Examkin

Word and Syllable Stress

68 questions

All types68Multiple choice33Matching16Fill in the blank19
Question 1Question →

In standard English pronunciation, which option correctly indicates the primary stress placement in the word hospitality?

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Answer: hos-pi-TAL-i-ty

Answer

The correct stress placement is hos-pi-TAL-i-ty.
In standard English, polysyllabic words ending with the suffix '-ity' consistently carry primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (the syllable directly preceding '-ity'). For the five-syllable word 'hospitality', this places the stress on the third syllable, resulting in 'hos-pi-TAL-i-ty'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the word into its individual syllables and identify any inflectional or derivational suffixes.
The word 'hospitality' is divided into five syllables: hos-pi-tal-i-ty, ending with the nominal suffix '-ity'.
Stress rules in multisyllabic English words depend on suffix types and syllable structure.
2
Apply the phonological rule for words ending in '-ity'.
The suffix '-ity' assigns primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding it (the antepenultimate syllable), which is 'TAL'.
Adding '-ity' causes a stress shift from the root noun 'HOS-pi-tal' to the antepenultimate syllable 'hos-pi-TAL-i-ty'.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned word stress placement
Estimated Time:45s
Question 2Question →

Match each of the following multisyllabic English words with the statement that correctly describes the position of its primary stress.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

category
monopoly
hypothetical
examination

Matches

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Answer

'category' matches primary stress on the first syllable (CAT-e-go-ry); 'monopoly' matches primary stress on the second syllable (mo-NOP-o-ly); 'hypothetical' matches primary stress on the third syllable (hy-po-THET-i-cal); and 'examination' matches primary stress on the fourth syllable (ex-am-i-NA-tion).
Each multisyllabic word is paired with its precise stress assignment: 'category' places primary stress on the first syllable (CAT-e-go-ry); 'monopoly' carries primary stress on the second syllable (mo-NOP-o-ly); 'hypothetical' receives stress on the third syllable (hy-po-THET-i-cal) due to the '-ical' suffix rule; and 'examination' places stress on the fourth syllable (ex-am-i-NA-tion) due to the '-ation' suffix rule.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the syllabification and primary stress location for each word.
CAT-e-go-ry (1st syllable), mo-NOP-o-ly (2nd syllable), hy-po-THET-i-cal (3rd syllable), ex-am-i-NA-tion (4th syllable).
English stress rules depend on word class and specific derivational suffixes such as '-ical' and '-ation'.
2
Pair each word with its corresponding description.
Connect each word from the left list to its matching stress position description in the right list.
Matching each word to its unique stressed syllable position yields the accurate answer pairs.

Key Concept

Polysyllabic Word Stress and Suffix Stress Rules
Question 3Question →

Match each of the following English words to its corresponding syllabified scheme with the primary stress indicated in uppercase letters.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

diplomat
diplomacy
diplomatic
reconciliation

Matches

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Answer

'diplomat' matches 'DIP-lo-mat', 'diplomacy' matches 'di-PLO-ma-cy', 'diplomatic' matches 'dip-lo-MAT-ic', and 'reconciliation' matches 're-con-ci-li-A-tion'.
Primary word stress in English depends on syllable count and suffix rules. Base nouns like 'diplomat' stress the first syllable ('DIP-lo-mat'). Attaching '-cy' causes antepenultimate stress ('di-PLO-ma-cy'). Attaching '-ic' shifts stress to the penultimate syllable ('dip-lo-MAT-ic'), and '-ation' likewise attracts primary stress to the penultimate syllable ('re-con-ci-li-A-tion').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the stress pattern for 'diplomat'.
DIP-lo-mat
Base trisyllabic nouns of this class carry primary stress on the initial syllable.
2
Apply the '-cy' suffix stress assignment rule to 'diplomacy'.
di-PLO-ma-cy
Words ending in the nominal suffix '-cy' place primary stress on the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable.
3
Apply the '-ic' adjectival suffix stress rule to 'diplomatic'.
dip-lo-MAT-ic
The suffix '-ic' conditions stress assignment to the penultimate (second from last) syllable.
4
Apply the '-ation' suffix stress rule to 'reconciliation'.
re-con-ci-li-A-tion
Polysyllabic words with the suffix '-ation' consistently carry primary stress on the penultimate syllable.

