Section 4    f\ ^ddcA   .tcwse   °$   & fronta^
Accentuation and rhythm <k«Aib^
4.1   Accentuation of the word (IPS 9.01-9.05)
Notes: .
(a) In polysyllabjcJEnglish words, one syllable carries the main (primary) SbcenfJ The situation of the primary accent varies r from word to word, e.g. n 'a ^,; j
on the last syllable: hbDI behind, result, cigarette
on the fifnviltimatc syllable^,..,   answer, together,
important
on the ante-penultimate syllable: yesterday, afterwards,
critical, etc.
If easy intelligibility is to be achieved, it is extremely important to give words their correct accentual pattern and characteristic rhythm.
(b) When a syllable is accented, it is made more prominent than : I its neighbours.by means of any or all of four factors: stress,
■ pitch, quality, quantity. Of these, pitch prominence, associated with stress (loudness for the listener), is the most important.
* (c) It is a crucial feature of English pronunciation that syllables :. which are unaccented tend to have weak and obscure qualities, v Thus, /s/ and syllabic /l, m, n/ occur typically only in unaccented syllables occur frequently in both accented and unaccented syllables. All other vowels and diphthongs (hereafter referred to as 'strong vowels') may occur in syllables other than, those carrying the primary accent, but will often have a secondary degree of accent associated with them.
' (d) In the drill patterns which follow, the syllable carrying the primary accent will be shown as >; unaccented syllables as .; syllables with strong vowels and secondary accent as •; syllables with strong vowels but with weak accent as ©.
(e) In phonetic transcriptions and in ordinary orthography, accents will be shown as follows: .   • .
34 Practical course of English pronunciation
primary accent:1 secondary accent:, unaccented: no mark
42   Accentual patterns: 2-syIlable words
4.2.1. Patterns:, %, % .
Al Listen
li'li  'Mi  'Mi li'li li'li 'Mi
A2   Identify the accentual patterns given for /Mi/; check in Appendix p. 76.
A3   Listen to the words given; transcribe them, marking the accent; check in Appendix p. 76. annoy armour 'sofa police 'marble below :;
A4   Listen and repeat
(. *•&) alone machine behind (%.)   over  under husband
4.2.2. Patterns: V V, "v e Notes:
(a) The patterns resemble those above, but the syllable not carrying the primary accent has a strong vowel.
(b) When the syllable containing the strong vowel precedes %, a secondary accent may be associated with it (?); when the syllable containing the strong vowel follows \», there is no secondary accent (o). .,■••'■.■•.<■,'.'.■..■■■ ;
AS .■ Listen :\'''" ■la:la:  ,la:'la:  ,lci'la:  'la:la:     f -,, , ,«<:
A6   Listen and repeat
(« ^) unknown idea antique
A7   Listen and repeat (comparison . > and • S) contain canteen ado undo liniil untie
,0  r.     J      r*M       • ' .,.
AS • Listen and repeat \ ::<, ."<■ --ii < n - • v
(Vo) female programme window. *
Accentuation and rhythm 35
A9   Listen and repeat (comparison % . and % o)
never nephew     pillar pillow    hostel hostile
4.3   Acceataal patterns: 3-syHable words
4.3.1 Patterns: \ ..,.*> .
A10 Listen
'lcdsb Mails Mill 'Mrb
All Identify the accentual patterns of the nonsense items given; check in Appendix p. 76.
A12 Listen to the word* giyenf-transcribe them, marking the accent; check in Appendix p. 76. 'quality   enormous container solution "luckily ''character
A13 Listen and repeat
(S . .) yesterday   bachelor quantity ■ (.- N .) important relation   eleven ;
4.3.2 Patterns: • . \, >.«,•%.,. % o
Note: When a syllable containing a strong vowel immediately follows V there is no secondary accent; in other cases, a syllable containing a strong vowel (but not carrying the primary accent) has a secondary accent
A14 Listen •
,lc:Ma:  'laibia:  ,la:'la:b Maria:
A15 Identify the accentual patterns of the nonsense items given; check in Appendix p. 76.
