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Question

Difficulty: EasyWord and Syllable Stress

Which of the following options represents the correct primary stress placement for the word economic?

  1. A
    E-co-nom-ic
  2. B
    e-CO-nom-ic
  3. e-co-NOM-icAnswer
  4. D
    e-co-nom-IC

Answer

The word 'economic' carries its primary stress on the third syllable: e-co-NOM-ic.
The word 'economic' follows the rule where words ending in the suffix '-ic' take primary accentuation on the penultimate syllable ('NOM'), making 'e-co-NOM-ic' the correct syllabified stress form.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix of the word
The word 'economic' ends with the adjectival suffix '-ic'.
Suffixes in English determine specific stress placement patterns.
2
Apply the primary stress rule for the '-ic' suffix
Primary stress falls on the penultimate (second to last) syllable, which is 'NOM'.
Polysyllabic words ending in '-ic' take primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix.

Key Concept

Penultimate Syllable Stress Rule for '-ic' Suffixes
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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