Pronuncian Lessons

-al and -ally suffixes

What are the -al and -ally suffix?

Addition of -al creates an adjective, and additional of -ally creates an adverb. Both of these suffixes can be added to words that already end in a suffix.

The -al and ally suffixes can be added to:

-ic
-tion/-sion

-al and -ally syllable stress

When an -al and -ally suffixes are added to words that already contain a suffix, the syllable stress remains on the same syllable as the first suffixes dictates. Since words with the -ic and -tion/-sion suffix are usually stressed on the syllable before the suffix, words that end in -ical, -ically, -tional, -tionally will all be stressed on the same syllable.

Examples:

verb: e-mote*
noun: e-mo-tion
adjective: e-mo-tion-al
adverb: e-mo-tion-al-ly

noun: cri-tic
adjective: crit-i-cal
adverb: crit-i-cal-ly

adjective/noun: com-ic
adjective: com-ic-al
adverb: com-ic-al-ly