COMPARATIVE-TYPOLOGY ANALYSIS OF WORD ACCENT IN ENGLISH, UZBEK AND GERMAN

Abstract

This article is devoted to a comparative-typological analysis of word stress in English, Uzbek, and German. It reveals the similarities and differences between the stress systems of the three languages based on criteria such as acoustic correlates, placement, predictability, and functional load. The research employs comparative-typological, descriptive, and component analysis methods. The results demonstrate that, although all three languages belong to the group of dynamic stress languages, they differ considerably in stress placement and its dependence on linguistic factors. English is distinguished by a quantity-sensitive, multi-factorial stress system shaped by the mixing of historical strata, which makes prediction complex. In German, stress is primarily governed by morphological rules and is relatively highly predictable. Uzbek, by contrast, is characterized by a mobile stress system that is based on agglutinative morphology, falls on the final syllable, and regularly shifts with the addition of suffixes. The article highlights the relationship of stress to semantic, morphological, rhythmic, and historical factors in each language, and substantiates that the typological structure of a language directly influences the direction and functional load of stress. This analysis has both theoretical and practical significance for foreign language teaching methodology, translation studies, and general phonology.