difference in stress?

[HighPriest]

Is there a marked difference in pronunciation of "girlfriend" and "girl friend"? Would it be clear that I am talking about a female friend of mine if I stress the word "friend" in "girl friend"?

 

[TheParser]

Is there a marked difference in pronunciation of "girlfriend" and "girl friend"? Would it be clear that I am talking about a female friend of mine if I stress the word "friend" in "girl friend"?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, HighPriest.

(1) Hopefully, a teacher will soon answer you.

(2) I found this in one of my grammar books that MAY (possibility)

help you:

(a) We ate a HOT dog. = we ate that popular American sandwich.

(b) We chased a hot DOG. = the dog was hot.

If we said: We ate a hot DOG, that would not be considered a nice

thing to do here in the United States.

And if we said: We chased a HOT dog, that would mean we were

chasing that sandwich!!!

(3) So I think (only my opinion) that you are correct:

Tom: Hey, buddy, don't go to the dance with Martha.

George: Why not?

Tom: Because she is my GIRLfriend! That's why not! Keep away!!!

*****

Sue: Are you going to marry Mona?

Ralph: No way!!! She is just a girl FRIEND. Nothing more!

***** Thank you for the question *****

P. S. I think that most people would simply say:

She is just a female FRIEND.

 

[HighPriest]

Thanks a lot! Who needs a teacher when I got such a comprehensive reply from you?:-D

 

[Raymott]

Is there a marked difference in pronunciation of "girlfriend" and "girl friend"? Would it be clear that I am talking about a female friend of mine if I stress the word "friend" in "girl friend"?

Native speaking men do not refer to their female non-girlfriend friends as "girl friends". However, women talk about their girlfriends, meaning their non-sexual friends.
The pronunciation is the same.

"Female friend" is a common term. If there's some doubt, you can say, "She's just a friend".
It's possible that some men say, "She's just a girl friend, not a girlfriend", but I've never heard it.

 

[BobK]

...
It's possible that some men say, "She's just a girl friend, not a girlfriend", but I've never heard it.

I do - or at least did, in the days when there might have been any doubt about my meaning ;-)). But I agree about women using 'girlfriend' with a non-sexual meaning. In fact, the asexuality is such a strong implication that a lesbian lover would be called 'partner' or 'significant other' - if the speaker wanted to advertise the fact.

b