Key Concept

Suffix-driven stress placement and morphological stress shifts in English polysyllabic words.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 4Question →

Match each polysyllabic English word on the left with its corresponding primary stress placement rule on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

biodiversity
academic
investigate
declaration

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings match each word to its specific suffix-governed primary stress rule: 'biodiversity' matches the antepenultimate rule for '-ity'; 'academic' matches the penultimate rule for '-ic'; 'investigate' matches the antepenultimate rule for four-syllable '-ate' verbs; and 'declaration' matches the penultimate rule for '-ation'.
Each word follows a established morphological stress pattern: '-ity' forces antepenultimate stress ('bi-o-di-VER-si-ty'), '-ic' forces penultimate stress ('ac-a-DEM-ic'), four-syllable '-ate' verbs attract stress to the antepenultimate syllable ('in-VES-ti-gate'), and '-ation' forces penultimate stress ('dec-la-RA-tion').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix and syllable count of each target word.
The words feature suffixes '-ity', '-ic', '-ate', and '-ation'.
English suffix patterns systematically dictate primary stress placement relative to the end of the word.
2
Locate the primary stressed syllable for each word.
bi-o-di-VER-si-ty (antepenultimate), ac-a-DEM-ic (penultimate), in-VES-ti-gate (antepenultimate), and dec-la-RA-tion (penultimate).
Applying syllable stress rules confirms the precise matching rule for each item.

Key Concept

Suffix-driven primary stress placement in polysyllabic English words
Question 5Question →

Match each of the following multisyllabic words to its correct primary stress placement schema.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

democratic
certificate (noun)
curiosity
biography

Matches

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Answer

The correct pairings match each word to its standard primary stress scheme: 'democratic' to 'de-mo-CRAT-ic', 'certificate (noun)' to 'cer-TIF-i-cate', 'curiosity' to 'cu-ri-OS-i-ty', and 'biography' to 'bi-OG-ra-phy'.
Each word is accurately paired with its phonetically correct primary stress placement according to standard oral English rules for multisyllabic words and suffix stress assignments.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Apply suffix stress rules to 'democratic' and 'curiosity'.
Suffix '-ic' stresses the penultimate syllable ('de-mo-CRAT-ic'). Suffix '-ity' stresses the antepenultimate syllable ('cu-ri-OS-i-ty').
English morphological suffixes systematically govern stress placement in multisyllabic words.
2
Determine primary stress placement for 'certificate' (noun) and 'biography'.
The noun 'certificate' stresses the second syllable ('cer-TIF-i-cate'), while '-graphy' nouns place stress on the antepenultimate syllable ('bi-OG-ra-phy').
Differentiating grammatical class and root ending patterns ensures precise syllabic prominence identification.

Key Concept

Word and Syllable Stress Rules in Polysyllabic English Words
Question 6Question →

In English phonology, disyllabic noun-verb pairs shift primary stress according to grammatical function, whereas polysyllabic words ending in specific suffixes follow predictable stress placement rules. Fill in each blank using the syllabified word with primary stress indicated in UPPERCASE. Which syllabified forms correctly complete the sentence below?

Fill in the blanks below

When scholars attempt to the two philosophical theories, they often praise the of the empirical data.
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Answer

The first blank requires the verb form 'con-TRAST' with primary stress on the second syllable, while the second blank requires the noun 're-li-a-BIL-i-ty' with primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
The first blank demands a verb after the infinitive particle 'to', which shifts primary stress to the final syllable (con-TRAST). The second blank requires a noun formed with the suffix '-ity', which systematically assigns primary stress to the antepenultimate syllable (re-li-a-BIL-i-ty).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the syntactic function and stress placement for the word in the first blank.
The word functions as a verb following the infinitive particle 'to', requiring primary stress on the second syllable: con-TRAST.
English disyllabic words that function as both nouns and verbs typically receive primary stress on the first syllable as nouns (CON-trast) and on the second syllable as verbs (con-TRAST).
2
Apply morphological stress rules for the polysyllabic noun in the second blank.
The word ending with the nominal suffix '-ity' places primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (third from the end): re-li-a-BIL-i-ty.
Suffixes such as '-ity' cause a stress shift to the syllable immediately preceding the suffix.