A16 Listen and repeat Rj^fVvt]
(•-.**) understand 'cigarette afternoon (\ »- *) appetite      photograph telephone (• -V,,) uncertain    re-entry substandard (. % o) tobacco-   .tomato ; :^ ; projectile
36 Practical course of English pronunciation
4.4 Distinctive accentual patterns: 2-syllabIe words
Note: Certain 2-syllabIe words distinguish their noun/adjective form from their verb' form by a difference of accentual pattern, the noun/adj. form having \> . (or    o) and the verb . %.
4.4.1 Distinction by stress/pitch alone:
All  Listen and repeat,
'import («.) im'port (vb) in'sult (vb.)  'insult («.)
4.4.2 Distinction by stress/pitch + changes of quality:
AI8 Listen
n.jaclj. vb.
'frequent fre'quent
'object ob'ject
'present pre'sent
'rebel re'bel
'conduct con'duct '
A19  Identify <hs noun/adjective or verb forms of the words given; check in Appendix p. 76. (1) present  (2)"object (3)"conduct ^rebel (5)'present (6) rebel   (reconduct (8) ^object
A20 Listen and repeat
subject (vb.) 'present (adj.) record (n.) convict (n.)   conduct (vb.) perfect (adj.). refuse (vb.)    object (vb.)    'refuse (n.) Note: Some 2-syllable words do not follow this general rule, or show signs of instability, e.g.: comment has % o /'koment/ for both noun and verb contact has % o /'kDntsekt/ for the noun, and \ o or « ^ ■
fikon'tdskt/ for the verb dispute has .    for both noun and verb, but increasingly % o /'dispjuit/ is used for the noun.
4.5 Distinctive accentual patterns: 3- or 4-syl!able words
Note: Some words of 3 or more syllables also show distinctive ' accentual patterns in their noun/adjective and verb forms:
i
Accentuation and rhythm 37
(a) with a shift of the primary accent and associated sound changes
(b) with the primary accent constant, but with sound changes.
A21  Listen and repeat
J------- n./adj. vb.
(a) alternate /.orl'tsinst "•ailte.neit/ envelope /'enva.laup m'vebp/ attribute /'aetn,bju:t s'tnbjuit/
(b) associate /©'ssojrat a's3uji,eit/ compUment /'kDmphmant 'kDmpk,ment/ separate /'separet 'sep3,reit/ prophesy /'prDfssi 'prDft.sai/
4.6   Accentual patterns: 4-sylIab!e words
A22  Identify the accentual patterns of the nonsense items given; check in Appendix p. 76.
A23  Listen and repeat
(. % . ■.) remarkable s impossible photography
A24 Listen and repeat ^,rhi>
(• % . .) unfortunate rhinoceros subliminal
A25 Listen and repeat
(• . \ .) unimportant photographic circulation
A26 Listen and repeat
(. \ . •) acclimatize negotiate solidify
A27 Listen and repeat
(%...) caterpillar criticism melancholy
A28 Listen and repeat ~
(. » .) educated helicopter prophesying
A29  Listen and repeat
(V . . «) capitalize counterattack
Á30 Listen and repeat
(« . . %) superimpose aquamarine
38 Practical course of English pronunciation
4.7 Recapitulation;    to i-zf*aote words
A31 Listen and repeat (transcriptions with accentual patterns are given in Appendix p. 76). enumerate thirteen      constipated alone invitation   paragraph   under automobile Morocco    sub-normal searchlight superintend
4.8 Accentual patterns: 5- to 8-syflabIe words (a selection)
A32
A33
A34
(5 syllables) Listen and repeat (\   .   .   . .) ( . N ■ .   • ,) ( .   .   . % -)
( •   • ^   • •)
( o . *"& . •) ( o    .    .        .)
(6 syllables') Listen and repeat
capitalism
administraiive
consideration
objectivity
incapacitate
counterproductive
cannibalism Catholicism '• apotheosis \ aristocracy ■ inexactitude interdependence
(■ (• (•
. V . .) inferiority
. V . .) variability
\» .   . .) ceremoniously
. . % .) onomatopeic
. . S .) personification
impossibility
meteorological
indistinguishable
palatalization
electrification
(7, 8 syllables) Listen and repeat (.« . .)
