Review questions and tasks. 1. What syllables are called accented?
1. What syllables are called accented?
2. How is the effect of prominence in English words achieved?
3. What are the functions of the word stress?
4. Is the word stress fixed or free in English?
5. What accentual mistakes can be made when the speaker misplaces the nuclear accent and the secondary stress?
UNIT 8
Section 1
Make a careful study of the text below and pick out the terms related to phonetics.
Word Stress (II)
To avoid making accentual mistakes it is necessary for the learner to know the basic rules of English word accentuation. They are as follows:
1. In most disyllabic words the accent falls on the initial syllable:
colour ['kΛl∂], palace ['pælıs], pharynx ['færıŋks], morpheme ['m :fi:m]
2. In disyllabic words with a prefix which has lost its meaning the stress falls on the second syllable (on the root syllable):
become [bık'Λm], begin [bı'gın], pronounce [pr∂'nauns]
3. In disyllabic verbs ending in -ate, -ise/-ize, -fy the stress falls on the last syllable: dictate [dık'teıt], surprise [s∂'praız], defy [dı'faı].
As for polysyllabic verbs with the same suffixes they have the accent on the 3rd
syllable from the end:
recognize ['rek∂gnaız], demonstrate ['dem∂nstreıt], qualify ['kw lıfaı]
4. In most words of 3 or 4 syllables the accent falls on the third syllable from the end of the word: camera ['kæmer∂], cinema ['sınım∂]
The same is true for the words with the following suffixes:
| - logy | psychology | [saık' l∂d ı] |
| - logist | biologist | [baı' l∂d ıst] |
| - graphy | geography | [d ı' gr∂fı] |
| - cracy | democracy | [dım' kr∂sı] |
5. The accent falls on the second syllable from the end of the word before the following suffixes:
| - ian | physician | [fı'zı∫n] |
| - ience | experience | [ıks'pı∂rı∂ns] |
| - ient | expedient | [ıks'pi:dj∂nt] |
| - cient | efficient | [ı'fı∫∂nt] |
| - al | parental | [p∂'rentl] |
| - ial | essential | [ı'sen∫l] |
| - ual | habitual | [h∂'bıt∫u∂l] |
| - eous | courageous | [k∂'reıd ∂s] |
| - ious | delicious | [dı'lı∫∂s] |
| - iar | familiar | [f∂'mılj∂] |
6. The accent falls on the final syllable formed by the suffixes: -ee, -eer, -ier,
-ade, -esque. The root syllable in such words has secondary accent:
| refuge | ['refju:d ] | – | refugee | [refju:d 'i:] |
| employ | [ım'pl ı] | – | employee | [empl ı'i:] |
| engine | ['end ın] | – | engineer | [end ı'nı∂] |
| picture | ['pıkt∫∂] | – | picturesque | [pıkt∫∂'resk] |
7. In most words the secondary stress falls on the syllable separated from the nuclear syllable by one unstressed syllable:
pronunciation [pr∂nΛnsı'eı∫n], recognition[rek∂g'nı∫n],
academician [∂kæd∂'mı∫∂n], governmental [gΛv∂n'ment∂l]
8. In many derivative nouns the secondary stress falls on the same syllable which has the primary stress in the original word. In such nouns the syllable with the secondary stress may be separated from the nuclear syllable by 2, or even 3 unstressed syllables:
| 'organize | – | organi'zation | [ :g∂naı'zeı∫n] |
| ex'periment | – | experimen'tation | [ıksperımen'teı∫n] |
| pe'culiar | – | peculi'arity | [pıkju:lı'ærıtı] |
* If the original word has both a primary and a secondary stress, the secondary stress in the derivative word remains on the same syllable, while the primary stress changes its place and falls on the syllable immediately preceding the suffix:
| recom'mend | recommen'dation | [rek∂men'deı∫n] | |
| repre'sent | represen'tation | [reprızen'teı∫n] |
Section 2
[ f ]
(constrictive fricative, labio-dental, strong/fortis, voiceless)
[ v ]
(constrictive fricative, labio-dental, weak/lenis,voiced)
I. Observe the position of the lower lip and the upper teeth for the sounds [ f ] and
[ v ]. Read the words in the columns.
vast of every
verse twelve everything
vow five everywhere
four off friend
far half front
fat rough free
feel enough France
II. Read the sentences. Follow the tonetic marks.
1. Fan is full of fads and fancies. Фэн полна причуд и фантазий.
2. Fingers were made before forks. Пожалуйста, без церемоний.
3. Face front and listen carefully. Смотрите на меня
и слушайте внимательно.
