Sound of Letters: A Seminar on Phonology &

Phonetics

Presenter:

Cinderella C. Bañares

Presenter:

Cinderella C. Bañares

First, let’s have an activity!

Direction: Use any of the following words in a sentence.

REcord reCORD

PLEAsant CEremony

Background

The variation in the level of energy and length is called stress or accent, an important feature in oral communication.

Without this variation our speech becomes monotonous, sometimes, unintelligible.

Background

The primary stress is the strongest stress.

Two successive primary stresses never occur in a single word.

Ex: PLEA sant HA ppinessphiloSO’phical

FOUR LEVELS OF STRESS

Background

The secondary stress is less stressful than the primary, as in e’conomical, while the primary stress falls on the third syllable.

Background

The tertiary stress is the medium stress that is heard in words like understand, ashtray, where the tertiary stress falls on the first and the last syllable of the words, respectively.

Examples: Personal pronouns I, you, he, she, etc., Short prepositions (to, in, at, etc.) Auxiliary verbs (is, am, must will, etc.)

are normally given tertiary stress.

Background

The tertiary stress is the medium stress that is heard in words like understand, ashtray, where the tertiary stress falls on the first and the last syllable of the words, respectively.

Examples: Personal pronouns I, you, he, she, etc., Short prepositions (to, in, at, etc.) Auxiliary verbs (is, am, must will, etc.)

are normally given tertiary stress.

Background

The weak stress is the least forceful of the four levels of stress. Syllables spoken with weak stress are limited to the schwa, the short /I/ and the / ɝ / and / ɚ / sounds.

Words with the primary stress on the FIRST SYLLABLE

accuracy comfortable monastery noticeable

accent recognize irritable participle

arbitrary execute literature pedestalcaricature eligible melancholy pedagogy

catholic cemetery memorable plenary

Words with the primary stress on the SECOND SYLLABLE

abbreviate

brochure enamel utensils

accessory cashier contribute percentage

administer

violinist grimace inevitable

affiliate meringue

harangue satiety

aluminum colloquial

tattoo semester

Words with the primary stress on the THIRD SYLLABLE

aborigine beneficiary

deviation parliamentary

adolescent cafeteria documentary

penicillin

antecedent circumvent

guarantee persevere

apropos coalition machination resuméattaché democrati

cparalytic therapeutic

Words with the primary stress on the FOURTH SYLLABLE

abbreviation

alleviation denunciation

perpetuation

accentuation

appreciation

enunciation repatriation

administration

appropriation

evacuation repudiation

affiliation association negotiation realization

SOME WORDS OF TWO SYLLABLES WHICH SHOULD BE ACCENTED ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

demon ruthless lengthwise

damsel

genius steward banquet dulylegion bureau preface gesturesequel fury record gorgeouswhisper bury athlete sonnet

SOME WORDS OF TWO SYLLABLES WHICH SHOULD BE ACCENTED ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE

blaspheme

endure mishap severe

fatigue façade absurd garagegenteel demure insane recordreceipt ado allied accept

SOME WORDS OF THREE SYLLABLES WITH THE PRIMARY ACCENT ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE AND NO SECONDARY ACCENT

architect grocery genuine adjectiveartisan cemeter

ypedestal mitigate

chocolate vehicle amicable legendarydominate dynasty reservoir metaphor

WORDS OF THREE SYLLABLES WHICH HAVE THE PRIMARY ACCENT ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE AND NO SECONDARY ACCENT

assassin digestion

complacent

lieutenant

empower authentic

location collision

celestial eruption absorption

volcano

encircle electric ancestral suspended

FOUR SYLLABLE WORDS WITH THE ACCENT ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE WITH NO SEONDARY ACCENT

dexterity executive

abdominal erroneous

lascivious experiment

unanimous embroidery

illiterate kilometer metropolis alternative

constituent

perpetuate

potassium unscrupulous

 FOUR SYLLABLE WORDS WITH THE PRIMARY ACCENT ON THE THIRD SYLLABLE WIUTH A SECONDARY ACCENT ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

preposition apostolic philosophic operationsentimental accusatio

nexcavation declamation

prohibition contribution

tribulation affidavit

compensation

beneficial provocation perturbation

 FIVE SYLLABLE WORDS WITH THE PRIMARY ACCENT ON THE THIRD SYLLABLE WITH A SECONDARY ACCENT ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

intermediate

indescribable

imperceptible

equatorial

architectural

immemorial

metamorphosis

periodical

animosity inaccessible

curiosity theological

FOUR SYLLABLE WORDS WITH THE PRIMARY ACCENT ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE WITH A SECONDARY ACCENT ON THE THIRD SYLLABLE

mediator purgatory kindergarten

adversary

cultivator integrative

commentary

stationary

architecture

dysentery salamander legislative

What’s next?

It’s time to practice!

Wordaccurate

arbitrary

amicable

associate

benefit

bureau

cliché

colleague

compare

Wordeligible

exemplary

delicacy

determine

document

elementary

inevitable

genuine

honor

Wordindigent

integral

interfere

intimate

irrevocable

irritable

memory

secondary

participate

Wordsatisfy

subsequent

unanimous

valuable

cemetery

semester

plenary

tattoo

attaché

International Phonetic Alphabet