On this page, you will find activities connected with word stress, especially with regard to compound words. In addition to some comments and links, you will see lists containing words we've not discussed in class. You are welcome to chip in with other words.
A) Read the following entry in John Maidment's blog about English word stress. Can you find any difference with what we've done in class. Read, enjoy and then, if possible, comment either in his blog or in this one.
B) As simple as stress patterns may seem, one can often find animated discussions of whether this word or that word is single- or double-stressed. Much of this, predictably, takes place in the blogosphere, or “the totality of blogsites” (Crystal, 2006:239). Sometimes, to decide on the pattern of a specific word may not be simple, either because some words may not have a fixed pattern or because language users may create new compounds on the spur of the moment. To add a further complication, stress patterns may undergo modifications in connected speech. I invite you all to read the blog post linked to below, written halfway through October, 2010 by J. C. Wells and subsequently commented on by a number of native and non-native speakers of English. You'll be able to read lively discussions as to whether certain compounds should be single- or double-stressed. On a final note, it is important to remember that there are diverse stress notation systems. The one we have adopted in class uses a level mark (ˈ) before stressed syllables. However, other systems mark stress in different ways. For instance, underlining these syllables may be another option.
Reference
Crystal, D. (2006). Language and the Internet. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: C.U.P.
C) Below is an ever-growing list of compound words which are sometimes difficult to find even in pronunciation dictionaries. I hope they come in useful. Remember that here and elsewhere in this blog, BrE means British English and AmE stands for American English. You are invited to contribute compounds with their stress pattern as you come across them.
Compound words
ˈgift certificate
comˈputer game
ˈnotebook comˈputer
ˈbackstage ˈworker
ˈbackstage ˈworker
ˈnose ring
ˈOedipus Complex
ˈold age seˈcurity
ˈoven glove
ˈoverhead proˈjector
ˈshop ˈwindow
ˈshop assistant
ˈshop ˈfloor
ˈshopping mall/center
ˈreading skills (It is incorrect to say ˈreading ˈskills, as we mean skills for reading and not skills that read.)
ˈtummy button (BrE navel, as said by children sometimes)
ˈcrime rate (typically single-stressed)
ˈlove affair
ˈlove story
ˈroll call
ˈrolling ˈstone
ˈlip-synching
ˈspring ˈchicken
ˈname-dropping
ˈname-calling
ˈtalent spotter
ˈjack-of-ˈall-trades
ˈwav files /wæv/
ˈmpˈ3 filesˈpodcast
ˈkitchen paper or ˈkitchen roll (in BrE) but ˈpaper ˈtowel (in AmE)
ˈdown ˈpayment (= initial payment)
ˈDown's syndrome / ˈDown syndrome (= chromosomal disorder)
ˈvisually imˈpaired
ˈhearing impaired / ˈhearing imˈpaired
ˈPalm ˈSunday
ˈGood ˈFriday
ˈEaster ˈSunday
ˈcliffhanger (=situación de suspenso; you don't know what's about to happen)
ˈshort ˈstory
ˈshort ˈstory writer
ˈHush Puppies®
ˈice ˈcream (mostly BrE) but ˈice cream (AmE)
ˈice-ˈblue (but remember ˈice-blue ˈdress)
ˈpocket-sized
ˈpoison-ˈpen letter (=carta anónima ofensiva)
ˈroad hog (=conductor atolondrado/peligroso)
ˈmummy's boy
