ABSTRACT
The accentual pattern of English words is fixed, in the sense that the primary accent always falls on a particular syllable of any given word, I but free, in the sense that the primary accent is not tied to any particular point in the chain of syllables constituting a word, as it is in some languages, e.g. to the penultimate syllable in Polish, to the first in Czech and to the last in French. Thus, in English the primary accent falls regularly on the first syllable in such words as finish, answer, aflerwards; on the second syllable in behind, result, together, impossible; on the third syllable in understand, education; or later in articulation, palatalisation, etc.
