secondary accent

American  

noun

1. a stress accent weaker than primary accent but stronger than lack of stress.

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secondary accent British  

noun

1. phonetics (in a system of transcribing utterances recognizing three levels of stress) the accent on a syllable of a word or breath group that is weaker than the primary accent but stronger than the lack of stress Compare primary accent

   in the word ``agriculture'' the secondary accent falls on the third syllable

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Etymology

Origin of secondary accent

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

secondary accent

In the latter word this secondary accent is made to lengthen the y, and so causes a double error.

From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Sherwin Cody

The first half of each line ends in an unaccented syllabic—or, strictly speaking, in a syllable bearing a secondary accent; that is, each line has what is called a "ringing" caesura.

From The Nibelungenlied Translated into Rhymed English Verse in the Metre of the Original by George Henry Needler

Some very long words indeed admit a secondary accent on another syllable; but still this is much inferior, and leaves one leading accent prominent: as in expos'tulatory.

From The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown

They provide no place for the secondary accent.

From English Verse Specimens Illustrating its Principles and History by Raymond MacDonald Alden

In compound measures the secondary accent is marked by a beat almost as strong as that given the primary accent.

From Essentials in Conducting by Karl Wilson Gehrkens