Complex word stress

Suffixes carrying primary stress themselves:

In the examples given, which seem to be the most common, the primary stress is on the first syllable of the suffix. If the stem consists of more than one syllable there will be a secondary stress on one of the syllables of the stem. This cannot fall on the last syllable of the stem, and is if necessary, moved to an earlier syllable. For example, in 'Japan' 'Ja(pan)' The primary stress is on the last syllable, but when we add the stress-carrying suffix '-ese' the primary stress is on the suffix and the secondary stress is placed do not on the second syllable but on the first ' Japanese' 'Japa(nese)'
• Employee / emplↄiʹ i˸/ (ee)
• Chinese /ˏtʃaiʹni˸z/ (ese)
• Engineer /ˏendᴣIʹniᵊ/ (eer)
• Japanese /ˏdᴣaepᵊʹniᵊ/ (ese)
• Vinaigrette /ˏvinᵊʹgret/ (ette)
• Bhutanese /ˏbu˸tᵊʹni˸z/ (ese)
• Complain /kᵊm'plein/ (ain)
• Boutique /bu:'tik/ (ique)
• Explain /ik'splein/ (ain)
• Interviewee /intᵊvju'i:/ (ee)

Suffixes that do not affect stress placement
• Enjoy /in'dᴣↄi/ enjoyable /in'dᴣↄiᵊbᵊl/ (able)
• Center / 'sentᵊ/ central / 'sentrᵊl/ (al)
• Reason / 'ri:zᵊn/ reasonable /'ri:zᵊnᵊbᵊl/ (able)
• Historic /hi'stↄrik/ historical /hi'stↄrikᵊl/ (al)
• Donate /dᵊu'neit/ donating /dᵊu'neitiᵑ/ (ing)
• Renew /ri'nju:/ renewal /ri'nju:ᵊl/ (al)
• Person / 'p3:sᵊn/ personal /'p3:sᵊnᵊl/ (al)
• Turkey / 't3:ki/ Turkish /'t3:kiʃ/ (ish)
• Arbiter / 'a:bItᵊ/ arbitrage / 'a: bItra:3/ (age)
• Bell / 'beli/ bellyful / 'beliful/ (ful)

• Imprison /Im'prIsᵊn/ imprisonment /im'prisᵊnmᵊnt/ (ment)
• Bewilder /bI'wIldᵊ/ bewilderment /bi'wildᵊmᵊnt/ (ment)
• Rapid / 'raepId/ rapidly /'raepidli/ (ly)
• Simple / 'sImpᵊl/ simplify /'simplifai/ (fy)
• Danger / 'deIndᴣᵊ/ dangerous /'deindᴣᵊrᵊs/ (ous)
• Aware /ᵊ'weᵊ/ awareness /ᵊ'weᵊnis/ (ness)
• Yellow / 'jelᵊu/ yellowy / 'jelᵊui/ (y)
• Meaning /'mi:nIᵑ/ meaningless / 'mi:niᵑles/ (less)
• Lady / 'leIdi/ ladylike / 'leidilaik/ (like)
• Corner / 'kↄ:nᵊ/ cornerwise / 'kↄ:nᵊwaiz/ (wise)


Suffixes that influence stress in the stem:
• Nomad / 'nᵊumaed/ nomadic /nᵊu'maedik/ (ic)
• Adverb / 'aedv3:b/ adverbial /ᵊd'v3:biᵊl/ (ial)
• Atom / 'aetᵊm/ atomic /ᵊ'tↄmik/ (ic)
• Elect /I 'lekt/ election /I 'lekʃᵊn/ (ion)
• Defense / 'di:fens/ defensive /di'fensive/ (ive)
• Courage / 'kʌridᴣ/ courageous /kᵊ'reidᴣᵊs/ (eous)
• Captive / 'kaeptiv/ captivity /keep'tiviti/ (ity)
• Lexical /'leksikᵊl/ lexicography /leksi'kↄgrᵊfi/ (graphy)
• Atom / 'aetᵊm/ atomic / ᵊ'tↄmik/ (ic)
• Mystery / 'mistᵊri/ mysterious /mi'stiᵊriᵊs/ (ious)

Compound words:

If the first part of the compound is ( in a broad sense) adjectival, the stress goes on the second element with a secondary stress on the first. For example:
• Old fogey /ˏᵊuld'fᵊugi/
• Wide eyed /ˏwaid'aid/
• Slow motion /ˏslᵊu'mᵊuʃᵊn/
• Rough diamond /ˏrʌf 'daiᵊmᵊnd/
• Small minded /ˏsmↄ:l'maindᵊd/
• Over age /ˏᵊuvᵊ'eidᴣ/
• Sharp eared /ˏʃa: p'iᵊrd/
• Big bucks /ˏbig'bʌks/
• New moon /ˏnju:'mu:n/
• Blind date /ˏblaind'deit/

If however, the first element is (in a broad sense) a noun, the stress goes on the first element. For example:
• Ice box / 'aisbↄks/
• Eye sight / 'aisait/
• Oil can / 'ↄilkaen/
• West bound / 'westbaund/
• Stone ground / 'stᵊungraund/
• Ear drops / 'Iᵊrdrↄps/
• Moon light / 'mu:nlait/
• Plane load / 'pleinlᵊud/
• Play date / 'pleideit/
• School girl / 'sku:lg3:l/


Word class pairs:
When a pair of prefix-plus-stem words exists, both members of which are spelt identically, one of which is a verb and the other is either a noun or an adjective, the stress will be placed on the second syllable of the verb but on the first syllable of the non or adjective. Some common examples are given below:
• Insult / 'Insʌlt/ (n.) /In'sʌlt/ (v.)
• Influence / 'influᵊns/ (n.) /In'fluᵊns/ (v.)
• Comfort / 'kʌmfᵊt/ (n.) /kʌm'fᵊt/ (v.)
• Protest / 'prᵊutest/ (n.) /prᵊ'test/ (v.)
• Exercise / 'eksᵊsaiz/ (n.) /eks'ᵊsaiz/ (v.)
• Increase / 'Inkri:s/ (n.) /in'kri:s/ (v.)
• Interest / 'Intrᵊst/ (n.) /In'trᵊst/ (v.)
• Intern / 'Int3:n/ (n.) /in't3:n/ (v.)
• Transport /'traenspↄ:t/(n.) /traen'spↄ:t/ (v.)
• Interest / 'intrᵊst/ (n.) /In'trᵊst/ (v.)