-ATE

-ate BrE AmE eɪt, ət ɪt, ¦eɪt —This suffix is regularly strong, eɪt , in verbs, but often weakened to ət, ɪt in nouns and adjectives. Its influence on stress depends on the length of the word. (1) In two-syllable verbs stress usually falls on the suffix in British English (vi ˈ brate, cre ˈ ate), but on the stem in American English ( ˈ vibrate, ˈ create). (2) In longer verbs, the stress generally falls on the antepenultimate ( ˈ demonstrate, dis ˈ criminate, as ˈ sociate). There are a few exceptions and cases where speakers disagree ( ˈ sequestrate or se ˈ questrate). (3) In nouns and adjectives the suffix is unstressed ( ˈ private, ˈ climate), and in longer words the primary stress generally falls two syllables back from the suffix ( ˈ delegate, ˈ vertebrate, ap ˈ propriate; important exceptions are in ˈ nate, or ˈ nate, se ˈ date). The suffix vowel is generally weak in familiar words ( ˈ climate, ˈ private), though in some words speakers vary ( ˈ candidate, ˈ magistrate). In more technical words a strong vowel is retained ( ˈ sulphate, ˈ caudate). (4) Note the distinction between verb and noun/adjective in cases such as ˈ separate, as ˈ sociate, ˈ moderate, ˈ delegate.