Russian

Word Stress Pattern with Two Primary Stresses

 

Two primary word stresses are observed in the following compound words:

 

1. Compound Adjectives

 

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

 

2. Phrasal Verbs

 

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?

 

 3. Compound Numerals

 

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!

  

4. Compound Adverbs

 

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