ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a method of establishing organization above the level of the segment, and so tackling the issue of stress assignment and rhythm. In metrical phonology stress is regarded as hierarchical, structuring syllables into rhythmic sequences. What arises is a theory that accounts for the attested linguistic rhythms in the world's languages. Specifically, rhythmic structure can be shown to influence errors such as syllable or sound omissions. The alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables in a language such as English is observable in the words ladder and assume, where the former has the pattern strong-weak (SW) and the latter weak-strong (WS). Terminal nodes are labeled as either strong or weak, denoting the stressed or unstressed syllables themselves. A theory such as SPE that only allows us to specify syllables as stressed or unstressed is falling short of a complete account of stress assignment.
