| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, based on a comprehensive investigation utilizing the SOED, I will show that some differences in English stress assignment are categorical, while others are non-categorical -- a difference which has not been studied in the literature. I will further argue that Partial Ordering Theory (proposed by Anttila (2002)) can properly accommodate such variation. This analysis predicts another pattern of variation among stress patterns, which is actually observed in English, suggesting appropriateness of the analysis. |
