leguminous — In each of the following questions, the main/ primary stress is indicated by writing the…

Analyze the question: You are asked to pick the option that shows the correct primary stress for the word "leguminous" (meaning relating to plants like beans and peas).

Concept: In English, words ending in -ous usually do not take the stress on the suffix. The stress usually falls earlier in the word. The word "leguminous" is related to "legume" (/ˈlɛɡjuːm/ or /lɪˈɡjuːm/), and its dictionary pronunciation is /lɪˈɡjuːmɪnəs/.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Break the word into syllables: le – gu – mi – nous (four syllables). The options write it as le-gum-in-ous, which is five parts: le / gum / in / ous.
2. Check the suffix: -ous is unstressed, so D is ruled out.
3. Check the syllable before the suffix: in is weak (/ɪ/), so C (le-gum-IM-ous) is also wrong. It also changes the spelling.
4. Compare A and B. The first syllable le- is a weak syllable, pronounced /lɪ/ or /lə/. The stress falls on the syllable -gum- (/ˈɡjuːm/), which has the long vowel /uː/. This gives le-GUM-in-ous.

Answer: B. le-GUM-in-ous

Tip: Stress usually falls on the syllable with the long vowel or the one that carries the root's meaning. Here, "legume" gives the root -gum-. The endings -ous, -ious, and -ity are usually weak or pull the stress to the syllable just before them. Practise saying the word aloud: le-GUME-in-us.