What's the difference between economy and economic?

Economy is the money system of a country, as in 'The economy here has changed quickly.' Economic means to do with money and business, as in 'It was an economic decision, not a personal one.'

Why does the stress move in political but not in politics?

Politics stresses the first syllable, POL-i-tics, while political moves the stress to the second syllable, po-LIT-i-cal.

What's the difference between medicine and medicinal?

Medicine is something you take to get better, as in 'I take this medicine every morning.' Medicinal means having the effect of a medicine, as in 'The tea has a medicinal taste.'

Stress that moves when the word grows

Add an ending and the stressed syllable jumps somewhere else, which is why the longer form feels wrong.

The phrase

Could you take a photograph of us?

10 words10 sentences

The ten words

photograph/ˈfoʊtəˌɡræf/
noun
A picture taken with a camera.
photography/fəˈtɑːɡrəfi/
noun
The art of taking pictures.
economy/ɪˈkɑːnəmi/Also said iːˈkɑːnəmi.
noun
The money system of a country.
economic/ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/Also said ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk.
adjective
To do with money and business.
politics/ˈpɑːləˌtɪks/
noun
The activity of governing.
political/pəˈlɪtəkəl/
adjective
To do with government.
medicine/ˈmedəsən/
noun
Something you take to get better.
medicinal/məˈdɪsənəl/
adjective
Having the effect of a medicine.
origin/ˈɔːrədʒən/
noun
Where something began.
original/ərˈɪdʒənəl/
adjective
The first one, as it came.

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The sentences

Could you take a photograph of us?
Is photography allowed inside the building?
The economy here has changed quickly.
It was an economic decision, not a personal one.
We never discuss politics at lunch.
That is a political question, really.
I take this medicine every morning.
The tea has a medicinal taste.
Nobody knows the origin of the name.
Do you still have the original box?

Pronunciation

photograph/ˈfoʊtəˌɡræf/
Stress the first syllable: PHO-to-graph.
photography/fəˈtɑːɡrəfi/
The stress jumps to the second: pho-TOG-ra-phy.
economy/ɪˈkɑːnəmi/
Stress the second syllable: e-CON-o-my.
economic/ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/
The stress moves to the third: e-co-NOM-ic.
politics/ˈpɑːləˌtɪks/
Stress the first syllable: POL-i-tics.
political/pəˈlɪtəkəl/
The stress moves to the second: po-LIT-i-cal.
medicinal/məˈdɪsənəl/
The stress moves to the second: me-DIC-i-nal.
origin/ˈɔːrədʒən/
Stress the first syllable: OR-i-gin.
original/ərˈɪdʒənəl/
The stress moves to the second: o-RIG-i-nal.

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Questions

What's the difference between economy and economic?: Economy is the money system of a country, as in 'The economy here has changed quickly.' Economic means to do with money and business, as in 'It was an economic decision, not a personal one.'
Why does the stress move in political but not in politics?: Politics stresses the first syllable, POL-i-tics, while political moves the stress to the second syllable, po-LIT-i-cal.
What's the difference between medicine and medicinal?: Medicine is something you take to get better, as in 'I take this medicine every morning.' Medicinal means having the effect of a medicine, as in 'The tea has a medicinal taste.'

10 wordsabout 6 min

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