The Types of Word Stress Error Produced by the Students

In order to answer the first research question, the observer attempted to find out the types of word stress errors. It was done by noticing the stress position on the word stress error produced by the students. Based on the data above, it is found that there are the types of stress errors. The first type of error is misplacing the word stress, the second is double-stressing the words, and the third is unstressed word. For the misplaced word stress, the primary stress falls on the wrong syllable. For the double-stressing the words, word sounds like it has more than one primary stress including the correct stressed syllable; it means that the stress is unnecessary. The third type of error is unstressed word. For this type of error, the students did not put the stress in all the words; it means that there are no stresses in word stress which are produced by the students. The details will be discussed as follows:

a. Misplaced Word Stress

This type of error shows that the students placed the stress on the wrong syllable in 23 words. The detail would be discussed as follows:

a. Table 4.2 Stress error on the first syllable

No Word List Transcript of students’ word

stress

Correct stress based on dictionary

1. Unusual 'unusual /ʌn'juʒʊəl/

2. Outstanding 'outstanding /ˌaʊt'stændıŋ/

3. Abhorrent 'abhorrent /əb'hɔ:rənt/

4. Courageous 'courageous /kə'reidʒəs/

Based on the result above, the students misplaced the stress by putting the stress on the first syllable. However, those words should be stressed on the second syllables. The students misplaced the stress on the wrong syllables because some of the students did not pay attention to the stress mark (') on the words. Therefore, it is assumed that they put the stress in the wrong syllable. Most of the students also often pronounce the words by putting the stress on the first syllable without knowing the correct stress, for example the words unusual which has the prefix ‘un’; un + usual and outstanding has the prefix and suffix ‘out’; out + stand + ing. The students put the stress on the first syllable because they assumed that the word which has prefix will be stressed on its prefix.

Therefore, when the observer asked the students to read the word stress, they put the stress in the wrong syllable.

b. Table 4.3 Stress error on penultimate and antepenultimate syllables

No Word List Transcript of students’ word stress

Correct stress based on dictionary

1 Inexpensive In'expensive /ınık'spensiv/

2 Vascular Vas'cular /'væskjələ(r)/

3 Melancholic Me'lancholic /ˌmelən'kɑlik/.

4 Canicular Cani'cular /kə'nıkjələr/

4 Typographic Typo'graphic /taı'pɑgrəfık/

The students misplaced the stress by putting the stress of those words on the penultimate syllables. However, the word inexpensive and canicular should be stressed on the second syllables, the word vascular should be stressed on the first syllable, the word typographic should be stressed on the second syllable, and the word melancholic should be stressed on the third syllable. It happened because some of the students did not know the stress mark of the words. It is assumed that when they read the words stress above, it only based on their experience that they often put the stress on the penultimate syllables. Therefore, they put the stress in the wrong syllable.

c. Table 4.4 Stress Error on the Ultimate Syllable

No Word List Transcript of the students’

word stress

Correct Stress based on dictionary

1 Glamorous Glamor'ous /'glæmərəs/

2 Courageous Coura'geous /kə'reidʒəs/

3 Adventurous Adventur'ous /əd'vɛntʃərəs/

4 Presumptuous Presumptu'ous /pri'zʌmptʃuəs/

5 Comfortable Comforta'ble /kʌmftəbəl/

6 Knowledgeable Knowledgea'ble /’nɒlıdʒəbəl/

7 Inquisitive Inquisi'tive /in'kwizətiv/

8 Repulsive Repul'sive /rı'pʌlsıv/

9 Abhorrent abhor'rent /əb'hɔ:rənt/

10 Magnificent Magnifi'cent /mæg'nıfıs(ə)nt/

11 Substantial Substan'tial /səb'stænʃəl/

12 Reticular Reticu'lar /rı'tıkju:lər/

13 Reptilian Reptili'an /rep'tılıən/

14 Miniature Minia'ture /'mıniətʃər/

The students also misplaced the stress of those words on the last syllable.

