Double-stressed compounds

Confusingly, some English compounds are double-stressed (also called 'late-stressed' or 'end-stressed'). Their main lexical stress is on their second element. They are usually shown in dictionaries with a primary stress mark followed by a primary stress mark:

However, the lexical stress pattern of a double-stressed compound is just like that of a phrase. Both the lexically stressed syllables are accentable

If a double-stressed compound bears the nuclear tone, the nucleus goes on the second element. But the first element may also be accented, e.g as the onset:

In order to locate the nucleus correctly it is important to identify which compounds are, exceptionally, double-stressed. Here are some guidelines. The following types of compound tend to be double-stressed:

• proper names of people
  .James Mc'Gregor, De.nise 'Harris
• proper names of roads and public places
  Vic.toria 'Road, .Oxford 'Avenue (except those ending in street: 'Oxford Street)
• names of institutions such as hotels and schools
  .Jury's 'Inn, the .Marlborough Ho'tel, .Goldsmith's 'College, .Bailey's 'Restaurant, the .Festival 'Hall (but 'high school, 'secondary school, 'Pizza Hut)
• compounds in which the first element names the place or time
  .Town 'Hall, .kitchen 'window, .summer va'cation, .evening 'meal (but 'Boxing Day, 'Christmas .present, 'Christmas card, 'birthday card; compare .Christmas 'Eve, .Christmas 'Day, .Christmas 'pudding)
• compounds in which the first element names the material or ingredient
  .leather 'jacket, .cheese 'sandwich, .pork 'chop (except those ending in juice or cake: 'orange juice', 'carrot cake)

As can be seen, there are many irregularities and exceptions. In case of doubt, use your dictionary (or ask a native speaker) to check stress patterns.

Although lexical stresses before the main stress in a lexical item are accentable, this is not true of lexical stresses after the main stress (shown as . above). The accentuation of words and phrases is discussed further in

-10