Key Concept

Grammatical Category Stress Shift and Suffix-Determined Syllable Stress Placement
Question 7Question →

Match each multisyllabic English word on the left with its correct primary stress placement pattern and underlying phonological suffix rule on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

LEXICOGRAPHY
ENTHUSIASTIC
AUTHORITARIAN
PERPENDICULARITY

Matches

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Answer

LEXICOGRAPHY matches with '5-syllable word with primary stress on the 3rd (antepenultimate) syllable: lex-i-COG-ra-phy'; ENTHUSIASTIC matches with '5-syllable word with primary stress on the 4th (penultimate) syllable: en-thu-si-AS-tic'; AUTHORITARIAN matches with '6-syllable word with primary stress on the 4th (antepenultimate) syllable: au-thor-i-TAR-i-an'; PERPENDICULARITY matches with '7-syllable word with primary stress on the 5th (antepenultimate) syllable: per-pen-di-cu-LAR-i-ty'.
Each word is matched to its corresponding stress pattern based on established English phonological suffix rules: LEXICOGRAPHY has primary stress on the antepenultimate (3rd) syllable due to '-graphy'; ENTHUSIASTIC has primary stress on the penultimate (4th) syllable due to '-ic'; AUTHORITARIAN has primary stress on the antepenultimate (4th) syllable of 6 syllables due to '-ian'; and PERPENDICULARITY has primary stress on the antepenultimate (5th) syllable of 7 syllables due to '-ity'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of LEXICOGRAPHY
Divided into 5 syllables (lex-i-cog-ra-phy). Words ending in the suffix '-graphy' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
The '-graphy' suffix rule dictates antepenultimate stress, yielding lex-i-COG-ra-phy (3rd syllable).
2
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of ENTHUSIASTIC
Divided into 5 syllables (en-thu-si-as-tic). Words ending in the suffix '-ic' place primary stress on the penultimate syllable.
The '-ic' suffix rule dictates penultimate stress, yielding en-thu-si-AS-tic (4th syllable).
3
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of AUTHORITARIAN
Divided into 6 syllables (au-thor-i-tar-i-an). Words ending in '-ian' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
Counting 3 syllables from the end of a 6-syllable word places stress on the 4th syllable: au-thor-i-TAR-i-an.
4
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of PERPENDICULARITY
Divided into 7 syllables (per-pen-di-cu-lar-i-ty). Words ending in '-ity' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
Counting 3 syllables from the end of a 7-syllable word places stress on the 5th syllable: per-pen-di-cu-LAR-i-ty.

Key Concept

Suffix-Driven Primary Stress Placement in English Polysyllabic Words
Question 8Question →

Match each polysyllabic word on the left with its corresponding primary stress placement pattern on the right.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

diplomatic
photography
electricity
civilization

Matches

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Answer

diplomatic matches dip-lo-MAT-ic; photography matches pho-TOG-ra-phy; electricity matches e-lec-TRIC-i-ty; civilization matches civ-i-li-ZA-tion.
Each word is matched according to standard English suffix stress rules: '-ic' assigns primary stress to the penultimate syllable ('MAT'), '-graphy' assigns primary stress to the antepenultimate syllable ('TOG'), '-ity' assigns primary stress to the antepenultimate syllable ('TRIC'), and '-ation' assigns primary stress to the penultimate syllable ('ZA').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix for each given polysyllabic word.
diplomatic (-ic), photography (-graphy), electricity (-ity), civilization (-ation).
Suffixes determine predictable stress shift patterns in English phonology.
2
Apply stress placement rules based on each suffix.
'-ic' conditions penultimate stress ('MAT'), '-graphy' conditions antepenultimate stress ('TOG'), '-ity' conditions antepenultimate stress ('TRIC'), and '-ation' conditions penultimate stress ('ZA').
Matching the phonological rule reveals which syllable receives primary stress.
3
Pair each word to its matching capitalized syllable pattern.
diplomatic -> dip-lo-MAT-ic, photography -> pho-TOG-ra-phy, electricity -> e-lec-TRIC-i-ty, civilization -> civ-i-li-ZA-tion.
Each pair correctly matches the word with its capitalized primary stress representation.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned primary stress placement
Question 9Question →

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?

