Sep 2009
September Contest
September 01, 2009
Words have syllables (beats of energy) that can be
counted. Use your fingers to tap each time you hear a
syllable when you say the word
“September.” “Sep”-1,
“tem”-2, “ber”-3. Three,
right? If you tap just the way you say this word you
will notice that the second tap is louder than the
first or third—that means the second syllable
is stressed: “Sep TEM ber.”
Syllable stress can be difficult for non-native English speakers to master but here’s a rule that may help. When a word has the suffix “-ic” as in “static,” the syllable before “-ic” is stressed—“STA tic.” Here are some other examples: “dy NA mic,” “an ti SEP tic” and “dra MA tic” Are there exceptions to this rule?
Now, Here’s the Contest!
Which of these words do NOT have syllable stress on the syllable before “-ic”?
Arabic
enthusiastic
microscopic
organic
scientific
Syllable stress can be difficult for non-native English speakers to master but here’s a rule that may help. When a word has the suffix “-ic” as in “static,” the syllable before “-ic” is stressed—“STA tic.” Here are some other examples: “dy NA mic,” “an ti SEP tic” and “dra MA tic” Are there exceptions to this rule?
Now, Here’s the Contest!
Which of these words do NOT have syllable stress on the syllable before “-ic”?
Arabic
enthusiastic
microscopic
organic
scientific