word with two vowel sounds has two syllables. One syllable has primar y su·ess. Say it a little louder and longer than the other. Pronounce the vowel with importance. The vowel of the unstressed syllable is usually pro­ nounced /a/, no matter how it is spelled. Make the vowel sound short. Pronounce the consonant sounds clearly and distinctly. Listen to the following examples and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES Primary stress on first syllable I cliacpleassoldancwashwatchfoldseat- P1imary stress on second syllable I mate tor ure <lier es es es ed adex- vice cite 0011· fused sup- pose sur- piised UNiT TkiR-ry-Two: Two,SyllAblE WoRds EXAMPLES Stress on first syllable Stress on second syllable I /iy/ my re- haci- by ty debe- peat duct gin arelfol- row bow low 0- bey gue u- nique inin- stead sist mune ar- /ow/ /iuw/ arnephvalhf builddenmu- oo- mit kay ew ue ing tist sic im- Usage Tip • The stress patterns / - and - / indicate the differ­ ence between certain nouns and verbs. Listen to the following examples and repeat them after the speaker. ed EXAMPLES The sounds /iy/, /ow/, /iuw/, and /I/ often keep their normal pronunciations in unstressed syllables. Listen to the following examples and repeat them after the speaker. 146 147 Verbs Nouns I presrebobprogrec- I ent el ject ress ord pre- sent re- bel ob- ject pro- gress re- cord 148 149 UNiT TkiRry,Two: Two,SyllAblE WoRds To practice the difference in stress between nouns and verbs, repeat the following sentences after the speaker. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES EXAMPLES We're going to present him with a present at the reception. His brother is a 1·ebel. He rebels against all the established rules. If you don't object, I will put several objects on the table. "When did you record your last record?," the boy asked the singer. Introducing Secondary Stress - Some two-syllable words have primary stress on the first syllable and secondary stress on the second syllable. Say the first syllable strongly. Emphasize the second syllable a little less, but say it with a clear vowel. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES I acath- cent lete fe. male income insect trans- fer Usage Tips • The stress pattern / 1 is common for compound words. Adjectives Nouns Verbs I I I plane airbird- house black- board drug- store dog hotland- lord make- up road rail- clean black- mail brain- wash down- grade foot- note nap kid- barecare• forehomenew- dry- foot free most sick born • The stress patterns / , and - / indicate the differ­ ences between some nouns and verbs. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES Verbs Nouns comcomconconcon- concondis- perproSUS• bine pact duct llict tract trast vert count mit test pect comcomconconconconcon- dis- perpro SUS- I bine pact duct flict tract trast vert count mit test pect Now repeat these sentences to practice the noun­ verb differences in stress. 150 UNiT TltiRTY-Two: PRONOUNCE IT PERfECTLy iN ENGLislt Two-SyLLAbLE WORds 151 EXAMPLES The student's conduct was unacceptable. The teacher had to conduct him to the principal. vVesigned a contract to buy the house. Now we have to contract an architect to remodel it. The young boy's father wouldn't permit him to get a driver's permit. I suspect he is one of the suspects . • The stress patterns I I and I - are important for distinguishing the "teen" numbers from the "tens." Note also that they have different pronunciations of the letter 1. Listen to the next examples and repeat them after the speaker. Have you seen my teen? She's a high school queen Between sixteen and seventeen. She can be flirty, act like thirty, Or a baby, then a lady, She makes her mother feel like eighty, Or eighteen. • The stress patterns I I and I I distinguish compound words from other modified nouns. Listen to the examples that follow and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES I IIroom bird word Compound dog Modifier + noun hot blue dark black green