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Answer: 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
Question 10Question →

Identify the word form that correctly highlights the primary stress syllable in the five-syllable word enthusiastic.

Show answer & explanation

Answer: en-thu-si-AS-tic

Answer

The form with primary stress on the fourth syllable, written as en-thu-si-AS-tic, is correct.
In English phonology, words ending with the suffix '-ic' place primary stress on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix. For the five-syllable word 'enthusiastic', the syllable directly preceding '-ic' is the fourth syllable 'AS', making 'en-thu-si-AS-tic' the correct primary stress placement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the morphological structure of the target word.
The word is 'enthusiastic', which consists of 5 syllables (en-thu-si-as-tic) ending in the adjectival suffix '-ic'.
Phonological rules for English stress assignment depend heavily on suffix types.
2
Apply the primary stress rule for words ending in '-ic'.
Primary stress is assigned to the syllable immediately preceding the suffix (penultimate position relative to the suffix), which is 'AS'.
Suffixes like '-ic', '-ial', and '-ian' consistently cause a stress shift to the syllable directly before them.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned primary word stress (-ic suffix rule)
Question 11Question →

Which of the following syllabified options indicates the correct primary stress placement for the word hypothetical?

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Answer: hy-po-THET-i-cal

Answer

The form hy-po-THET-i-cal correctly places primary stress on the third syllable.
The word 'hypothetical' is a five-syllable adjective containing the suffix '-ical'. In English phonology, words with '-ic' and '-ical' suffixes systematically assign primary stress to the syllable immediately before the suffix. Thus, primary stress falls on the third syllable, rendered as hy-po-THET-i-cal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the word into its constituent syllables
hy - po - thet - i - cal (5 syllables)
Accurate syllabification is necessary to locate syllable boundaries correctly.
2
Identify morphological suffixes and apply phonological stress rules
The suffix is '-ical', which assigns primary stress to the syllable immediately preceding it ('thet').
Adjectives ending in '-ic' or '-ical' consistently place primary accent on the antepenultimate or pre-suffix syllable.
3
Select the option reflecting stress on 'THET'
hy-po-THET-i-cal
Capitalization of 'THET' indicates primary syllable stress.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned word stress in English phonology (-ical rule)
Question 12Question →

Complete the statement below by supplying the correctly syllabified word forms with primary stress indicated in UPPERCASE letters.

Fill in the blanks below

While the base noun is pronounced as DEM-o-crat, the derived abstract noun is stressed as and its corresponding adjectival form is stressed as .
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Answer

The correct primary stress placements are 'de-MOC-ra-cy' for the abstract noun and 'dem-o-CRAT-ic' for the adjectival form.
In Oral English phonology, morphological suffixes dictate predictable stress patterns. Nouns ending in '-cy' require antepenultimate primary stress, yielding 'de-MOC-ra-cy'. Adjectives ending in '-ic' require penultimate primary stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix, yielding 'dem-o-CRAT-ic'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix rule for the abstract noun ending in '-cy'.
Words ending in '-cy' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (third from the end).
For four-syllable nouns like 'democracy' (de-moc-ra-cy), counting three syllables back from the end places primary stress on the second syllable 'MOC'.
2
Identify the suffix rule for the adjectival form ending in '-ic'.
Suffixes like '-ic' draw primary stress to the penultimate syllable (the syllable immediately preceding the suffix).
In 'democratic' (dem-o-crat-ic), the syllable preceding '-ic' is 'CRAT', placing primary stress on the third syllable.

Key Concept

Suffix-Driven Stress Shift (Antepenultimate -cy Rule vs. Penultimate -ic Rule)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Question 13Question →

In English phonology, words ending with the nominalizing suffix '-ity' follow specific stress assignment rules. Which of the following options correctly indicates the primary syllable stress placement for the word 'superiority'?

