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Question

Difficulty: HardWord and Syllable Stress

In Oral English, verbs with four or more syllables ending in the suffix '-ate' follow standard phonological stress rules. Which option correctly displays the primary stress placement for the word incapacitate?

  1. A
    IN-ca-pac-i-tate
  2. B
    in-CA-pac-i-tate
  3. in-ca-PAC-i-tateAnswer
  4. D
    in-ca-pac-I-tate

Answer

The correct option is 'in-ca-PAC-i-tate' with primary stress on the third (antepenultimate) syllable.
The word 'incapacitate' is a five-syllable verb ending in '-ate'. According to English word stress rules, multi-syllabic verbs with the suffix '-ate' place primary stress on the antepenultimate (third from the end) syllable. Counting back from the final syllable ('-tate' = 1, '-i-' = 2, '-pac-' = 3), the primary stress falls on 'PAC', yielding 'in-ca-PAC-i-tate'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the word into its constituent syllables
The word 'incapacitate' consists of five syllables: in-ca-pac-i-tate.
Correct syllabification is necessary to identify syllable position relative to the end of the word.
2
Apply the phonological rule for polysyllabic verbs ending in '-ate'
Words of three or more syllables ending in '-ate' place primary stress on the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable.
Suffixed verbs ending in '-ate' consistently assign primary accent to the antepenult.
3
Locate the antepenultimate syllable in 'in-ca-pac-i-tate'
Counting backwards from the end (1st: '-tate', 2nd: '-i-', 3rd: '-pac-'), the antepenultimate syllable is '-pac-'.
The third syllable from the end receives the primary stress ('in-ca-PAC-i-tate').

Key Concept

Antepenultimate Stress Rule for '-ate' Verbs
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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