Word stress

Sorry, there's no audio (answers are shown beneath).

 1. The suffixes -able , -age and -al

Write the following words in the table according to their stress pattern:

arrival assemblage changeable desirable emotional

enjoyable functional original patronage percentage pilgrimage

Ooo   

oOo   

oOoo

advisable

Most words with the suffixes -able, -age, and -al have stress on the same syllable as their root word. However, there are exceptions. Can you find the one exception* in the words you have grouped?

Answers:

Ooo   

changeable

functional

patronage

pilgrimage

oOo   

arrival

assemblage
percentage

oOoo

advisable

desirable

emotional

enjoyable

original

*exception:

origin - original

2. The suffixes -ful , -less and -ness

Write the following words in the table according to their stress pattern:

abrasiveness deviousness alertness assertiveness directionless disgraceful

awkwardness characterless colourless eventful powerful regardless

Ooo

oOo

Oooo

oOoo

abrasiveness

Words with the suffixes -ful, -less, and -ness have stress on the same syllable as their root word.

Answers:

Ooo

awkwardness

colourless

powerful

oOo

alertness

disgraceful

eventful

regardless

Oooo

deviousness

characterless

oOoo

abrasiveness

assertiveness

directionless

3. The suffixes -ous, -fy and -er

Write the following words in the table according to their stress pattern:

announcer anomalous beautify beginner borrower calamitous

dangerous diversify intensify marvellous simplify solidify

oOo

announcer

Ooo

oOoo

Answers:

oOo

announcer

beginner

Ooo

beautify

borrower

dangerous

simplify

marvellous

oOoo

anomalous

calamitous

diversify

intensify

solidify

Words with the suffixes -ous, -fy, and -er usually have stress on the same syllable as their root word. However, there are exceptions. Can you find the one exception in the words you have grouped?

Exception:

Solid - solidify

Review

Spot the odd one out:

Ooo   

changeable

functional

patronage

assemblage

pilgrimage

beautify

borrower

dangerous

marvellous

oOoo

abrasiveness

assertiveness

marvellous

directionless

anomalous

calamitous

diversify

oOo

alertness

disgraceful

eventful

regardless

announcer

simplify

beginner

Check:

Ooo   

changeable

functional

patronage

assemblage

pilgrimage

beautify

borrower

dangerous

marvellous

oOoo

abrasiveness

assertiveness

marvellous

directionless

anomalous

calamitous

diversify

oOo

alertness

disgraceful

eventful

regardless

announcer

simplify

beginner