(SPEAKING RELATED) Word Stress on Compound Nouns/Adjectives

[tarusan]

Hi, I would like to know why the main stress when pronouncing a compound word changes when saying, for example 'No Man's Land', 'Parent Teacher Association' and 'One-Man Team'. Are there specific rules that affect the position of the main stress? I couldn't find a reasonable website that explains this topic.

If there is someone experienced in the field of Phonation, maybe they could explain it in more detail.

 

[jutfrank]

In compound nouns, the primary stress is usually on the first word.

In compound adjectives, the primary stress is usually on the second word.

 

[tarusan]

In compound nouns, the primary stress is usually on the first word.

In compound adjectives, the primary stress is usually on the second word.

Please take a look at the IPA transcriptions of these adjectives:

full-length /fʊlˈlɛŋθ/
strong-willed /ˈstrɒŋˌwɪld/


They are both compound adjectives, but why has the main stress changed?

 

[jutfrank]

Please take a look at the IPA transcriptions of these adjectives:

full-length /fʊlˈlɛŋθ/
strong-willed /ˈstrɒŋˌwɪld/

They are both compound adjectives, but why has the main stress changed?

The normal stress for those words follows the rule I gave you: place primary stress the second part. In these cases, the words length and willed are stressed.

In the case of strong-willed, your transcription contradicts what I'm saying. This could be a US English variation. Nevertheless, I suggest following the normal rules but to bear in mind that there may be complicating factors when the words are used in context. (That means used as part of a phrase rather than in isolation.) Compare, for example:

full-length
a full-length mirror

Worth noting here is that whether adjectives are being used attributively or predicatively often determines the placement of stress. The predicative use follows the normal pattern of the word in isolation but the attributive use can interefere with this, sometimes resulting in a switch (as above.)