What syllable is stressed in the word ethics?
In the word "ethics," the stress is on the first syllable, /ETH-iks/.
To determine the syllable that is stressed in a word, we can break the word down into its individual syllables and analyze the pronunciation.
The word "ethics" can be broken down into two syllables: "eth-ics."
To identify the stressed syllable, we need to consider the vowel sounds in each syllable. In this case, the first syllable "eth" contains a short vowel sound, while the second syllable "ics" contains a long vowel sound.
Generally, syllables with long vowel sounds are stressed. Therefore, in the word "ethics," the stressed syllable is the second syllable, which is "ics."
To determine the stressed syllable in the word "ethics," you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the vowels: In the word "ethics," there are two vowels - 'e' and 'i.'
2. Determine the primary stress pattern: In English, words typically have one primary stress, which is the syllable that receives the greatest emphasis when pronounced.
3. Apply the general rules for stress placement:
a) When a word ends in a vowel, 'n', or 's', the stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable. For example, "logic," "satin," "honest."
b) If the word ends in a consonant other than 'n' or 's', the stress usually falls on the last syllable. For example, "city," "garden," "happen."
c) There are exceptions to these rules, where stress placement is irregular and can vary. These words often come from different languages or have unique etymologies.
4. Apply the rules to the word "ethics":
The word "ethics" ends in the consonant 's' and follows the second rule mentioned above. Therefore, the stress falls on the last syllable - "eth-ics."
So, the stressed syllable in the word "ethics" is the second syllable, which is "ics."