board house I hotdog darkroombluebird blackboard greenhouse Teens Tens I thirfour- fifsix- teen teen teen teen thirfor- fif- ty ty ty six- ty eigh- teen eigh- ty nine- teen nine- ty Seventeen and seventy have an additional unstressed syllable: seven teen seven ty Say the following poem, one line at a time, after the speaker, to practice the tens and· teens. Listen to these sentences, which compare compound nouns with other modified nouns, and repeat them after the speaker. The kitchen was a dark room. There was a darkroom in the basement for photos. I saw a blue bird in the yard. I don't think it was a bluebird. They bought a new house with a greenhouse and a birdbath in the back. 152 UNiT TlliRTy-Two: Two,SyLIAbLE WoRds I live in a white house, but it's not The White House. He said a few cross words when he couldn't finish the crossword puzzle. It was 100 ° , and Rover was one hot dog. Hot dogs are great at baseball games. • Some words have secondary stress on the first syllable, and primary on the second. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. un- do pack up- date with- draw un- EXAMPLES I I build do check heat I up down off off call calm down clean up dream up dress up back back back I I find out give back give give band hand leave put in up in out out I I put off slow down take take take use wind in out off up up OD EXAMPLES • Verbs with the prefix re, when it means "to do again," also have , / as a stress pattern. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. rererere- I Now repeat the following sentences featwing the , I stress pattern. I toon cash- ier Chin- ese post- pone EXAMPLES Practice for Mastery EXAMPLES car- 153 rererere- play set tell think I re- wind re- word re- write • Some verbs followed by prepositions have special meanings, and are called two-word verbs or phrasal verbs. They too have the , / stress pattern. Listen to the examples and repeat them after the speaker. After \.Ve unpack, we'll play Chinese checkers. I'm going to the cashier to withdraw the money. She will rewind the cartoon for you. \IVe'll retest your blood and postpone your routine exam. Please slow down, or we'll wind up on the side of the road. Let's find out if we can take off next week. I'll call off the ne:\t paity if you don't clean up after this one. A .ONE,SyllAblE PRdixEs ____ UNiT TltiRTy,FouR _____ -----------EXAMPLES Prefixes are one- or two-syllable additions that occur at the beginning of some words. They carry cer­ tain meanings that modify the words. The following examples contain one-syllable pre­ fixes that a1·e usually unstressed. Listen to the words and repeat them after the speaker. EXAMPLES General PrefIX meaning of prefix co­ con­ com­ de­ dis­ ex­ mis­ pre­ pro­ re- coconcomde- op- er- ate tin- ue JD.it- tee liv- er dis- cuss ex- bib- it mis- take pre- pare pr o- test re- ward with with with down, from negative out, from wrong before for back Other one-syllable prefixes usually have secondary stress. Listen and repeat after the speaker. 159 UNiT TltiRTy ... fivE A W,Two.-SyllAblE PRdixEs 160 EXAMPLES Prefix biinirma!nonpanpostresubtransunvice- General meaning of prefix biinir- oept res- lo- gy pon- si- ble mal- nour- ish non- poi- son- pan- 0rapost- pone rewrite sub- let trans- fer un- hap - PY vice- pres- i- ous ma dent two not not baclly not all after again under across not deputy As mentioned in the preceding unit, there are pre­ fixes that have two syllables. Here are some examples: EXAMPLES Prefix General meaning anteantiautocircurncounterh yperhypointer- before against self around opposite to more than normal less than normal between tiny one many many one extreme micro- monomultipolyuniultra- When these prefixes form a three-syllable word, there is usually primary stress on th.e first syllable, fol­ lowed by an unstressed syllable and secondary stress on the third syllable. Repeat the following examples after the speaker. EXAMPLES I anan- tetito- date freeze mat aucir- cum- cize