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

Analyze the question: The question asks where the main (primary) stress falls in the word "horizontal". It is a lexis-and-structure/oral English question on word stress.

Concept: Word stress means one syllable is said with more force, length and loudness than the others. In English, words ending in -tal, -al, -ic, -ion and similar suffixes usually take their stress on the syllable just before the suffix.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: hor – i – zon – tal (4 syllables).
2. Look at the pronunciation: /ˌhɒrɪˈzɒntl/. The primary stress sits on the third syllable, -zon-, and the vowel in the last syllable "tal" is weak (reduced to /təl/ or /tl/).
3. Check the options: • A. hor-I-zon-tal: stress on the 2nd syllable. Wrong. • B. hor-i-zon-TAL: stress on the last syllable. Wrong, because "-tal" is a weak syllable. • C. hor-i-ZON-tal: stress on the 3rd syllable. Correct. • D. HOR-i-zon-tal: stress on the 1st syllable. Wrong. The first syllable carries only a secondary stress at most.

Tip: Compare "horizon" (ho-RI-zon, stress on the 2nd syllable) with "horizontal" (hor-i-ZON-tal, stress on the 3rd). When "-tal" is added, the stress moves to the syllable before the ending. Other words that follow the same pattern: experimental, fundamental (fun-da-MEN-tal), continental. Say the word aloud and tap on the loudest beat. It should land on ZON.