16 Lesson n°5

16.1 Mid-term exams

  • Monosyllables to decipher

  • Common words to transcribe

  • Dictation of root forms: write and transcribe

  • Derived forms: transcribe and account for the quality of the stressed syllable

16.2 Practice

16.2.1 Decipher

IPA Word
/kɔːl/ call
/kleɪm/ claim
/θret/ threat
/tɒs/ toss
/haʊ/ how
/wɜːd/ word
/feɪθ/ faith
/tʃaʊ/ chow
/haɪt/ height
/ʃeə/ share

16.2.2 Transcribe

Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
gracious /10/ /’greɪʃ.əs/ /’greɪʃ.əs/
geologic /2010/ /ˌdʒiː.ə.’lɒdʒ.ɪk/ /ˌdʒiː.ə.’lɑːdʒ.ɪk/
parity /100/ /’pær.ət.i/ /’per.ət.i/
felonious /0100/ /fə.’ləʊn.i.əs/ /fə.’loʊn.i.əs/
reality /0100/ /ri.’æl.ət.i/ /ri.’æl.ət.i/
mercuric /010/ /mɜː.’kjʊər.ɪk/ /mɜː.’kjʊr.ɪk/
acidity /0100/ /ə.’sɪd.ət.i/ /ə.’sɪd.ət.i/
conic /10/ /’kɒn.ɪk/ /’kɑːn.ɪk/
pious /10/ /’paɪ.əs/ /’paɪ.əs/
chromatic /010/ /krə.’mæt.ɪk/ chromatic

16.3 Mots en <-ity>

16.3.1 The rule (1)

Try to formulate the rule of the suffix <-ity>

<-ity> is a stress-imposing suffix. Words in <-ity> are proparoxytone, i.e. their primary stress is carried by the antepenultimate syllable.

16.3.2 Verify (1)

Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
mobility /0100/ /məʊ.’bɪl.ət.i/ /məʊ.’bɪl.ət.i/
nudity /100/ /’njuːd.ət.i/ /’njuːd.ət.i/
popularity /20100/ /ˌpɒp.ju.’lær.ət.i/ /ˌpɑːp.ju.’ler.ət.i/
prosperity /0100/ /prɒ.’sper.ət.i/ /prɒ.’sper.ət.i/
jequirity /0100/ /dʒɪ.’kwɪr.ət.i/ jequirity
authority /0100/ /ɔː.’θɒr.ət.i/ /ɔː.’θɔːr.ət.i/
purity /100/ /’pjʊər.ət.i/ /’pjʊr.ət.i/
university /20100/ /ˌjuːn.ɪ.’vɜːs.ət.i/ /ˌjuːn.ɪ.’v3r ːs.ət.i/
infirmity /0100/ /ɪn.’fɜːm.ət.i/ /ˌɪn.’f3r ːm.ət.i/
taciturnity /20100/ /ˌtæs.ɪ.’tɜːn.ət.i/ taciturnity
Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
original /0100/ /ə.’rɪdʒ.ən.əl/ /ə.’rɪdʒ.ən.əl/
obscene /01/ /əb.’siːn/ /əb.’siːn/
mobile /10/ /’məʊb.aɪəl/ /’moʊb.aɪəl/
mediocre /2010/ /ˌmiːd.i.’əʊk.ə/ /ˌmiːd.i.’oʊk.ər/
crude /1/ /kruːd/ /kruːd/
Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
originality /020100/ /ə.ˌrɪdʒ.ə.’næl.ət.i/ /ə.ˌrɪdʒ.ə.’næl.ət.i/
obscenity /0100/ /əb.’sen.ət.i/ /əb.’sen.ət.i/
mobility /0100/ /məʊ.’bɪl.ət.i/ /məʊ.’bɪl.ət.i/
mediocrity /20100/ /ˌmiːd.i.’ɒk.rət.i/ /ˌmiːd.i.’ɑːk.rət.i/
crudity /100/ /’kruːd.ət.i/ crudity

16.3.3 The rule (2)

What can you say about the quality of the vowel in the syllable carrying the main stress?

The vowel of the stressed syllable is lax if it is not:

  • <-uCity>

  • <-rCity>

16.3.4 Exceptions

Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
rarity /100/ /’reər.ət.i/ /’rer.ət.i/
scarcity /100/ /’skeəs.ət.i/ /’skes.ət.i/
amenities /0100/ /ə.’miːn.ət.iz/ /ə.’men.ət.iz/
probity /100/ /’prəʊb.ət.i/ /’proʊb.ət.i/

16.4 Mots en <-ify> / <-efy>

  • Find words ending on those suffixes and try to establish what happens to the vowel of the syllable carrying primary stress.

16.4.1 Examples

Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
pacify /100/ /’pæs.ɪ.faɪ/ /’pæs.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
edify /100/ /’ed.ɪ.faɪ/ /’ed.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
solidify /0100/ /sə.’lɪd.ɪ.faɪ/ /sə.’lɪd.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
modify /100/ /’mɒd.ɪ.faɪ/ /’mɑːd.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
unify /100/ /’juːn.ɪ.faɪ/ /’juːn.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
clarify /100/ /’klær.ə.faɪ/ /’kler.ə.ˌfaɪ/
verify /100/ /’ver.ɪ.faɪ/ /’ver.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
glorify /100/ /’glɔːr.ɪ.faɪ/ /’glɔːr.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
horrify /100/ /’hɒr.ɪ.faɪ/ /’hɔːr.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/
purify /100/ /’pjʊər.ɪ.faɪ/ /’pjʊr.ɪ.ˌfaɪ/

16.4.2 Rules

  • Stress pattern:

<-ify> is a stress-imposing suffix. Words in <-ify> are proparoxytone, i.e. their primary stress is carried by the antepenultimate syllable.

  • Vowel quality:

The vowel of the stressed syllable is lax if it is not:

  • <-uCify>

16.4.3 Exception

  • “codify” \(\rightarrow\) /’kəʊd.ɪ.faɪ/

Can you formulate a hypothesis explaining why “codify” has a tense vowel in its stressed syllable?

16.5 Verbes en <-ish>

  • Find words ending on those suffixes and try to establish what happens to the vowel of the syllable carrying primary stress.

16.5.1 Examples

Word Stress Pattern IPA (RP) Received Pronunciation General American
vanish /10/ /’væn.ɪʃ/ /’væn.ɪʃ/
blemish /10/ /’blem.ɪʃ/ /’blem.ɪʃ/
diminish /010/ /di.’mɪn.ɪʃ/ /di.’mɪn.ɪʃ/
polish /10/ /’pɒl.ɪʃ/ /’pɑːl.ɪʃ/
demolish /010/ /di.’mɒl.ɪʃ/ /di.’mɑːl.ɪʃ/
astonish /010/ /ə.’stɒn.ɪʃ/ /ə.’stɑːn.ɪʃ/
punish /10/ /’pʌn.ɪʃ/ /’pʌn.ɪʃ/
cherish /10/ /’tʃer.ɪʃ/ /’tʃer.ˌɪʃ/

16.5.2 Rules

  • Stress pattern:

<-ish> is a stress-imposing suffix. Verbs in <-ish> are paroxytone, i.e. their primary stress is carried by the penultimate syllable.

  • Vowel quality:

The vowel of the stressed syllable is lax.