conn- ter- point mi- cro- scope rail mon- 0mul- tiniti• ultra- 161 ply verse sound 162 When two-syllable prefixes form a word of four or more syllables, there is usually secondary stress on the fo·st syllable, no stress on the second, and primary stress on the third. The remaining syllables are unstressed. Listen carefully and repeat the next examples after the speaker. EXAMPLES I dent cial totic cum- vention ter- clock- wise tive hy- per- achy- po- der- mic t·i on ter- acinmicro- sco- pie gual mon- 0linter eso lyp sal uni vermul- tition - al na0ullet h·a- vi- ananaucircoun- te- ce- ti- soma- an- tian- tian- tiq- SuffixEs ---- Suffixes are additions of one or more syllables that may be attached to the end of words. They usually have a grammatical function. For example, they can change the part of speech of a basic word, change the tense of a verb, and change the form of an adjective. It is important to pronounce suffixes clearly, with the proper stress. They are almost always unstressed: Say the vowel sound quickly and with your mouth almost closed, but pronounce the consonant sounds in these syllables distinctly. After the speaker, repeat the following words that end in unstressed one-syllable suffLxes. EXAMPLES Noun suffixes Some exceptions to this pattern are as follows. Listen, then repeat after the speaker. I - UNiT TkiRry.-Six ----­ -ance -ant -ate -ee -ence -ent -er -ist -ment -sion -some -tion im-porim-por- tance tant grad-u- ate oc-curcur- rence rent em-ploy- ee drivso-cialgov-em- ex-panhandat-ten- er ist ment sion some tion I ci- pate pa- thy ui- ty an- tith- e- sis mo- nop- 0- mo- nog- amo- not- 0- ly mous ny 163 164 UNiT TliiRTy,Six: SuffiXEs EXAMPLES EXAMPLES Noun suffixes I Adjective suffixes -al mu-sigrad-ucurbravbravhelpau-to-matex-cesm1d-tijeal- -ate -ent -er -est -fol -ic -ive -le -ous -day -graph -tude cal ate rent er est ful hol- iphot- 0atti- ic Verb suffixes I sive ple -ate -fy OtlS EXAMPLES - want- ed es usread- ing EXAMPLES I pi- o- neer Adverb suffixes slow- ly I grad- u- ate qual- i- fy crit- i- cize EXAMPLES -ly tude The noun suffix -eer has primary stress. Repeat the next example after the speaker. Verb suffixes -ing day graph EXAMPLES -ize -ed -es 165 rap id ly hap pi ly The following one-syllable suffixes are exceptions to the unstressed pattern. They have secondary stress. Repeat them after the speaker. aucrac- tio- neer ke- teer The adjective suffix -ese has primary stress. Repeat the example after the speaker. EXAMPLES I Jap- a- nese LeSu- ba- nese da- nese Some suffixes have two syllables . Both are unstressed. Repeat the following examples after the speaker. 166 UNir TltiRTy,Six: Suffius EXAMPLES EXAMPLES I Noun suffixes -ator -apher -eter -ison -ity -ogy sena- tor ste-nog ra- pher ther-mom- e- ter uni- son na-tion-al- i- ty bi-olo- gy (noun suffix) for-ma-tion I (adverb suflh) e-vi-dent-ly Now repeat the following nouns that have second­ ary stress on the first syllable of the suffix. EXAMPLES EXAMPLES I Adjective suffixes -able -ian -ible -ical -ier -iest -ior -01y rad- pa- hie di- an s·i- ble ical sil- li- caCa-nasen- er est su-pe- Ji- or senso- 1y pret- ti- in- dieme- so- ven- dicia- 1y ta- tor a- tor lis- m to- Some suffixes may cause the stress of the basic word form to shift to another syllable. Repeat the examples after the speaker. EXAMPLES - EXAMPLES Adverb suffixes -ally -ately -ently -ively -ously 167 cal- ly vate- ly per-manent- ly com-pe-ti- tive- ly ser-ious- ly prac-tipri- The following tw·o examples are exceptions to the pattern. They have primary stress on the first syllable of the suffix. Listen and repeat the words after the speaker. I - - a-pol-o-gy a-p ol-o-get-ic I - - I - cu-Ji-os- i-ty cu-1i-ous - I I e-con-o-my ec-o-nom-ics I - - - i-ro-ny i -ron-ic - I ne-go-ti-ate I I - ne-go-ti-a-tion 168 I I pho-to-graph pho-tog-ra-pher I I pol-i-tics - I - I - pol-i-ti-cian - - I - pub-he pub-li-ca-tion I I schol-i:ir pho-tog-ra-phy - scho-las-tic I - - pub-lic-i-ty
