For example,
_he-red'-it-ary_ is a very familiar word, but when pronounced
_he-red-it'-ary_, as it was habitually by a friend of the author, we have
to stop and think before catching the meaning.
The placing of the accent in English is subject to two general rules.
I The accent clings to the syllable which gives the meaning to the
word, or in technical terms, the root syllable, _re-call'_,
_in-stall'_, _in-stal-la'-tion_ (accent falling on the syllable
which defines the word as a noun), _in-her'-it_.
II Where the root syllable is not known the accent falls on the
first syllable, with secondary accents following at intervals to
relieve the voice.
This last tendency not infrequently supersedes the other, partly from the
natural habit of the language, and partly because the average man is not an
etymologist and knows very little about the derivation of the words he
uses. For example, in Shakespeare's time English people followed the first
rule and said _re-ven'-ue_, but now we say _rev'-e-nue_.
These two rules will serve as a good general guide to accent. Attention
should be paid to the pronunciation of good speakers, and care taken to
follow it. In case of doubt the dictionary should be consulted and the
proper accent carefully fixed in the mind.
DIVISION OF WORDS
When the words do not fit the line what shall we do? The early printers
used only one kind of spaces.
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