IV. Variation in word stress

The stress patterns of some English words are liable to variations of different kinds. There is free variation of stress location due to some rhythmic and analogical pressures, both of which entail in addition considerable changes of sound pattern in words[3;182], e.g.

1) in some words of three syllables, there is variation between '--- and -'--patterns: deficit, integral (adj), exquisite.

2) similarly, in words of four syllables, there is variation between first and second syllable stressing: hospitable, formidable, despicable.

Pronunciation patterns of such words due to the variation in stress placement have the status of alternative pronunciation forms which occur in educated usage.

A case of variable stress placement caused by the context is known as stress-shift. When a word of several syllables has a stress near the end of the word, and is followed by another word with stress near its beginning, there is a tendency for the stress in the first word to move nearer the beginning if it contains a syllable that is capable of receiving stress, e.g. the word academic in isolation usually has the stress or the penultimate syllable /-dem-/. However, when the word year follows, the stress often found to move to the first syllable /k-/; the whole phrase ‘academic year’ will have the primary stress on the word year, so the resulting stress pattern will be 'academic 'year. In isolation, we say ‘fundamental’ and ‘Japanese’ with primary stress on -ment and -nese, in connected speech these words may have a different pattern: greater stress on fund- and Jap-.

Conclusion

Stressed words are the key to excellent pronunciation and understanding of English. Word stress is not an optional extra that you can add to the English language if you want. It is part of the language! English speakers use word stress to communicate rapidly and accurately, even in difficult conditions. If, for example, you do not hear a word clearly, you can still understand the word because of the position of the stress.

References

1. А.Е. Левицький, Л.А. Гарощук. Поглиблений курс теоретичної фонетики англійської мови.- Вінниця: ПП Фоліант, 2005 – 71 с.

2. С.Ф. Леонтьева. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка: Учеб. для студентов вечер. и заоч. отд. педвузов, 2-е изд., испр. и доп.-М.: ВШ, 1988 – 271 с.

3. В. Ю. Паращук Теоретична фонетика англійської мови: навчальний посібник для студентів факультетів іноземних мов. – Вінниця. НОВА КНИГА, 2009. – 232 с.

4. М.А. Соколова, К.П. Гингтовт, И.С. Тихонова, Р.М. Тихонова. Теоретическая фонетика английского языка (англ.яз.). – М.: ВШ, 1991 – С.. 247 – 256.