The stressed syllable are written in capital letters(s). satisfactory?

Analyze the question: You are asked to choose the correct stress pattern for the word "satisfactory" (a 5-syllable word: sa-tis-fac-to-ry).

Explain the concept: In English, longer words often carry a primary stress on a syllable that comes before a suffix like -ory, -ary, -ity. The word comes from the root "satisfy" + "factory" (from Latin facere, to make). Words ending in -tory in British English (the standard for WAEC/JAMB) usually take the primary stress on the syllable that holds the "fac" element.

Show the solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: sa • tis • FAC • to • ry
2. The standard (British/Nigerian) pronunciation is /ˌsætɪsˈfæktəri/.
3. The primary stress falls on the third syllable, "fac".
4. The first syllable "sat" carries only a secondary (weaker) stress.

Checking the options:

• A. satisfacTORY: stress on "to", which is incorrect.
• B. saTISfactory: stress on "tis", which is incorrect.
• C. SATisfactory: stress on "sat" only. This is the secondary stress, not the main one, so it is incorrect.
• D. satisFACtory: stress on "fac", which is correct.

Answer: D. satisFACtory

Tip: Say the word with its root in mind: satisfy → satisFACtory. The stress lands on the "fac" syllable, just as in FACtory. Also remember that many words ending in -ory and -ary keep their main stress well before the ending, rather than on the final syllables, so options like A are almost always wrong.