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Answer: su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty

Answer

The correct stress placement is su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty, where the primary stress falls on the fourth syllable.
The word 'superiority' is a six-syllable word ending with the suffix '-ity'. Standard English accentuation rules dictate that words ending in '-ity' carry primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (the third syllable from the end). In 'su-pe-ri-or-i-ty', counting back from the end places the stress on the fourth syllable 'OR' (su-pe-ri-OR-i-ty).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix of the target word.
The word 'superiority' consists of six syllables: su-pe-ri-or-i-ty, ending with the suffix '-ity'.
Identifying word endings helps determine which stress rule applies.
2
Apply the phonological stress rule for words ending in '-ity'.
Suffixes like '-ity' cause the primary stress to shift to the antepenultimate syllable (the third syllable from the end of the word).
In English, polysyllabic words ending in '-ity' consistently stress the syllable immediately preceding '-ity'.
3
Count back from the final syllable to locate the antepenultimate syllable.
Syllable 6: '-ty' (ult), Syllable 5: '-i-' (penult), Syllable 4: '-OR-' (antepenult). Thus, primary stress falls on 'OR'.
Counting syllables backwards from the end ensures precise stress identification.

Key Concept

Suffix-conditioned Stress Shifts (-ity)
Question 14Question →

Complete the following statement on English phonological stress rules by filling in the correct primary stress placement for each described category.

Fill in the blanks below

When the word 'contrast' functions as a verb, primary stress falls on the syllable, whereas in the polysyllabic noun 'photoradiography', primary stress falls on the syllable.
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Answer

Primary stress falls on the second syllable for the verb form of 'contrast' (con-TRAST) and on the antepenultimate (fifth) syllable for 'photoradiography' (pho-to-ra-di-OG-ra-phy).
For disyllabic words exhibiting grammatical stress shift, the verb form receives primary stress on the second syllable. For polysyllabic words ending with the suffix '-graphy', primary stress is assigned to the antepenultimate syllable, which is the fifth syllable in 'pho-to-ra-di-OG-ra-phy'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the primary stress placement for the verb form of the disyllabic word 'contrast'.
The verb form is stressed on the second syllable (con-TRAST), whereas the noun form is stressed on the first (CON-trast).
English grammatical category stress shifts dictate that two-syllable noun/verb pairs shift primary stress from the initial syllable (noun) to the final/second syllable (verb).
2
Analyze the syllable structure and suffix rule of 'photoradiography' (pho-to-ra-di-og-ra-phy).
The word contains seven syllables, and words ending with the suffix '-graphy' place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
The suffix '-graphy' forces stress onto the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable, which corresponds to the fifth syllable ('OG').

Key Concept

Grammatical Stress Shift and Suffix-Conditioned Antepenultimate Stress Placement
Question 15Question →

Complete the following sentence by providing the capitalized stressed syllable for the verb form of the word.

Fill in the blanks below

While the noun form is pronounced with stress on the first syllable as EX-port, the verb form is stressed on the second syllable as ex-.
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Answer

The second syllable 'PORT' receives the primary stress when 'export' is used as a verb.
In English phonology, disyllabic words that serve as both nouns and verbs alter their stress pattern based on grammatical function. Nouns generally take primary stress on the first syllable (EX-port), whereas verbs take primary stress on the second syllable (ex-PORT).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical category of the target word 'export' in the context.
The target word is used as a verb.
Two-syllable words that function as both nouns and verbs typically shift primary stress depending on their part of speech.
2
Determine the primary stressed syllable for the verb form of 'export'.
Primary stress falls on the second syllable, 'PORT' (ex-PORT).
Disyllabic noun/verb pairs place primary accent on the first syllable for nouns (EX-port) and on the second syllable for verbs (ex-PORT).

Key Concept

Word and Syllable Stress Shift in Disyllabic Noun-Verb Pairs
Question 16Question →

Which of the following options correctly indicates the primary syllable stress placement for the word 'EPIDEMIOLOGY'?

