Orthography / As Outlined in the State Course of Study for Illinois

by Elmer W. Cavins

As to where a word shall be divided in making it into syllables depends upon the PURPOSE OF SYLLABICATION. When the purpose is to show the derivation the division is made with reference to the component parts (roots, prefixes, and suffixes); but if the purpose is to indicate correct pronunciation, the result may be very different. For illustration, the following words are divided, first, to show derivation: abs-tract, bene-vol-ent, pre-de-cess-or, e-duc-ate, phon-o-typ-y, pro-gress, e-lig-ible; and, second, to indicate correct pronunciation: ab-stract, be-nev-o-lent, pred-e-ces-sor, ed-u-cate, pho-not-y-py, prog-ress, el-i-gi-ble.

While in the illustrations here given the syllables formed for one purpose are very different from those formed for the other, yet in the majority of words the resulting syllables are the same whether divided for one purpose or for the other.

In the United States the prevailing purpose of syllabication is to indicate pronunciation.

The ULTIMATE syllable of a word is the last (ultimus = last); the PENULTIMATE is next to the last (pen = almost); the ANTEPENULTIMATE is the third from the last (literally, before almost the last); the PREANTEPENULTIMATE is the fourth from the last (literally, before the one that is before the one almost last).

[Second Month.]
ACCENT.

Accent is stress of voice on a particular syllable in pronouncing a word.

In long words two, and sometimes three, syllables are accented. But one syllable is always accented more strongly than the others are. The stronger accent is called the PRIMARY accent, the weaker is called the SECONDARY. Thus, in am´ mu ni´ tion the primary accent falls on the third syllable and the secondary on the first.

The “PRINCIPLES” which govern the placing of accent are complicated. The International Dictionary says there are no principles by which to determine the accent in English. Another high authority says: “All attempts to assign rules for the place of the accent in English only serve to render the subject hopelessly intricate and confounded.”

There are, however, certain tendencies which mature pupils might profitably consider, but the limited scope of this book will not permit me to attempt to set them forth.

In the words of the following list the accent changes with a change of meaning. When nouns or adjectives these words are accented on the first syllable; when verbs, on the second: