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| − | One complexity of the English stress and vowel system is vowel laxing when suffixes are added, that is, when a long or tense vowel reduces to a lax or short vowel with the addition of certain suffixes. This is part of the Latin stress pattern that English has inherited, and can pose challenges for learners, especially for those at intermediate to advanced levels as they learn more academic English with Latinate word elements.
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| − | The affected syllable is often the second from the end (the penultimate syllable, denoted here as "-2"), with a tense (long) vowel. As other Latinate suffixes are added, the syllable is now the third syllable from the end ("-3"). Here the vowel shortens to a lax vowel, e.g.,
| + | #REDIRECT Vowel tense-lax stress alternations |
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| − | {| class="apatable"
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| − | |- class="apatable"
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| − | | '''Vowel = -2'''
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| − | | '''Vowel = -3'''
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| − | |-
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| − | | nátion /neiʃən/ || nátional /næʃənəl/
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| − | |-
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| − | | móde /mɔʊd/ || módule /mɔdyu:l/
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| − | |}
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| − | | |
| − | The addition of certain additional suffixes, incidentally, can cause the original primary stress to reduce to a secondary stress, e.g.:
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| − | : nàtionálity
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| − | : mòdálity
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| − | ==Tense – lax or long – short alternations ==
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| − | Note the following tense-lax alternations in word formation. With the addition of new suffixes, the stress shifts, and the tense vowels can become lax when they are three syllables or more from the end of the word. This also happens sometimes with shorter words with the addition of ''-ic, -id. ''
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| − | === Glided /ei/ - lax /æ/ ===
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| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0.97mm;"
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| − | || cave
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| − | | |
| − | chaste
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| − | | |
| − | exclaim
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| − | | |
| − | defame
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| − | | |
| − | deprave
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| − | | |
| − | grade
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| − | | |
| − | grain
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| − | | |
| − | grateful
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| − | | |
| − | grave
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| − | | |
| − | humane
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| − | | |
| − | inflame
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| − | | |
| − | nation
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| − | | |
| − | nature
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| − | || cavity
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| − | | |
| − | chastity
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| − | | |
| − | exclamatory
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| − | | |
| − | defamatory
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| − | | |
| − | depravity
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| − | | |
| − | gradual
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| − | | |
| − | granular
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| − | | |
| − | gratitude
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| − | | |
| − | gravity
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| − | | |
| − | humanity
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| − | | |
| − | inflammatory
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| − | | |
| − | national, nationality
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| − | | |
| − | natural
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| − | ||
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| − | || navy
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| − | | |
| − | opaque
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| − | | |
| − | page
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| − | | |
| − | pale
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| − | | |
| − | placate
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| − | | |
| − | profane
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| − | | |
| − | rabies
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| − | | |
| − | sacred
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| − | | |
| − | sane
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| − | | |
| − | state
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| − | | |
| − | table
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| − | | |
| − | vain
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| − | | |
| − | vapor
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| − | || navigate
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| − | | |
| − | opacity
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| − | | |
| − | paginate
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| − | | |
| − | pallid
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| − | | |
| − | placid
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| − | | |
| − | profanity
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| − | | |
| − | rabid
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| − | | |
| − | sacrament
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| − | | |
| − | sanity
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| − | | |
| − | static
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| − | | |
| − | tabular
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| − | | |
| − | vanity
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| − | | |
| − | vapid
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| − | | |
| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | === Glided /i:/ - lax /ɛ/ ===
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| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0.97mm;"
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| − | || appeal
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| − | | |
| − | athlete
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| − | | |
| − | austere
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| − | | |
| − | brief
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| − | | |
| − | clean
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| − | | |
| − | clear
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| − | | |
| − | compete
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| − | | |
| − | concede
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| − | | |
| − | convene
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| − | | |
| − | creed
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| − | | |
| − | diabetes
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| − | | |
| − | deceive
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| − | | |
| − | discreet
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| − | | |
| − | extreme
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| − | | |
| − | heal
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| − | || appellative
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| − | | |
| − | athletic
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| − | austerity*
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| − | | |
| − | brevity
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| − | | |
| − | cleanliness
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| − | clarity*
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| − | | |
| − | competitive
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| − | | |
| − | concession
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| − | | |
| − | convention
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| − | | |
| − | credible
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| − | | |
| − | diabetic
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| − | | |
| − | deception
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| − | | |
| − | discretion
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| − | | |
| − | extremity
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| − | health
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| − | ||
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| − | || Hellene
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| − | | |
| − | hygiene
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| − | | |
| − | intervene
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| − | | |
| − | meter
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| − | | |
| − | obscene
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| − | | |
| − | perceive
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| − | | |
| − | proceed
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| − | | |
| − | recede
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| − | | |
| − | receive
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| − | | |
| − | repeat
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| − | serene
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| − | | |
| − | severe
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| − | | |
| − | steal
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| − | | |
| − | sincere
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| − | supreme
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| − | || Hellenic
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| − | hygienic
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| − | intervention
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| − | metric
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| − | obscenity
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| − | perception
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| − | | |
| − | procession
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| − | | |
| − | recession
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| − | | |
| − | reception
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| − | repetitive
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| − | | |
| − | serenity
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| − | | |
| − | severity
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| − | | |
| − | stealth
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| − | sincerity*
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| − | supremacy
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | <nowiki>*Some of these are “r-colored” vowels, /ɛr/, that is, the vowel sound seems somewhat different due to the influence of the /r/. </nowiki>
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| − | === Diphthong /ai/ - lax /ɪ/ ===
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| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |-
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| − | || arthritis
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| − | Bible
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| − | collide
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| − | | |
| − | confide
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| − | | |
| − | contrite
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| − | crime
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| − | | |
| − | cycle
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| − | | |
| − | decide
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| − | | |
| − | define
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| − | dendrite
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| − | | |
| − | derive
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| − | | |
| − | describe
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| − | | |
| − | divide
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| − | divine
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| − | elide
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| − | | |
| − | expedite
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| − | | |
| − | juvenile
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| − | ignite
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| − | inscribe
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| − | line
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| − | | |
| − | mime
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| − | || arthritic
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| − | | |
| − | biblical
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| − | | |
| − | collision
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| − | | |
| − | confident
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| − | | |
| − | contrition
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| − | criminal
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| − | cyclical
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| − | | |
| − | decision
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| − | definitive
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| − | | |
| − | dendritic
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| − | derivative
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| − | | |
| − | description
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| − | | |
| − | division
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| − | divinity
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| − | | |
| − | elision
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| − | | |
| − | expedition
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| − | | |
| − | juvenility
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| − | | |
| − | ignition
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| − | | |
| − | inscription
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| − | linear
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| − | | |
| − | mimic
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| − | ||
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| − | || mine
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| − | oblige
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| − | | |
| − | parasite
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| − | | |
| − | prescribe
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| − | | |
| − | prime
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| − | pyrite
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| − | | |
| − | revise
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| − | | |
| − | rite
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| − | satire
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| − | Semite
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| − | senile
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| − | sign
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| − | saliva
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| − | title
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| − | | |
| − | transcribe
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| − | | |
| − | triune
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| − | | |
| − | type
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| − | tyrant
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| − | vile
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| − | wide
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| − | wild
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| − | || mineral
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| − | obligatory
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| − | | |
| − | parasitic
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| − | prescription
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| − | | |
| − | primitive
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| − | pyritic
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| − | revision
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| − | ritual
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| − | satirical
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| − | Semitic
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| − | senility
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| − | signal
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| − | salivate
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| − | titular
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| − | transcription
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| − | trinity
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| − | | |
| − | typical
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| − | | |
| − | tyranny
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| − | vilify
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| − | width
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| − | | |
| − | wilderness
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | Also, in British pronunciation of ''-ile'' as /ail/, we see alternations like ''hostile, hostility; futile, futility. ''
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| − | === Glided /ou/ - lax /ɔ/ ===
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| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0mm;"
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| − | || code
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| − | | |
| − | compose
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| − | | |
| − | cone
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| − | | |
| − | cyclone
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| − | | |
| − | episode
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| − | | |
| − | evoke
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| − | | |
| − | expose
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| − | | |
| − | globe
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| − | | |
| − | holy
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| − | | |
| − | hypnosis
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| − | | |
| − | joke
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| − | | |
| − | know
