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Question

Difficulty: MediumWord and Syllable Stress

Which of the following options correctly shows the primary stress placement in the standard pronunciation of the word geographical?

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

Answer

ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal
The form 'ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal' correctly places primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable ('GRAPH'), adhering to the standard rule that words ending in '-ical' have stress on the third syllable from the end.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the word structure and suffix
The word 'geographical' is a five-syllable adjective ending in '-ical'.
English phonology rules state that polysyllabic words ending in '-ical' (or '-ic') assign primary stress to the antepenultimate syllable (third syllable from the end).
2
Count syllables from the end to locate the antepenultimate syllable
The breakdown is ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal. Counting backward: 'cal' (1st), 'i' (2nd), 'GRAPH' (3rd).
The third syllable from the end is 'GRAPH'.
3
Select the matching stress representation
The correctly capitalized form is ge-o-GRAPH-i-cal.
Capital letters indicate the syllable receiving primary stress.

Key Concept

Stress placement on words ending in '-ical'
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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