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Question

Difficulty: MediumWord and Syllable Stress

Which of the following syllabifications correctly indicates the primary stress placement in the word biographical?

  1. A
    bi-O-graph-i-cal
  2. bi-o-GRAPH-i-calAnswer
  3. C
    bi-o-graph-I-cal
  4. D
    bi-o-graph-i-CAL

Answer

The correct stress placement is bi-o-GRAPH-i-cal, with primary stress on the third syllable.
The correct form is 'bi-o-GRAPH-i-cal'. In English phonology, words ending with the adjectival suffix '-ical' place primary stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix, which is the third syllable 'GRAPH'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix and word category
The word 'biographical' contains five syllables and ends with the adjectival suffix '-ical'.
English stress assignment rules are often dictated by specific derivational suffixes.
2
Apply the phonological stress rule for '-ical' suffixes
The suffix '-ical' mandates primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding '-ical' (the antepenultimate syllable of the whole word).
In polysyllabic adjectives with '-ical' (e.g., biological, geographical, biographical), primary stress moves to the syllable right before the suffix.
3
Determine the stressed syllable
The third syllable 'GRAPH' receives the primary accent, yielding 'bi-o-GRAPH-i-cal'.
Counting backwards from the end, 'GRAPH' is the syllable directly prior to '-i-cal'.

Key Concept

Stress assignment in polysyllabic words ending with '-ical'
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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