Exercise 3: Compound Nouns

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are single words made from two separate nouns or an adjective and a noun. Compound nouns with two syllables are always stressed on the first syllable.

BLACKboard
BLUEbird
TOOTHbrush

Compare these with regular adjective + noun phrases. In these, the noun gets the strongest stress:

black BOARD
blue BIRD

If a compound noun has more than two syllables, the strongest syllable is the syllable that is stressed in the first component noun.

Directions:
For items 1-5, try to predict the word stress. Type out the syllable that you expect to be stressed. For items 6-8, listen to the audio clip. Do you hear a compound noun or an adjective + noun phrase?

black board
1. black
2. board
bluebird
1. blue
2. bird
toothbrush
1. tooth
2. brush
bookstore
1. book
2. store
keyboard
1. key
2. board
Read the note that's on the __________. bbsent.ra
1. blackboard
2. black board
There's a lovely ___________ on the birdfeeder.
1. bluebird
2. blue bird
Sara works in a __________.
1. greenhouse
2. green house