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| − | | |
| − | locate
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| − | | |
| − | microbe
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| − | | |
| − | microscope
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| − | || codify
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| − | | |
| − | composite
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| − | | |
| − | conic
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| − | | |
| − | cyclonic
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| − | | |
| − | episodic
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| − | | |
| − | evocative
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| − | | |
| − | expository
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| − | | |
| − | globular
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| − | | |
| − | holiday
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| − | | |
| − | hypnotic
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| − | | |
| − | jocular
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| − | | |
| − | knowledge
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| − | | |
| − | locative
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| − | | |
| − | microbic
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| − | | |
| − | microscopic
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| − | ||
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| − | || mode
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| − | | |
| − | neurosis
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| − | | |
| − | omen
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| − | | |
| − | ozone
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| − | | |
| − | phone
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| − | | |
| − | provoke
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| − | | |
| − | psychosis
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| − | | |
| − | solo
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| − | | |
| − | symbiosis
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| − | | |
| − | telephone
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| − | | |
| − | telescope
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| − | | |
| − | tone
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| − | | |
| − | trope
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| − | | |
| − | verbose
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| − | | |
| − | vocal
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| − | || modular
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| − | | |
| − | neurotic
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| − | | |
| − | ominous
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| − | | |
| − | ozonic
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| − | | |
| − | phonics
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| − | | |
| − | provocative
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| − | | |
| − | psychotic
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| − | | |
| − | solitude
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| − | | |
| − | symbiotic
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| − | | |
| − | telephonic
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| − | | |
| − | telescopic
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| − | | |
| − | tonic
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| − | | |
| − | tropical
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| − | | |
| − | verbosity
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| − | | |
| − | vocative
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | === tense /u:/ - lax /ʊ/ ===
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| − | | |
| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0.97mm;"
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| − | || adjudicate
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| − | | |
| − | assume
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| − | | |
| − | consume
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| − | | |
| − | crucify
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| − | | |
| − | deduce
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| − | | |
| − | duke
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| − | | |
| − | induce
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| − | | |
| − | numeral
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| − | || adjudge
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| − | | |
| − | assumption
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| − | | |
| − | consumption
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| − | | |
| − | crux
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| − | | |
| − | deduction
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| − | | |
| − | duchy
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| − | | |
| − | induction
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| − | | |
| − | number
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| − | ||
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| − | || presume
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| − | | |
| − | produce
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| − | | |
| − | punitive
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| − | | |
| − | reduce
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| − | | |
| − | repugn
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| − | | |
| − | resume
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| − | | |
| − | seduce
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| − | || presumption
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| − | | |
| − | production
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| − | | |
| − | punish
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| − | | |
| − | reduction
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| − | | |
| − | repugnant
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| − | | |
| − | resumption
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| − | | |
| − | seduction
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ==Other alternations==
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| − | | |
| − | There is also occasionally destressing of these vowels with the addition of a suffix, such as the negative suffix ''-in'':
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| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0.97mm;"
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| − | || famous
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| − | | |
| − | finite
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| − | | |
| − | potent
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| − | || infamous
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| − | | |
| − | infinite
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| − | | |
| − | impotent
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | A few other such patterns also occur:
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| − | | |
| − | {| style="border-spacing:0;margin:auto;width:175.9mm;"
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| − | |- style="border:none;padding:0.97mm;"
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| − | || pronounce
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| − | | |
| − | profound
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| − | | |
| − | abstain
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| − | | |
| − | maintain
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| − | | |
| − | detain
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| − | || pronunciation
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| − | | |
| − | profundity
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| − | | |
| − | abstinence, abstention
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| − | | |
| − | maintenance
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| − | | |
| − | detention
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| − | ||
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| − | || pertain
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| − | | |
| − | persevere
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| − | | |
| − | retain
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| − | | |
| − | saline
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| − | || pertinent
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| − | | |
| − | perseveration
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| − | | |
| − | retention
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| − | | |
| − | salinity
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | Possible variations or exceptions: Some speakers vary in whether they shorten these syllables in a few words; this can depend on dialect or personal style.
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | penalize, phonological, economic, equinox, equatorial, equilateral, equidistant, homophone, hologram, amenable, placable, granary, nascent, predicate, simultaneous, sonorous, ammonic, patronize, patronage, microbic, gnomic, Hellenic, hydrophobic, finitude, homicide, myopic
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | [[Category:Phonology]]
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