怎样分辨英语单词的重音?

英语字母组合与英语单词重音

学习英语时我们常因单词重音位置的飘忽不定而大伤脑筋，尤其是遇上双音节以上的词汇，要准确无误地读准其重音，确实不太容易。

其实，英语词汇的重音位置通常是有规律的。例如：有些双音节词汇做名词时重音往往落在首音节上；而做动词时，重音就落在第二音节上了。这些词汇常见的有：addict，accent，abstract，annex等。

可见，掌握好并读准单词的重音有一定的规律可循。

为了便于记忆和学习，现将部分规则按重音位置和字母顺序作如下归纳，并从理论上进行简要分析。

一、归类部分

1．重音落在末音节的字母组合

①以-ee结尾，读音为/!>?/的词汇：

appellee chimpanzee conferee contestee decree drawee evacuee em-ployee goatee grandee guarantee indictee inductee

②以-act结尾，读音为/$kt/的词汇，多为动词：

contact contract detract distract exact enact intact interact

③-air，-aire或-are结尾，读音为/#+/的词汇：

affair concessionaire enclair millionaire aware prepare

④以-ade结尾，读音为/eid/的词汇：

arcade brigade colonnade escalade escapade（exception：decade）

⑤以-ane结尾，读音为/ein/的词汇：

inane insane profane humane

⑥以-ceive结尾，读音为/s!>?v/的动词：

conceive deceive perceive receive

⑦以-duce结尾，读音为/dj(>?s/的词汇：

conduce deduce induce introduce reduce reproduce subduce traduceseduce

⑧以-ease结尾，读音为/!>?s/或/!>?z/的词汇：

appease decease decrease disease increase predecease release sub-lease surcease

⑨以-een结尾，读音为/!>?n/的名词：

colleen canteen pretteen Salween shagreen thirteen spalpeenvelevteen yestreen

⑩以-eer结尾，读音为/i+/的名词：

cannoneer compeer domineer engineer fronteer gadgeteer gazetterpamphleteer patrioteer

(11)以-ect结尾，读音为/ekt/的动词：

affect bisect collect defect direct detect correct confect connectdisinfect eject elect

(12)以-ede结尾，读音为/!>?d/的动词：

accede antecede concede impede intercede precede recede retrocedesecede supercede

(13)以-end结尾，读音为/end/的动词：

attend amend commend comprehend contend defend depend extendintend represend subtend

(14)以-el结尾，读音为/el/的词汇：

compel impel Nobel marcel propel rebel（v．）

(15)以-ert结尾，读音为/+>?t/的词汇：

assert concert convert desert introvert subvert

(16)以-ese结尾，读/!>?s/或/!>?z/的词汇：

Chinese Japanese Napalese sudanese telegraphese vietnamese

(17)以-clude结尾，读音为/kl(>?d/的动词：

conclude exclude include occlude preclude seclude

(18)以-esce结尾，读音为/es/的词汇：

coalesce deliquesce effloresce evanesce recrudesce

(19)以-ess结尾，读音为/es/的动词：

compress confess depress express impress profess redress represssuppress transgress

若不是动词，以-ess结尾的词汇之重音位置不固定：

'progress 'congress pro'cess un'less

(20)以-est结尾，读音为/est/的动词：

adjest congest contest digest infest protest suggest

(21)以-ette结尾，读音为/et/的词汇：

cassette cigarette brunette coquette chemisette forssette frisettegazette grisette

(22)以-form结尾，读音为/f&>?m/的动词：

conform perform reform transform（但uniform是名词）

(23)以-ict结尾，读音为/ikt/的动词：

afflict conflict constrict contradict inflict predict restric

(24)以-ide结尾，读音为/aid/的词汇：

aside astride beside confide divide provide reside subside

(25)以-ign结尾，读音为/ain/的动词：

assign condign design consign resign

(26)以-ire结尾，读音为/ai+/的动词：

conspire esquire expire desire inquire inspire require respire

(27)以-lapse结尾，读音为/l$ps/的词汇：

collapse prolapse relapse

(28)以-mit结尾，读音为/mit/的词汇：

admit commit demit emit intermit omit permit pretermit remitsubmit transmit

（若是名词，重音落在首音节，如：'limit 'summit 'vomit）

(29)以-ort结尾，读音为/&>?t/的动词：

disport distort escort export import report retort support trans-port

（若是名词，重音多落在首音节：escort export import bistort purport等。）

(30)以-ore结尾，读音为/&>?/的词汇：

afore before deplore explore restore

(31)以-pose结尾，读音为/p+us/、/p+uz/的动词：

depose decompose expose impose interpose oppose indispose predis-pose propose suppose

(32)以-scribe结尾，读音为/skraib/的词汇：

conscribe describe escribe prescribe subscribe transcribe

(33)以-scend结尾，读音为/send/的词汇：

ascend condescend descend transcend

(34)以-oon结尾，读音为/(>?n/的词汇：

afternoon balloon buffoon cartoon cocoon decocoon dragoon festoongalloon octoroon pocaroon（exception：forenoon）

(35)以-que结尾，读音为/k/的词汇：

antique boutique blottesque burlesque arabesque cacique critiquegrotesque Japanesque mystique

(36)以-r结尾，现在分词和过去分词均要双写r（-red，-ring）：

demur incur inter infer occur prefer recur refer transfer

(37)以-uct结尾，读音为/)kt/的词汇：

conduct construct deduct instruct obstruct product

(38)以-ult结尾，读音为/)lt/的词汇：

consult exult insult occult midcult result

(39)以-ume结尾，读音为/j(>?m/的词汇：

assume consume perfume presume subsume

(40)以-use结尾，读音为/j(>?s/或/j(>?z/的词汇：

accuse confuse excuse perfuse refuse suffuse transfuse

(41)以-ure结尾，读音为/ju+/的词汇：

accure impure immure insecure insure inure mature obscure per-dure procure secure（exceptions：'epicure 'manicure）

