Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

The Impact of Lexical Stress on the Vowel System of English: A Phonological Analysis

Jitong ChenGuangzhou Institute of Science and Technology*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Lexical stress constitutes a core category of English prosodic phonology and serves as a key phonological element shaping the structure of the vowel system and governing vowel distribution. Currently, existing research focuses on lexical stress perception, analyzes the functions of English lexical stress, concentrates on the relationship between vowel reduction and stress perception, conducts acoustic studies of vowel reduction, and discusses three simple models of vowel reduction concerning lexical stress, word class, and sentence stress. However, the impact of lexical stress on the vowel system remains a topic of significant concern. This study aims to systematically analyze the shaping effect of lexical stress on the English vowel system from a phonological perspective. By employing a comprehensive literature review as the research method, it investigates how this suprasegmental feature constrains the organizational structure of the vowel system at the segmental level. In conclusion, the main finding of this study is that the shaping effect of lexical stress on the vowel system is manifested through two aspects: shaping the asymmetric pattern of the stressed vowel inventory and the unstressed vowel inventory, thereby creating its asymmetry. Stress-governed vowel reduction arises from factors including unstable stress placement, rhythmic simplification, morphologically conditioned weakening, speech rate/style adjustments, and morphological fusion, as well as historical sound changes, loanword influences, and substrate effects.

Keywords: Lexical Stress; Vowel Reduction; English Phonology; Schwa
Published: April 20, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BJ32863
Volume: CHR Vol.108
pp. 37-41
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