Topic-050: Transcription Beyond Words Word Stress In phonetics, stress refers to the degree of force used in producing a syllable. The usual distinction is between stressed and unstressed syllables, the former being more prominent than the latter and marked in transcription with a raised vertical line, [ˈ]). The prominence is usually due to an increase in loudness of the stressed syllable, but increases in length and often pitch may contribute to the overall impression of prominence. In other words, a syllable is stressed when it is made more prominent than others in a multisyllabic word. The IPA symbol for stress is • Primary stress symbol [ˈ] above the line and before the stressed syllable such assn pt / ɪgˈzɪst/ /prənʌnsiˈeiʃən/ • Secondary stress symbol [ˌ] below the line before the stressed syllable /ˌmɪnɪmaɪˈzeɪʃən/