(«.%. . . .) (. .   . .   . % .)
(fi    •      •    *       • •
intelligibility unilateralism industrialization internationalization i •
4.9   Saffixatioa and acceBtaation
Note: The word accentual pattern is determined by the type of certain suffixes. The following is a selection of common types of suffix which attract the primary accent of the base word, with frequent qualitative changes.
Accentuation and rhythm 39
4.9.1 Attracting the primary -accent to the penultimate:
A35  (Suffix -ial/-id[) !f Listen and repeat , proverb proverbial j ''colony ccWial tutor tutorial
A36  {Suffix -ian /-ran/) Listen and repeat
civil        civilian comedy comedian
grammar grammarian     Canada Canadian
A37 (Suffix-ic l-±f) Listen and repeat
atom atomic     drama dramatic     strategy strategic
A38  (Suffix -ion /-(a)n/) Listen and repeat
communicate communication     operate operation supervise supervision     execute execution
4.9.2 Attracting the primary accent to the antepenultimate:
A39 -(Suffix -ity /-sti/) t Listen and repeat
captive captivity curious curibsity
final     finality inferior inferiority
4.10 Compound words (IPE 9.03)
Note: The accentual patterning of compounds is as significant as that of simple words. The most common type of compound accentuation has a primary accent on the first element.
4.10.1 2-syllable compounds:
(1) In a few words, the weaker element undergoes an obscuration of vowel quality giving a pattern
A40 Listen and repeat ■
(S .) postman chairman saucepan
40 Practical course of English pronunciation
(2) More frequently, the vowel of the second element remains strong, giving a pattern    "s> o .
A41 Listen and repeat
(s o) cardboard earthquake windscreen teapot
(3) Other, less numerous 2-syllabIe compounds carry the primary accent on the second element, the first element having a secondary accent.
A42 Listen and repeat
(• %)  downstairs full-grown mince-pie first-class
4.10.2 3-syllable compounds:
Again, either theJksLoj the second element may carry the primary accent.1
A43 Listen and repeat
(V • •) grasshopper grandfather newspaper
A44 Listen and repeat
(*% . «) buttonhole chambermaid honeymoon
A45 Listen and. repeat
(a     .) archbishop blackcurrant field-marshal
A46 Listen and repeat
(o . \) country-house gingerbeer second-hand
4.10.3 4- or 5-sylldble compounds:
(1) 4-sylkbles
, A47 Listen and repeat
(%   .   « .) booking-office 'season-ticket (S   .   . •) musical-box  catherine-wheel \ ( . %  • .)  despatch-rider machine-minder ( e   . % .) easy-going indiarubber -  ( • ^»   . .) vice-chancellor postgraduate
1 When the second element of a compound is a polysyllable, it may carry a full secondary accent even though it immediately follows the primary accent.
Accentuation and rhythm 41
(2) 5-syllables
A48 Listen and repeat
(N   . • . .) fire-extinguisher (S   . . « .) cabinet-maker (•%.».) hot-water-bottle
A49 Listen and repeat (a selection of different compound patterns)
chatterbox shop-window free-wheel washstand power-station mass-production waiting-room
4.11  Compounds and noun pfcsses
Note: The accentual patterns of compounds must be distinguished from those of noun phrases (adj.+n. or «.+«.), which have typically a secondary accents primary accent.
A50  Listen and repeat (comparison: noun phrase and compound) noun phrase compound a black bird   {. e N)     a blackbird (.No) a light ship    (. o N)     a lightship (.No) a cross word (. « N)     a crossword (.No) a grand father (. * N .) a grandfather (. N • .)
Note: In place names, such words as Road, Square (e.g. Euston Road) carry a primary accent; Street is either unaccented with a strong vowel (e.g. North Street— V o) or carries a secondary accent (e.g. Oxford Street—- N . «).
4.12 Variation of word accentual patterns (JPE 11.03)
Note: Words carrying more than one accent may exhibit a weakening of the primary accent when used attributively (i.e. they are affected by the larger accentual/rhythmic context).
A51 Listen and repeat
thirteen   (• N)      thirteen pounds (• o N) afternoon (•  . V) afternoon tea   (• .   • N)