To Parents / Teachers / Tutors:

Longer words, most of which are of Latin or Greek origin, are structured differently from words of one or two syllables. So they are best approached in a somewhat different way. Most longer words end with one of about 25 common suffixes, like -tion or -ic or -y or -ate. It is the suffix that controls how the word sounds, and provides the most important clues to how to say it. What the suffix does is this: It determines the location of the accented, or "stressed" syllable. And once this syllable is found and pronounced correctly, the rest of the word falls into place.

As shown by these two examples, the most striking thing about the role of suffixes in pronunciation is that their effect works backward through the word, from end to beginning. Words of three or more syllables generally have a stressed vowel either one or two vowels back from the suffix. And whether this accented vowel is one vowel back, or two, depends on the specific suffix. Each of the common suffixes is associated with a typical position for the accent. (You can see this if you list a large number of words with a given suffix: virtually all of them will have an accent the same number of vowels back from the suffix. )

Thus, with words ending with -ic or -tion you can find a stressed vowel by counting back one syllable (one vowel) from the suffix, as in these examples:

    allergic         production

But if the suffix is -y or -ate or one of several others, you need to count back two vowels, as in these words:

    allergy          eliminate

And that's not all. Stressed and unstressed vowels usually alternate in words like these. So, if a very long word contains two or more additional syllables before the main stressed vowel, you can then count back two more vowels to find another stressed vowel, as shown here:

    hospitality      intervention   

Furthermore, once the stressed vowels have been located, the sounds of all the vowels in the word can be determined, as follows:

• Any stressed vowel is normally short, i.e., it has the sound in add, edge, is, odd, or us. (In fact, one could describe Step (a) as "using the suffix to find the short vowels.")
• The few locations where a long vowel occurs in a stressed syllable are mostly predictable. (This topic is covered in the Word Workout teaching materials).
• Vowels that are not stressed generally have the schwa ("uh") sound.

Thus, for example, in a word like aristocratic the vowel sounds are all predictable, once you count back one vowel from the suffix: "uh-ris-tuh-crat-ic".

Familiarity with patterns like these can make all the difference for the reader trying to figure out the pronunciation of a word.

[Of course, skilled readers don't have to think about all these matters, or even be aware of them. For example, if you see an unfamiliar word like levigate, you probably automatically know, on seeing the suffix -ate, that the stressed syllable is "lev" and not "lee" or "vig." That's because back in the past, as you were learning to read, you unconsciously made generalizations about the structure of the long words you encountered in print. Those patterns, stored in your brain, are now automatically activated when you see an unfamiliar word with a familiar ending. But the students you are concerned about have not been able to generalize like this on their own. They have to be taught to do it.]

In the computer program, Word Workout for Windows , the student types the syllables and they then appear highlighted in color:

These two steps, (a) and (b), will enable some students to produce a fairly accurate pronunciation simply by reading aloud the row of syllables. However, sometimes a student has difficulty converting a string of disjointed syllables into a recognizable word, even when the stress is marked. This problem can be avoided through the following routine:

Step (c): Building the pronunciation by first "rehearsing" key parts of the word.

The Word Workout method includes a classroom-tested procedure that does exactly that. The fundamental idea is that if students "rehearse" the pronunciation -- by pronouncing the stressed (i.e., accented) syllable by itself, and then saying that syllable again along with the ones after it -- the end result will be a correctly accentuated and easily recognizable word. Here is how this insight is put into practice: 

After the key syllables of the word have been marked as explained above, an accurate pronunciation is built up step by step. The student says the end of the word first, then the stressed syllable(s), and then gradually adds the other syllables, as shown for these three words:
 

allergic (Read down each column:)	allergy	hospitality
-ic      -gic   -ler-   -lergic  allergic	-y      -gy  al-  allergy	-y          -ty      -tal-      -tality  hos-  hospitality

This routine seems to somehow activate the rhythm patterns that students already have in their heads. It automatically produces a surprisingly smooth and easily recognizable pronunciation. Students can even confidently and correctly pronounce new vocabulary that they have never heard before -- which makes unfamiliar words seem more user friendly. (Learning the meaning of a new word seems a lot more worthwhile when you know that you'll recognize the word the next time you see it.)
 
By learning the techniques summarized here, even students who start with very weak word recognition skills can gain access to the advanced vocabulary needed for academic success. As they gain experience with the method, they begin to apply it rapidly "by eye," without needing to mark the words. Interestingly, many students report that their spelling has improved as well. This probably results from their increased awareness of the syllables within words.


For further reading about these techniques and why they work, CLICK HERE.


In the Word Workout workbooks and computer program, the above techniques are introduced step by step, simply and clearly but with an adult feel that students appreciate. Review of earlier material is built into each workbook lesson; new topics are first practiced intensively and then mixed with review items for further practice. To use these materials, no special training is required for teachers, tutors, or parents, since all necessary explanation is included in the workbook and in the "Lessons" section of the computer program. In addition, a sheet of "Tips for Teachers," detailing a few strategies and devices that the author has found useful, is included with the workbook, along with some suggestions for spelling practice.

A free brochure, describing the Word Workout method in more detail and showing sample workbook exercises, is available upon request from The Word Workshop, 1317 Shawnee Drive, Yellow Springs, OH 45387, or by phoning 937-767-1142 or e-mailing info@thewordworkshop.com.
Questions or comments about the method are also invited.

[NOTE to practitioners who use the Wilson Reading System, Just Words, or other Orton-Gillingham-based teaching materials: Word Workout should be considered a supplement to those materials; it's designed to build on them rather than to compete with or to replace them. Students who learn the Word Workout method can continue to use previously learned methods as well. There is no confusion; students simply need to learn that when a long word ends with one of the common suffixes covered in Word Workout, that's the time to use the Word Workout method.]


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Nancy K. Lewkowicz, who holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics, is an experienced teacher of reading at both the elementary and the beginning college level. She has also individually tutored students of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. Her articles on phonemic awareness, phonics, and word recognition have appeared in a number of professional journals. (See below).