stress

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Dear Teacher,When I read English, especially novels, I encounter a lot of two-word combinations and they are linked at random, so I cannot find them in English dictinonaries and don't know if they are compound words, such as legal-looking, pen-and-pencil set, fume-spewing, mock-Spanish, palm-planted, glass-enclosed, and so on.  Are they compound words?  Why?  Where are the primary stresses and the secondary ones?  I have found in many English dictionaries the compound words which is separated are not marked with primary stress and secondary stress.  How should I pronounce them (stresses)?  How could I deal wiht them?Thanks in advance.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Dear Learn:
They are not really compound words. True compound words are written without a hyphen. Examples are blackboard (black + board) and shipwreck (ship + wreck). The two words together may have a different meaning together than their individual words.
These hyphenated two-word combinations are usually found functioning as adjectives, and one (or more) of the words is normally a noun. They still have their individual meanings (such as glass-enclosed), and are pronounced as if they were separate words.
When a hypenated word becomes an idiom and takes on a different meaning, then it is on its way to becoming a compound word. (dog-eared for example.) You should find these in the dictionary, and there may be both the hyphenated and compound listings.

Anonymous · Answer

I have found in many English dictionaries the compound words which is separated are not marked with primary stress and secondary stress. How should I pronounce them (stresses)? How could I deal wiht them?

Thanks in advance.

stress

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