Weight-Sensitive Stress
Sounds · one world map for each value
WALS codes 500 languages for this feature. The most frequent value, “Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity)”, covers 281 of them (56%); the least frequent, “Left-oriented: The third syllable is involved”, covers 2.
That value is most frequent in Australia (74% of the 66 languages coded there) and least frequent in North America (41% of 79).
Among families with at least eight coded languages, Niger-Congo is the most uniform: 8 of 9 have “Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity)”.
Hokan is the most divided, its largest group reaching only 3 of 8.
Left-edge: Stress is on the first or second syllable37 languages · 7%
Left-oriented: The third syllable is involved2 languages · under 1%
Right-edge: Stress on ultimate or penultimate syllable65 languages · 13%
Right-oriented: The antepenultimate is involved27 languages · 5%
Unbounded: Stress can be anywhere in the word54 languages · 11%
Combined: Both Right-edge and unbounded8 languages · 2%
Not predictable26 languages · 5%
Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity)281 languages · 56%
One map per value; each dot is a language WALS codes with that value.
By macro-area
| Value | Africa | Eurasia | Papunesia | Australia | North America | South America |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-edge: Stress is on the first or second syllable | 0 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 2 |
| Left-oriented: The third syllable is involved | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Right-edge: Stress on ultimate or penultimate syllable | 0 | 22 | 32 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| Right-oriented: The antepenultimate is involved | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Unbounded: Stress can be anywhere in the word | 6 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| Combined: Both Right-edge and unbounded | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Not predictable | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 13 | 58 | 98 | 49 | 32 | 31 |
| All values | 26 | 129 | 155 | 66 | 79 | 45 |
Inside the largest families
| Family | Coded | Most frequent value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austronesian | 116 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 67% |
| Indo-European | 53 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 40% |
| Pama-Nyungan | 47 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 72% |
| Afro-Asiatic | 21 | Right-oriented: The antepenultimate is involved | 38% |
| Trans-New Guinea | 15 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 60% |
| Uralic | 15 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 60% |
| Uto-Aztecan | 12 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 58% |
| Basque | 11 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 55% |
| Niger-Congo | 9 | Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity) | 89% |
| Hokan | 8 | Unbounded: Stress can be anywhere in the word | 38% |
| Nakh-Daghestanian | 8 | Left-edge: Stress is on the first or second syllable | 38% |
Languages to explore
The most fully coded languages with each value.
- Left-edge: Stress is on the first or second syllable: Lezgian, Shipibo-Konibo, Miwok (Southern Sierra), Ungarinjin, Makah, Wambaya
- Right-edge: Stress on ultimate or penultimate syllable: French, Spanish, Evenki, Fijian, Apurinã, Koasati
- Right-oriented: The antepenultimate is involved: English, German, Hindi, Arabic (Egyptian), Chamorro, Pirahã
- Unbounded: Stress can be anywhere in the word: Russian, Turkish, Amele, Khalkha, Maori, Krongo
- Combined: Both Right-edge and unbounded: Alamblak, Iraqw, Carib, Mam, Danish
- Not predictable: Mandarin, Abkhaz, Hixkaryana, Slave, Burushaski, Rama
- Fixed stress (no weight-sensitivity): Finnish, Indonesian, Hungarian, Georgian, Greek (Modern), Persian