American English Phonetics

3.2 The stress in derived words

In the following sections we will have a look at two types of derived words that are frequently pronounced by Dutch learners with the stress on the wrong syllable. A derived word, for instance unbelievable, consists of a base, in this case believe, and one or more affixes, in this case un– and –able.

Derived Words

As a rule, in adjectives ending in /əbl/ (-able or –ible) the stress falls on the same syllable as in the base. (When the stress is more than two syllables removed from /əbl/, stress retraction may occur as in recognizable, from to recognize, which is either ˈrecognizable or recogˈnizable.):

desire	desirable	/dɪˈzaɪə(rəbl)/
exhaust	inexhaustible	/(ɪn)ɪgˈzɑːst(əbl)/
process	processable	/ˈprɑːsɛs(əbl)

 

Verbs ending in –ate frequently lose that ending before the affix is added, but the rule applies in the same way:

ˈnavigate	ˈnavigable	/ˈnævɪgəbl/ (bevaarbaar)
eˈradicate	ineˈradicable	/ɪnɪˈrædɪkəbl/ (onuitroeibaar)
ˈpenetrate	imˈpenetrable	/ɪmˈpɛnətrəbl/

 

However, in the following cases the stress goes to the syllable before the one that is stressed in the base:

adˈmire	ˈadmirable	/ˈædmrəbl/
comˈpare	ˈcomparable	/ˈkɑːmprəbl/
reˈpair	(ir)ˈreparable	/(ɪ)ˈrɛprəbl/ as in irreparable damage /(ɪ)rɪˈpɛrəbl/) as in Is the bike (ir)repairable?
reˈvoke	irˈrevocable	/(ɪ)ˈrɛvəkəbl/
preˈfer	ˈpreferable	/ˈprɛfrəbl/
reˈpute	ˈreputable	/ˈrɛpjutəbl/

 

Also note the following:

ˈdemonstrate	deˈmonstrable	/dəˈmɑːnstrəbl/
ˈexplicate	inexˈplicable	/ɪnəksplɪkəbl/ (onverklaarbaar)

In a number of other words there is variation between speakers: some put the stress on the syllable before /əbl/, while others put it on the syllable before that one, irrespective of where the stress is in the base. An example is inextricable (onontwarbaar). Some people say /ɪnɛkˈstrɪkəbl/, others say /ɪnˈɛkstrɪkəbl/. Such variation also occurs in applicable (van toepassing), irrefutable (onweerlegbaar); also formidable and hospitable (gastvrij) belong here, although they cannot be said to have a base.