Rules for Accentual Patterns

• All English words have some accent, primary or secondary, on the first or the second syllable.

E.g. ‘cough, ‘cut, ‘great

‘office, ‘basic, ‘country

Ciga’rette, ‘advertise, ar’tistic

Poli’tician, appli’cation, recom’mended

2. Words with weak prefixes are accented on the root, and not the prefix.

e.g., a’broad, a’cross, ad’mit, ad’vice,

a’head, a’lone, a’loud, a’mount,

a’part, at’tend, be’low, be’tween,

com’pose, cor’rect, de’velop, ex’pect,

oc’cur, pre’fer, re’duce.

3.The inflectional suffixes -es, -ing, -ed, and the following derivational suffixes do not affect the accent:

-age, -dom, -en, -er,

-ess, -ful, -fy, -less,

- let, -ly, -ment, - ness,

-or, -some, -ward.

• Words ending with –ion

- accent on the last but one syllable

e.g : appli'cation

imagi'nation

conver'sation

determi'nation

intro'duction

qualifi'cation

Connotation, association, concession,

relation, satisfaction, preparation,

combination, identification, creation,

deviation, situation, emotion,

determination, digestion, designation,

medication, nutrition, attribution,

civilization, affection, tension,

tradition, composition.

colonization, unification, isolation,

domination, communication, opposition,

conclusion, distinction, assertion,

location, elaboration, industrialization,

frustration, plantation, submission,

aviation, globalization, westernization,

transcription, computerization

Aspiration, expectation, translation,

reaction, fiction, interpretation,

publication, function, emancipation,

proclamation, segregation, discrimination,

condition, constitution, declaration,

obligation, graduation, desolation,

continuation, foundation, justification,

degeneration, destination, devotion,

satisfaction, tribulation, persecution,

redemption, situation, oppression,

nullification, interposition, transformation,

exaltation, revelation, celebration

Words ending with –ic, -ical, ically

- accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

e.g.

apolo'getic

e'lectric

e'lectrical

scien'tific

sympa'thetic

gram’matical,

patrio’tic,

po’litical,

po’litically,

sympa’thetically

Words ending with –ial, -ially

- accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.

arti'ficial confi’dentially

cere’monial es’sentially

confi'dential

es'sential

me'morial

In’dustrial, of’ficial, presi’dential,

matrimonial, denial, partial,

terrestrial, celestial, serial,

genial, martial, cordial,

bestial, centennial, menial,

special, imperial,

Words ending with –ian

- accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.

elec’trician

poli’tician

mu’sician

li’brarian

Physician,

magician,

musician,

Russian,

Indian,

beautician.

Words ending with –ious

- accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

• e.g.

'anxious

in'dustrious

in'jurious

lu'xurious

la’borious, re’bellious,

vic’torious, malicious,

devious, pernicious,

ferocious, perfidious,

judicious, suspicious,

curious, dubious,

Words ending with –ity

- accent on the syllable preceeding the suffix, i.e., on the third syllable from the end. - The ante-penultimate syllable

• e.g.

ac'tivity

mo'rality

ne'cessity

origi'nality

possi'bility

Elec’tricity, e’quality, gene’rosity,

mo’rality, origi’nality, continuity,

monstrosity, connectivity, variety,

duplicity, atrocity, curiosity,

proclivity, sensitivity, adversity,

serendipity, tenacity, celebrity,

stupidity, quantity, acidity,

veracity, velocity, publicity,

university, humanity, piety,

conductivity, possibility, probability,

Words of more than two syllables ending with –ate

- primary accent is placed two syllables before the suffix, i.e. on the third syllable from the end.

• e.g.

‘complicate

‘cultivate

‘educate

‘fortunate

‘separate

Facilitate, felicitate, activate,

complicate, duplicate, concentrate,

potentate, differentiate, estimate,

confiscate, articulate, communicate,

classmate, dictate,