Word Stress Pattern with Two Primary Stresses
Two primary word stresses are observed in the following compound words:
A compound adjective is made up of two meaningful parts which may be written with a hyphen or as one word and functions as an adjective.
Listen to these examples focusing on the equal degree of prominence attached to both parts:
'fat – 'free 'sky – 'high 'snow – 'white |
'easy – 'going 'hard – 'working 'well – 'meaning |
'empty – 'handed ma'chine – 'readable 'home – 'made |
'long – 'term 'full – 'length 'high – 'profile |
'self – 'confident 'self – in'flicted 'self – 'governing |
'second – 'hand 'first – 'class 'half – 'price 'hand – 'made |
'fully – 'grown 'long – 'sighted 'well – 'dressed |
'far – 'fetched 'armour – 'plated 'well – 'meaning |
'bad – 'tempered 'old – 'fashioned 'short – 'sighted 'over'night |
A phrasal verb is a verb with a postposition which can be found in a dictionary as an independent vocabulary unit with its own meaning.
Compare: He had to LIVE on less than $10 a day. (The amount of money he had to buy things) – a verb with a preposition.
The tradition LIVES ON in many parts of the country. (Continues) – a phrasal verb with a postposition.
Listen to these examples, notice that both the verb and the postposition are stressed. Repeat the phrasal verbs after the speaker:
'look 'out 'wake 'up |
'come 'back 'sit 'down |
'hurry 'up 'go a'way |
'hang a'round 'get a'long 'call 'back 'write 'down |
It was freezing cold, so I didn’t want to HANG
AROUND. My brother and I don’t really GET ALONG together. I'm busy at the moment. Can I CALL you BACK? I’ll never remember the number. Can you WRITE it DOWN for me? |
Numerals beginning with 13 up to 19 are built with the help of the suffix -teen and are double-stressed.
Example: 'thir'teen, 'four'teen, 'six'teen, 'eigh'teen, 'nine'teen etc.
Numerals consisting of several words are also double stressed.
Example: 'twenty 'four, 'seventy 'eight, 'two 'hundred etc.
Listen to the conversation and pay attention to the stress-pattern of the numerals:
A: When do you begin your holiday?
B: On the 'thirtieth of August.
A: That’s next Saturday!
B: We’re leaving in the afternoon.
A: And when are you coming back?
B: Saturday September the 'thir\teenth.
A: /Thirtieth?
B: No, 'thir\teenth!
The following compound adverbs are double-stressed:
'down'hill – 'up'hill
'down'stairs – 'up'stairs
'in'side – 'out'side – 'along'side
'in'doors – 'out'doors
'up'turn
'mean'time – 'mean'while
'here'by – 'here'in
'herein'after – 'hereto'fore – 'here'upon
'where'abouts – 'there'abouts
'there'by – 'there'in
'there'upon – 'where'upon
'hence'forth – 'hence'forward
'thence'forth – 'thence'forward