Observe drachm [dræm], yacht [jɔt], impugn [im´pjuwn], physiognomy [fizi´ɔnəmi], diaphragm [daiəfræm], paradigm [pærədaim], phlegm [flem], sign [sain], feign, reign, foreign, benign.
51. In [rai] we have a diphthong. It is worth noting that the English diphthongs [ai, au, ɔi, ei, ou], etc., all have the stress on the former element.
Blackbirds and black birds: in the spelling we distinguish these by writing the first as one word, the second as two. What difference is there in the sounds? If you listen carefully, you will find that the second vowel in the compound word is just a little shorter than in birds standing alone, and that in blackbirds the opening of the closure for [k] is not heard, while in black birds it may be audible. The chief difference, however, lies in the stress of the compound word. Blackbirds is an example of descending stress [>], black birds is pronounced with level stress [=], perhaps with ascending stress [<].
Take the following compound words or groups, and classify them according to their stress:—
Sixpence, rainbow, good morning, looking glass, moonshine, bravo!, twenty-four, twenty-four men, High Street, London Road, waterspout, right of way, undo, Mr Jones, Park Lane, season ticket, sunflower, Hongkong, steel pen, Chinese, hallo! bill of fare, earthquake, sea wall, Bond Street, Grosvenor Square, fourteen, Hyde Park.
Try to deduce some rules from these examples. It has been said that level stress contrasts, and uneven stress unites the ideas expressed by the compound words; do you agree with this?
Notice what difficulty our level stress gives to the German; he will utter steel pen, Hyde Park, etc., with descending stress. Do so yourself, and observe how strange it sounds.
Notice the difference in stress of