Sheikh Bayoud Secondary School- Guerrara/ W- Ghardaia

Mar, 2014.

Sound System (Pronunciation)

Prepared by: T. HAMAIMI

I. Word Stress:
A. Stress definition: (what is stress?)
Stress in pronunciation refers to the Force (degree of emphasis) with which syllables are
pronounced. In spoken English, we dont often say syllables the same way. Some
syllables have higher level of Loudness; however, other syllables within the same word
are short and quiet.
Example:
'HOnest (a two-syllable adjective; the first part [ho] is stressed: it is said with much
more force than the second part [nest].)
B. Rules for STRESS in words with suffixes.
Words having suffixes are pronounced in a special way. These following rules do not state
all the aspects of word stress in English; but they show how to pronounce words with
certain suffixes.
1. Words ending in suffixes:(ic, ics, ical, tion, ssion/sion, ive, ous
ant).
Words having the suffixes: [ic, ics, ical, tion, ssion, sion, ive and
ant] often receive the stress on the syllable that immediately precedes (comes before)
the suffix. (Stress what is before the suffix itself.)
Examples:

political (ends in the suffix ical) po 'LI tical

Suffix

Eco'NOmic, aca'DEmic, fan'TAStic, ter'RIfic, 'CLASsic, 'TRAgic, rea'LIStic, 'LOgic,

'Ethics, eco'NOmics, 'CLAssics, cos'MEtics, 'TACtics, po'LItics, 'CRItics, 'MUsics,
eco'NOmical, 'CALSsical, 'LOgical, 'Ethical, 'CRItical, , 'MUsical, cor'RUPtion,
pro'DUCtion, 'NAtion, qualifi'CAtion, de'CEPtion, fabri'CAtion, dissatis'FACtion,
classifi'CAtion, pro'FEssion, pro'GREssion, per'MIssion, oc'CAsion, con'CLUsion,
'VIsion, de'CIsion, ex'PENSive, compre'HENSive, ex'PRESsive, as'SIStant....
2. Words ending in suffixes: ize, ate, ify.
The suffixes ize, ate, ify create verbs. i,e. they are used to verbify nouns and
adjectives. Words end in ize, ate, ify are often stressed on the third (3rd) to the
last syllable (the third syllable from the end).
Examples:

colonize (ends in the suffix ize) 'CO lo nize

3

(Stress falls on the third 3 syllable from the end)

'ADvertise, 'MEmorize, 'REcognize, 'Idealize, 'PRIOritize, 'CRIticize, a'POlogize,
'EMphasize, 'Authorize, 'Civilize...

'MO de rate / 'MAG ni fy (the 3rd from the end)

Examples for ate and ify :

3

2 1

'CElebrate, e'LIminate, cer'TIficate, com'MUnicate, 'CLAssify, 'TERrify, 'CERtify,

per'SOnify...
3. Words having the suffixes: ty, (ity), gy, phy, ny, cy, my, , ment, ible, able
These words are also stressed on the third (3rd) syllable from the end. Note that
suffixes often make separate syllables. So, when stressing, remember to number the suffix
itself as one single syllable.
Examples:
ac 'TI vi ty
4

anth ro 'PO lo gy

3 2 1

phi 'LO so phy

4

2 1

'CO lo ny

2 1

de'MO cra cy

de 'VE lop ment

C. Other general stress rules:

1. A word of one syllable has stress on the first letter. E.g. 'Go - 'Hot 'Long
'Teach
2. Two syllable words:
a. First Syllable stress: More of the two syllable nouns, adjectives and adverbs have
the stress on the first syllable.
Examples:
Two syllable nouns
'PEOple
'MOther
'FAther
'ENglish

Two syllable adjectives

'HAppy
'STUpid
'UGly
'HOTter

Two syllable adverbs

'NEver
'SLOWly
'VEry
'Over

b. Stress on the second syllable: Verbs of two syllables are normally stressed on the
second (2nd) part.
Examples:

be'LIEVE, cor'RECT, im'PORT, in'SULT...

