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Question

Difficulty: HardWord and Syllable Stress

In spoken English, multisyllabic words ending with the suffix '-ical' follow specific phonological accentuation rules. Which pattern correctly indicates the primary stressed syllable for the word geographical?

  1. ge-o-GRAPH-i-calAnswer
  2. B
    ge-O-graph-i-cal
  3. C
    GE-o-graph-i-cal
  4. D
    ge-o-graph-I-cal

Answer

The correct option is 'ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal', which places primary stress on the third syllable (GRAPH).
Primary stress is correctly assigned to the third syllable 'GRAPH' (ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal) because English phonological rules dictate that words ending in '-ical' carry primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix and morphological structure of the target word 'geographical'.
The word consists of five syllables (ge-o-graph-i-cal) and terminates in the derivational suffix '-ical'.
English stress rules are conditioned by specific derivational suffixes.
2
Apply the English accentuation rule for adjectives ending in '-ical'.
Words ending in '-ical' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (three syllables from the end), corresponding to 'GRAPH'.
The suffix '-ical' forces the stress back to the syllable immediately preceding it.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned antepenultimate syllable stress placement for words ending in '-ical'.
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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