Part 4

Stress in compound nouns

• *A compound noun is an expression made up of more than one word which functions as a noun. Some are written as two words, other with a hyphen and some as one word.
• Ex: 'crash ,barrier ,double-'glazing 'baby,sitter
• -The following types of compound nouns usually have main stress on the first part:
• *noun + noun: 'arms race 'fire ex,tinguisher 'night-time 'pillar-box 'lipstick 'airport
• However, if the first part gives the material that the second part is made out of, main stress usually goes on the second part, example of this is: ,cotton 'wool BUT 'cotton ,plant. Exceptions are most compounds ending with -cheese, -bread or -cake
• *noun + -ing form: 'bird-,watching 'house-,hunting 'fly-,fishing; EXCEPTIONS: pe,destrian 'crossing ,ball 'bearing
• *-ing form + noun: 'dressing ,gown 'sitting ,room 'freezing ,point; EXCEPTIONS: ,managing di'rector de,fining 'moment *verb + noun: 'search , party con'trol ,tower 'think ,tank
• Most adjective + noun compounds have main stress on the second part, and secondary stress on the first:
• ,social se'curity ,hot po'tato ,absolute 'zero; Exceptions: 'blind spot 'dental ,floss 'easy ,chair 'broadband 'greenhouse
• This includes: *Adjectives + -ing form: ,central 'heating ,global 'warming ,passive 'smoking
• *Past participle + noun: ,split in'finitive in,verted 'commas ,lost 'property

Slide 2