Pronuncian Lessons
-ate suffix Stress and Pronunciation
The -ate suffix is pronounced differently if the word is a noun or adjective, or a verb.
- The -ate suffix of verbs is pronounced with a long a sound (rhyming with the word eight)
- The -ate suffix of nouns and advectives is pronounced with a short i sound (rhyming with the word it)
A word containing the -ate suffix is stressed two syllables before the suffix, regardless of being a verb, noun, or adjective.
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 suffix Heteronyms
Sometimes a word with an -ate suffix can exist as a noun/adjective or a verb. When this happens, the suffix will be pronounced with a short i when it is being used as a noun or an adjective, and a long a when it is being used as a verb[1]. For instance, elaborate (long a) is a verb, while elaborate (short i) is an adjective.
"I'd like to elaborate (verb) on my proposal."
"The elaborate (adjective) house had twelve bedrooms and sixteen fireplaces."
Additional suffixes
Adjectives ending in -ate can have an additional -ly added to them to create an adverb. The stressed syllable does not move when this additional suffix is added.
[1]Words with one spelling and two pronunciations are called heteronyms.