3. Stress in a compound noun: nouns having two parts.

Compound noun= 'Nnoun1 + Nnoun2 takes stress on the first noun (N1)
Examples:

'TAXI-driver, 'SCHOOL-bag, 'SILK-worm,

n1

n2

n1

n2

n1

'FOOTball.

n2

n1

n2

A compound noun = 'Adjective. + Noun takes stress on the adjective (Adj.)

Examples:

'BLACKboard, 'GREENhouse, 'ROUNDtable

Adj

noun

adj

noun

adj

noun

4. Stress in a compound adjective = Adjective+ 'Verb (past participle) takes stress

on the verb (past participle).
Examples: well-'DONE, well-'KNOWN, narrow-'MINDED.

5. Stress in a phrasal verb = V + 'Preposition takes stress on the preposition.

Examples: sit 'DOWN, stand 'UP, climb 'UP, go 'INTO.
D. Practising:

Underline the stressed syllables in the words below:

Graphic- conclusion- effective- situation- university- photography- important- allergylogical- gravity- iconic- laboratory- education, replacement- blackmail- ethicshospitalize- historical- academics- economy- accuracy- antibiotics- clean- productivepermission- employment- action- generate- automatics- embezzlement- dance- speak
up- advocate- geology- modernize- suitcase- mechanical- break down- bedroomnutrition- vision- clever- Whitehouse- visit (verb)- liquidate- symbolize- simplifydiffusion- political- cosmetics- transform- practice- practise- wrongly- wrong- deviateimport (noun)- detect (verb)- connect- connection- characterize- convert- conversionhappy- ever- reality- courageous- ladybird- old-fashioned- look up- publicizeachievement- exemplify- dangerous- economic- economical- politics- supremacy...
II. Final ed Sounds:
1. The past tense suffix ed has three different realizations:
ed= /t/ or /d/ or /Id/

2. The right pronunciation of the final ed depends on which letters the verb ends
with in the basic form.
ed = /t/ after /p, k, (th), f (f,ph,gh), s, (sh), t (ch).
Examples: helped, hoped, liked frothed, laughed, kissed, mixed, wished, reached
/p/

/p/

/k/

//

/f/

/s/

/ks/

//

/t /

ed = / Id / after /t/ (t, te) or /d/ (d, de)

Examples: visited, hated, ended, decided
/t/

/t/

/d/

/d/

ed = /d/ after all the remaining sounds.

Examples: bobbed, begged, breathed, loved, raised, bridged, claimed, banned,
cleared....

3.

Practising: classify the words according to the pronunciation of their final

ed.

Opened, danced, looked, covered, boasted, laughed, pointed, listened, stopped,

screamed, wanted, shouted, played, asked, delighted, amazed, resided, placed,
pleased, packed, reiterated, drained, tripped, adjusted, changed, consulted,
crashed, filed, matched, ended...
/t/

/d/

/ Id /

III. Final s sounds:

1. The final s has also three different pronunciations.

2. The rules:
s = /s/ after /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, //
Examples: shops, pets, clicks, laughs, maths
s = /iz/ after /s/, /z/, / /, /t /, /d/
Examples: buses, places, chooses, sizes, washes, watches, changes, bridges.
s = /z/ following all the remaining sounds.

3.

Practising: Classify the words according to the pronunciation of their final s.

Chooses, dogs, coughs, fails, breaks, sizes, pages, moths, burns, hits, matches,
ships, leaves, universities, washes, attacks, misses, grabs, comes, buses, kicks,
lathes, bridges, roads, wishes, converts, covers, places, stops...
/s/

/z/

/ Iz /

IV. Syllable division (Syllabalization):

Each phonetic syllable must have one and only one vowel sound.
The number of vowel sounds left is the same as the number of syllables (the number
of vowel sounds not vowel letters determines the number of syllables in a word).
Diphthongs count as only one sound: (eI, I, aI), (, a), (I, , e).
Subtract any silent vowels like the silent e at the end of a word.
Rules for Dividing Words into Syllables:
In order to find the number of syllables in a word, these are the five basic ways:
1. Divide between two middle consonants, as in:

- bas/ket, kid/nap ( two different consonants in the middle)

- let/ter, bit/ter, din/ner, Ten/nis (the same consonant doubled )
2. Usually divide before a single middle consonant when there is only one syllable as in :
o/pen, i/tem, e/vil,
3. Divide before the consonant before an "-le" syllable as in :
fum/ble, "rub/ble, bot/tle, gen/tle ( except words with ckle)
4. Divide immediately before a "-tion" (sion) syllable as in:
educa/tion, tradi/tion.
5. Divide off any compound words, prefixes, suffixes and roots which have vowel sounds,
for instance:

Un/happy, dis/like, pre/paid, mis/conduct, teach/er, use/less, desk/top

6. Practising: Classify the words according to the number of their syllables.
Table, freeway, book, summit, rabbit, mother, about, dismiss, people, narration,
unfit, careful, banknote, cannon, enjoy, civilization, handsome, cancer, hotel,
seatbelt, letter, cattle, direction, happen, weekend, civility, man, decide, take,
mistake, import, desktop, syllable, sound, visited, edition, battle, carefully,
deforestation, peace, novel, peaceful, city, ethics, understand, computer, unusual,
question, quite, nation, thankfulness, better, light, work, came, admit, like, dinner,
here, writing, there, poor, letter, helped, liberty, missed, extend, investigation,
behave, right, duty, boxes, depression.

One syllable

Two syllables

Three syllables Four syllables

Five syllables

V. silent letters: Some letters in English are spelt out but not pronounced; here
are the most common silent letters listed in an alphabetical order:
1.
Silent A: is not normally pronounced in adverbs ending in ly as: artistically,
logically, musically
2.
Silent B: When it is final and following m as in: climb, comb, crumb, and in
words like debt, doubt
3.
Silent C: is not pronounced in the ending "scle" and in words like: muscle, acquire,
czar, scissors, victual
4.
Silent D: is not pronounced in final dge cluster and in other words like:
handkerchief, Wednesday, hedge, edge..
5.
Silent E: When it is final as in: Hope, take, give, people..
- Its not normally pronounced as being part of ed past marker when pronounced
as /t/ or /d/ as in: Helped, earned, faxed, filed.
6.
Silent G: is not often pronounced when followed by an N as in: sign, design,
align,
- Cant be pronounced too as being part of ing inflected marker as in: writing,
speaking, loading.
7.

Silent GH: is not pronounced before final T and at the end of many words like:
high, weigh, right, thought, taught, right

8.
Silent H: is not pronounced when following initial W as in: what, where, why,
whale, while
- in initial position in words like: hour, honest, ghost
9.
Silent K: is not often pronounced when followed by N at the beginning of a word
as in: kneel, knee, knife, know..etc.
10. Silent L: is not often pronounced before final D, F, M, K as in: would,
half, calm, talketc.
11. Silent N: is not pronounced following M at the end of a word as in: condemn,
damn, hymn, solemnetc.
12. Silent P: is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the suffix "psych"
and "pneu" as in: psychotic, pneumonia
13. Silent S: is not pronounced before L in the following words: island, isleetc.
14. Silent T: is not pronounced in these common words: listen, castle, soften, whistle,
wrestle...
15. Silent U: is not pronounced after initial G and before a vowel as in: guess,
guidance...
16. Silent W: is not pronounced at the beginning of a word followed by an R as in:
wrap, write, wrong, and in these pronouns: Who, whom.
Practicing: Underline the silent letter(s) in the following words:
Knock, building, handsome, walk, psychology, tongue, site, whether, knight, thumb, wrestle,
might, should, caught, why, honor, knowledge, half, autumn, often, guitar, right, wrong,
whole, light, tomb, knot, damn, folk, column, though, resign, knell, heir, pseudo, guard,
guest, answer, badge, gnarl, white, two, honestly, which, whoop, honorable, psalm, chalk,
wreck, crumb, thought, listen, knuckle, write, sought, climb, Wednesday, drive, feign,
daughter, thistle, sword, wrinkle, limb, tight, foreigner, butter, plumb, romantically, pleased...