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Question

Difficulty: MediumWord and Syllable Stress

Which of the following options correctly indicates the primary stress placement in the standard pronunciation of the word controversial?

  1. A
    CON-tro-ver-sial
  2. B
    con-TRO-ver-sial
  3. con-tro-VER-sialAnswer
  4. D
    con-tro-ver-SIAL

Answer

The correct stress placement is con-tro-VER-sial, with primary stress on the third syllable.
In standard English phonology, adjectives ending in '-sial' consistently place primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix. In the four-syllable word 'controversial', this places the stress on the third syllable, giving con-tro-VER-sial.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the target word into its constituent syllables.
The word 'controversial' consists of four syllables: con - tro - ver - sial.
Syllabification is necessary to identify the potential position of primary stress.
2
Apply English phonological stress rules for words ending in '-sial'.
The suffix '-sial' conditions stress assignment onto the penultimate syllable relative to the suffix root, which is the third syllable 'ver'.
Words ending in suffixes like '-sial', '-tial', or '-cial' predictably receive primary stress on the immediately preceding syllable.

Key Concept

Primary syllable stress placement in polysyllabic words ending with '-sial'
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Word and Syllable Stress

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