However, those words should be stressed on the first syllables, such as ‘glamorous ['glæmərəs], ‘comfortable [kʌmftəbəl], ‘knowledgeable [’nɒlıdʒəb(ə)l], and

‘miniature ['mıniətʃər]. While the other words should be stressed on the second syllables, such as ad’venturous [əd'vɛntʃərəs], mag’nificent [mæg'nıfısənt],

in’quisitive [ın'kwizətıv], re’pulsive [rı'pʌlsıv], ab’horrent [əb'hɔ:rənt], cou’rageous [kə'reidʒəs], pre’sumptuous [pri'zʌmptʃuəs], subs’tantial [səb'stænʃ(ə)l], re’ticular [rı'tıkju:lə(r)] , and rep’tilian [rep'tılıən]. The students put the stress error on those words because they have suffixes adjectives, such as:

‘ous’  glamorous, courageous, adventurous, and glamorous ‘able’  comfortable, knowledgeable

‘ive’  inquisitive, repulsive

‘ent’  abhorrent, magnificent

‘al’  substantial

‘an’  reptilian

The students put the stress on the ultimate syllable because those words have suffixes adjective. It means they assumed that the stress falls on the ultimate syllable (on the suffixes).

b. Double - Stressing the Words

In this type of error, the observer found that the students placed the stress on more than one primary stress. It means that the word sounds like it has more than one primary stress including the correct stressed syllable. Therefore, the students put the double – stressing in the words that actually has one stress syllable.

d. Table 4.5 Double - stressing the Words

No Word List Transcript of the students’ Word

Stress

Correct Stress Based on the Dictionary 1. Adventurous Ad'ventur'ous /əd'vɛntʃərəs/

2. Inexpensive In'expen'sive /inık'spensiv/

3. Inquisitive In'quisi'tive /ın'kwizıtıv/

For those words, some of the students put the double-stressing the word stress because they tend to put the stress on the second and the last syllable including the correct stress. Some students may think that those words have prefix and suffix; it means they put the stress on the first and the last syllable. The words which are produced by the students are ad’ventu’rous, in’expen’sive, and in’quisi’tive.

However, those words should be stressed on the second syllable and the third syllable, such as ad’venturous [əd'vɛntʃərəs], inex’pensive [inık'spensiv], in’quisitive [ın'kwizıtıv]. The students also think that those words have suffixes adjectives, such as ‘ous’ in adventurous and ‘ive’ in inexpensive and inquisitive. Therefore, they assumed that those words have double – stress including in the last syllable.

Unstressed Words

In this type error, the observer found that the most common type of error produced by the students is unstressed word. The observer found that the students did

not put the stress in almost all the words stress. It means that the words sounds like flat without stress anymore. The unstressed word list which is produced by the students is following:

e. Table 4.6 Unstressed Words

No Word List Transcript of the students’

Word Stress

Correct Stress Based on Dictionary 1 Adventurous Adventurous /əd'vɛntʃərəs/

2 Glamorous Glamorous /'glæmərəs/

3 Magnificent Magnificent /mæg'nıfısənt/

4 Unusual Unusual /ʌn'juʒʊəl/

5 Inexpensive Inexpensive /inık'spensiv/

7 Inquisitive Inquisitive /ın'kwizətıv/

8 Comfortable Comfortable /kʌmftəbəl/

9 Courageous Courageous /kə'reidʒəs/

10 Harmonious Harmonious /hɑ'məʊnıəs/

11 Knowledgeable Knowledgeable /’nɒlıdʒəbəl/

12 Presumptuous Presumptuous /pri'zʌmptʃuəs/

13 Mysterious Mysterious /mı'stırıəs/

14 Numerous Numerous /njumərəs/

15 Substantial Substantial /səb'stænʃ(ə)l/

16 Reticular Reticular /rı'tıkju:lər/

17 Reptilian Reptilian /rep'tılıən/

No Word List Transcript of the students’

Word Stress

Correct Stress Based on Dictionary 18 Vascular Vascular /vaskjələr/

19 Canicular Canicular /kə'nıkjələr/

20 Typographic Typographic /taı'pɑgrəfık/

21 Miniature Miniature /'mıniətʃər/

22 Melancholic Melancholic /ˌmelən'kɑlik/

23 Delicious Delicious /dı'lıʃəs/.

Based on the result, the students did not put the stress in those words because they do not pay attention if those words have stress. Although there are the words which have stress by using a mark ('), but the students read those words without using stress. It means that the words sounds like flat without stress. It is assumed that the students did not really pay attention to the stress when they read or pronounce the English words.

B. The Factors that Affect the Words Stress Errors Produced by the