4. Fight fire with fire. Клин клином вышибают.
5. Floy is neither fish, flesh nor fowl. Флой – ни рыба, ни мясо.
6. A fault confessed is half forgiven. Повинную голову меч не сечёт.
7. From the frying-pan into the fire. Из огня да в полымя.
8. Trifles make perfection, and Мелочи создают совершенство,
perfection is no trifle.(Michelangelo) но совершенство – не мелочь.
9. I’ve never lost the love of my job. Я никогда не переставал любить
свою работу.
10. Mr.Vere’s in the vicinity of 75. Мистеру Виру лет 75.
11. Victor’s on active service in the Navy. Виктор находится на действитель-
ной службе во флоте.
12. Vesuvius is an active volcano. Везувий – действующий вулкан.
13. I’ve moved heaven and earth. Я пустил в ход всё.
14. I believe the very reverse is true. Я считаю, что всё как раз наоборот.
15. I’ve never given Avy a thought. Я не обращаю на Эйви ни
малейшего внимания.
III. Match the following English idioms, proverbs and sayings with their Russian
equivalents. Make up situations to illustrate their usage.
1. Fortune favours the brave. a. дать выход чувствам
2. draw a veil over b. замалчивать, скрывать
3. give vent to one’s feelings c. у всех на виду
4. in my view d. Смелость города берет
5. in full view of everybody e. по-моему, на мой взгляд
6. Far from eye, far from heart. f. напрашиваться на комплимент
7. fish for compliments g. плевое дело
8. off the cuff h. ненадежный друг
9. a five finger exercise i. С глаз долой – из сердца вон.
10. before smb’s face j. экспромтом, без подготовки
11. fair-weather friend k. другие, более важные дела
IV. Pronounce the tongue twisters in the quickest possible way. Observe the
correct articulation of [ v ] and [ f ].
1. Vincent vowed vengence very vehemently.
2. The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.
3. Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.
4. Freshly-fried flying fish.
Section 3
I. Test. Tick the words you recognize in the sentences you hear:
1. a) pin; b) fin
2. a) peel; b) feel
3. a) snipping; b) sniffing
4. a) heel; b) feel
5. a) hat; b) fat
6. a) pole; b) hole; c) foal
II. Listen to the dialogue and learn it by heart.
At the Photographer’s
Phillip: I want a photograph of myself and my wife.
Photographer: Please fill in this from, sir. Would you prefer a full front
photograph or a profile?
Phillip: A full front, don’t you think, Phillippa?
Phillippa: Yes. A full front photograph.
Photographer: Please sit on this sofa. Is it comfortable, Mrs. Puffin?
Phillippa: Yes. It feels fine.
Photographer: Mrs. Puffin, please give a friendly laugh.
Phillip: That’s difficult. If you say something funny I can laugh.
Photographer: And, Mrs. Puffin, please look soft and beautiful.
Phillip: (laughs)
Phillippa: Is it finished?
Photographer: Yes.
Phillip: Will the photograph be ready for the first of February?
Photographer: Yes. Please phone my office after five days, Mrs. Puffin.
III. Conversational practice. (Intonation)
Example: If Fred laughs, he looks funny.
If Grandfather flies, he gets frightened.
Make up sentences on analogy. Choose an appropriate ending from the column on the right.
If Fred laughs, he isn’t free.
If Phillippa laughs, he gets frightened.
If Grandfather flies, she looks beautiful.
If you want to eat fish, you’re first.
If you telephone information, it gets full of fat.
If you fry food, they’re helpful.
If a man has a wife, he looks funny.
If you finish before the others, you need a knife and fork.