2．重音落在倒数第二个音节的字母组合：

①以-ial结尾，读音为/+l/、/i+l/或/j+l/的词汇：

/+l/：confidential decrial existential impartial inferential inffluentialinitial prejudicial sacrificial substantial

/i+l/：authorial bimestrial colloquial gressorial material mercurialministerial motorial pictorial prefatorial tectorial visitorial

/j+l/：antimonial bicentennial colonial

②以-ian结尾，读音为/+n/、/i+n/、/j+n/的词汇：

/+n/：academician arithmetician acoustician electrician Eurasian Lin-guistician musician Persian politician practician

/i+n/、/j+n/：Cantabrigian collegian Colombian historian rosarian salu-tatorian subclavian

③以-ia结尾，读音为/i+/的词汇：

国名、地名：Australia Ethiopia Indonesia Malaysia Mauritania Roma-nia

医学：abulia achromatopsia acidemia acrophobia aerophobia bilharziainsomnia

其他：academia acedia cryptomeria razzia encyclopedia

④以-ic结尾，读音为/ik/偶或包括以-ics结尾的词汇：

atomatic atmospheric autarkic autographic ballistic climatic cosmeticenteric epidemic

⑤以-ior结尾，读音为/i+/的词汇，形容词居多：

inferior junior posterior prior senior superior ulterior

⑥以-it结尾，读音为/it/的词汇：

cohabit demerit discredit discomfit decrepit deposit explicit dispiritdisinherit inspirit inherit inhabit inhibit reposit transit visit

⑦以-scence（n．）或-scent（adj）结尾：

acescence acquiescence deliquescence convalescence evanescence obso-lescence reminiscence renascence decrescent marcescent pubescent re-crudescent quiescent resipiscent suffrutescent

⑧以-ion或-sion结尾：

accusaion abolition confusion explosion decision impression persua-sion excitation suggestion invitation

3．重音落在倒数第三个音节的字母组合：

①以-fy结尾，读音为/fai/的动词：

acidify identify intensify emulsify lapidify personify qualify modifyprettify simplify transmogrify

②以-ical结尾，读音为/ik+l/的词汇：

academical chemical electrical political periodical encyclical teleologi-cal inimical theoretical technological

③以-icide结尾，读音为/isaid/的词汇：

suicide aborticide acaricide foeticide fratricide herbicide infanticideliberticide uxoricide

④以-itude结尾，读音为/itj%!d/的词汇：

attitude decrepitude infinitude lassitude latitude platitude

⑤以-ity结尾，读音为/iti/的词汇：

ability curiosity civility facility fragility opportunity personalitypossibility sensitivity simplicity speciality utility vanity whimsicality

⑥以-graph或-phy结尾，读音为/gr$f/或/fi/的词汇：

aerography bibliography biography calligraphy chirography geographylexicography photography planography telegraphy theosophy philosophy

⑦以-ology结尾，读音为/&l+d*i/的词汇：

aerology bibliology bryology crytology ecology Egyptology lexicologytechnology pestology psychology testaceology teleology theology zoology

⑧以-otomy结尾，读音为/&t+mi/的词汇：

neurotomy tenotomy tracheotomy trichotomy

⑨以-ular结尾，读音为/jul+/的词汇：

biangular binocular consular insular intercelluar ocular orbicularpopular particular secular regular triangular

4．词汇加了前缀后的重读位置

①重读落在第一音节的词汇，加前缀后，重读位置不变：

'dazzle—be'dazzle 'operate—co'operate

'force—en'force 'logical—il'logical

'literate—il'literate 'constant—in'constant

②重读落在第二音节的词汇，加前缀后，原重读位置不受影响，但前缀的字母组合作为一个音节可重读或次重读：

pro'duce—'repro'duce

'graduate—'post'graduate

'national—'inter'national

im'pressionism—'neo-imp'ressionism

（the only exception：'finite—'infinie）

二、简析部分

从语言学的角度来分析，英语的词重音（word stress）的位置是不固定的。英语与某些别的语言不同，例如：法语词汇的重音总是在词的末音节上；与法语相反的是捷克语，它的重音总是落在词的首音节上，而波兰语却独特一些，重音位置总是落在词汇的倒数第二个音节上，因此，这些语言的重音称为固定重音（fixed stress），而英语和俄语的重音则是自由重音（free stress）。英语本身吸收并借用了大量的外来语（loan words），以历史语言学或词源学（etymology）的观点来剖析，就不难解释为什么英语重音属于自由重音这一现象。例如：以-ion和-ic结尾的英语词汇重音往往落在倒数第二个音节上，而-ion和-ic结尾的字母组合则源于拉丁语。以-ee结尾的英语词汇重音总是落在末音节上，若追溯它的同源词（cognate），我们可以看到-ee这一后缀源于Middle English的-e，而-e又来源于Middle French的-é，若再追本溯源，乃是来自于Old French的-é。再考察以-ette后缀结尾的词汇，－ette后缀也是经历了从Old French到Middle French再到Middle English这一相似的演变过程，直至现在，仍然保留了法语的重音特征，与现代法语的词重音总是落在末音节这一规律完全吻合。

以词源学的分析作为探索基点，我们认识到英语的词重音既属于自由重音且并非无规律可循这一语言现象，从而对这一现象进行总结和分析，以求达到既能方便学习又能对所学语言深化理解的学习目的。