The syllables are written in capital letters. termination?

Analyze the question: You are asked where the primary stress falls in the word "termination" (ter-mi-NA-tion, 4 syllables).

Explain the concept: In English, words ending in -tion (and -sion, -ic, -ity, etc.) usually carry the primary stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix. This is a very reliable rule.

Examples:

• eduCAtion
• inforMAtion
• celeBRAtion
• terMInate → termiNAtion

Solution, step by step:

1. Split the word: ter - mi - na - tion
2. The suffix is -tion.
3. The syllable just before it is na.
4. So the stress falls on na: ter-mi-NA-tion, pronounced /ˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃn/.

Note that the stress on "na" is the primary stress. There is a weaker secondary stress on the first syllable "ter", but the question asks for the main stress pattern.

Checking the options:

• A. terminaTION: wrong, as -tion is never stressed in this pattern.
• B. TERmination: wrong, as this puts the main stress on the first syllable.
• C. termiNAtion: correct, as the stress is on the syllable before -tion.
• D. terMInation: wrong, as this is the stress pattern of "TERminate" or "terMInal", not "termination".

Exam tip: For any word ending in -tion / -sion, stress the syllable right before the ending. Remember: "the syllable before -tion gets the attention!"