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Answer: ep-i-de-mi-OL-o-gy

Answer

The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable, giving the pattern ep-i-de-mi-OL-o-gy.
In English phonology, words ending in the suffix '-logy' regularly place primary stress on the antepenultimate syllable (the third syllable counting backwards from the end). For 'epidemiology' (ep-i-de-mi-ol-o-gy), the third-to-last syllable is 'ol', making 'ep-i-de-mi-OL-o-gy' the correct stress pattern.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Divide the target word into its constituent syllables.
The word 'epidemiology' breaks into six syllables: ep - i - de - mi - ol - o - gy.
Accurate syllabification is necessary to identify syllable boundaries.
2
Identify the suffix and apply the corresponding English stress rule.
The suffix is '-logy'. Words ending in '-logy', '-graphy', or '-pathy' take primary stress on the antepenultimate (third from the last) syllable.
Suffixation determines stress placement in polysyllabic academic vocabulary.
3
Count back three syllables from the end of the word.
The last three syllables are 'ol' (antepenultimate), 'o' (penultimate), and 'gy' (ultimate/final). Therefore, 'ol' receives primary stress.
Counting from the final syllable locates the exact position for antepenultimate stress.

Key Concept

Antepenultimate Stress Placement for Suffixes (-logy)
Estimated Time:45s
Question 17Question →

Which of the following options indicates the correct primary stress placement for the word photographic?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: pho-to-GRAPH-ic

Answer

The correct primary stress placement for 'photographic' is pho-to-GRAPH-ic, with the stress placed on the third syllable.
The option 'pho-to-GRAPH-ic' is correct because English words ending with the adjectival suffix '-ic' consistently carry primary stress on the penultimate syllable (the syllable directly before the suffix).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the base word and the suffix attached to it.
The word 'photographic' consists of the root 'photograph' and the adjectival suffix '-ic'.
Suffixes in English determine specific syllable stress placement rules.
2
Apply the stress rule for words ending in '-ic'.
Words ending in '-ic' attract primary stress to the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable: 'GRAPH'.
The suffix '-ic' causes a stress shift to the syllable immediately preceding it.

Key Concept

Penultimate Syllable Stress Rule for '-ic' Suffixes
Estimated Time:45s
Question 18Question →

Match each of the following English words with the correct representation of its primary syllable stress pattern.

Click a left item, then click its matching right item

Items

democracy
academic
export (verb)
civilization

Matches

Show answer & explanation

Answer

democracy matches de-MOC-ra-cy; academic matches ac-a-DEM-ic; export (verb) matches ex-PORT; civilization matches civ-i-li-ZA-tion.
Each word is matched to its established primary stress schema based on English stress assignment rules: 'democracy' (de-MOC-ra-cy) has antepenultimate stress; 'academic' (ac-a-DEM-ic) has penultimate stress due to '-ic'; 'export' as a verb (ex-PORT) takes second-syllable stress; and 'civilization' (civ-i-li-ZA-tion) takes stress on the syllable preceding '-tion'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the suffix and grammatical class of each target word.
'democracy' ends in '-cy', 'academic' ends in '-ic', 'export' is a disyllabic verb, and 'civilization' ends in '-tion'.
English primary word stress is largely determined by morphological suffixes and word class.
2
Apply English stress assignment rules for suffixes and word classes.
'-cy' attracts antepenultimate stress (de-MOC-ra-cy); '-ic' attracts penultimate stress (ac-a-DEM-ic); disyllabic verbs take final/second syllable stress (ex-PORT); '-tion' attracts penultimate stress (civ-i-li-ZA-tion).
Matching each pattern correctly yields the standard primary stress placements assessed in JAMB UTME.

Key Concept

Suffix-driven and grammatical class primary stress placement rules
Question 19Question →

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?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: 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'.
Question 20Question →

Which option represents the correct primary stress placement for the word democracy?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: de-MOC-ra-cy

Answer

The correct stress pattern is 'de-MOC-ra-cy', with primary stress on the second syllable.
The correct primary stress representation is 'de-MOC-ra-cy' because polysyllabic nouns ending in '-cy' carry primary stress on the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the syllabic structure and suffix of the word 'democracy'.
The word consists of four syllables (de-moc-ra-cy) and ends with the suffix '-cy'.
Suffixes determine syllable stress rules in standard English phonology.
2
Apply the antepenultimate stress rule for nouns ending in '-cy'.
Primary stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable (third from the end), which corresponds to the second syllable 'MOC'.
Words ending in '-cy', '-phy', '-gy', and '-ty' take stress on the antepenultimate syllable.

Key Concept

Antepenultimate syllable stress placement for words ending in '-cy'.
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Word and Syllable Stress Practice Questions — JAMB UTME | Examkin