From the words lettered A to D, choose the one that has the correct stress cumulative

Analyze the question: The question asks where the primary stress falls in the word "cumulative" (the "cumulative" in your question is the word being tested, and the options show different stress placements).

Concept: In English oral/phonetics questions, we use the dictionary pronunciation. "Cumulative" is a four-syllable word: cu-mu-la-tive. Words ending in -ative often take stress earlier in the word, but the pattern depends on how the word is formed.

Solution:

1. Dictionary pronunciation: /ˈkjuːmjʊlətɪv/ (British) or /ˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪv/ (American).
2. The primary stress mark (ˈ) comes before the first syllable, /ˈkjuː/.
3. So the stress falls on the first syllable: CU-mu-la-tive.
4. Compare with the options: • A. CU-mu-la-tive ✔ (stress on the first syllable) • B. cu-MU-la-tive ✘ • C. cu-mu-LA-tive ✘ • D. cu-mu-la-TIVE ✘

Related words like "accumulate" are stressed on the second syllable (ac-CU-mu-late), but "cumulative" itself keeps the stress on the first syllable, because the root "cumul-" begins the word with nothing before it.

Correct answer: A. CU-mu-la-tive

Tip: For words with no prefix, check the first syllable first. Compare pairs like CUmulative vs acCUmulate: adding a prefix (ac-) pushes the stress one syllable to the right. Also, words ending in "-tive" almost never take the stress on the "-tive" itself, so you can eliminate D immediately.