-ate suffix Stress and Pronunciation
The complex and versatile -ate suffix is used to create nouns, adjectives, and verbs. While the primary stress of most words containing the -ate falls on the third-from-last syllable, the suffix itself is pronounced differently depending on the part of speech the word is used in.
-ate suffix: nouns and adjectives
When a word containing an -ate suffix is a noun or an adjective, the vowel sound of the suffix is unstressed and is pronounced with a short i /ɪ/.
-ate suffix: verbs
When a word containing an -ate suffix is a verb, the vowel sound of the suffix is given a secondary stress and is pronounced with a long a /eɪ/.
The following sentence demonstrates the difference in pronunciation between -ate suffix nouns, adjective, and verbs.
They had to evaluate (verb) the certificate (noun) to be certain that it was accurate (adjective).
-ate + -ly suffix
Adjectives ending in -ate can have an additional -ly added to them, creating an adverb. The primary stress of the word remains two syllables before the -ate suffix. However, the consonant of the -ate suffix adapts to the l sound following it and is usually pronounced as the glottal stop /ʔ/, a t sound allophone.
-ate suffix Heteronyms
Some words containing the -ate suffix are heteronyms, meaning that a single spelling can have more than one pronunciation. When this occurs in words containing the -ate suffix, the suffix retains the pattern of nouns and adjectives being pronounced with a short i and verbs being pronounced with a long a.
I'd like to elaborate (verb) on my proposal.
The elaborate (adjective) house had twelve bedrooms and sixteen fireplaces.
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