Word stress, its components.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 615.

A word is a meaningful unit of the l-ge and it has a definite phonetic structure. Any word spoken in isolation has at least one prominent syllable. We perceive it as stressed. Stress in the isolated word is termed word stress. On the auditory level a stressed syllable is the part of the word which has a special prominence. It is produced by greater loudness and length, modifications in the pitch and quality, intensity duration, frequency (components). According to the most important feature different types of word stress are distinguished in different languages: If special prominence in a stressed syllable or syllables is achieved mainly through the intensity of articulation, such type of stress is called dynamic, or force stress; lf special prominence in a stressed syllable is achieved mainly through the change of pitch, or musical tone, such accent is called musical, or tonic, it is characteristic of the Japanese; if special prominence in a stressed syllable is achieved through the changes in the quantity of the vowels, which are longer in the stressed syllables than in the unstressed, such type of stress is called quantitative; qualitative type of stress is achieved through the changes in the quality of the vowel under stress. English word stress is traditionally defined as dynamic, but in fact, the special prominence of the stressed syllables is manifested in the English language not only through the increase of intensity, but also through the changes in the vowel quantity, consonant and vowel quality and pitch of the voice. It means, that the nature of English word stress is determined by a complex nature.