Where to put the emphasis in the word quarter. What is the rule and how to remember it

Are you in doubt about the emphasis of “kvartal” or “kvartal”? Let's find out which syllable is stressed. But there are rules for them that are easy to remember, so let’s look at all the intricacies of writing these words in order.

Correct accent

In this word, the emphasis should be on the second syllable - quarter.

What is the rule and how to remember it

"Quarter". This emphasis is correct. This word originates from the German “quarter” and from the Latin “quartus” - “fourth”. In Latin the stress was on the first syllable, but in German and Russian the pronunciation norm is different. The word retains stress when changing cases and in other parts of speech, therefore: “quarter”, “quarter” and so on.

“KvArtal” is an incorrect accent, despite the fact that it is used in professional slang for accountants. It happens that professional emphasis becomes acceptable, but this has not yet happened with regard to the word “quarter”. Almost all dictionaries mark this accent as erroneous. Exception: Kuznetsov’s dictionary, where the “kvartal” option is marked as slang.

There is a misconception that in the meaning of “quarter of the year” the stress moves to the first syllable. This is wrong.

Example sentences with the word quarter

• When the quarter ends, we park at work.
• This city quarter is notorious.

Often we are faced with a situation where it is necessary not only to behave beautifully, but also to conduct a dialogue correctly, which means that we need to know how to pronounce even words that carry a double accent, for example, rings, catalog or quarter. After all, it is by a person’s conversation that one can determine how educated he is. Today we will talk about how to pronounce the quarter correctly and which syllable the stress falls on.

It is immediately worth noting that Compilers of dictionaries and reference books do not have a consensus on the correct spelling of this word.

How to correctly put emphasis in the word quarter

Due to the fact that the answer to this question is not entirely simple, it is worth understanding its pronunciation. But the history of this word is unusual. A quarter is a quarter of the year, and it appeared in the German language, but its roots go back to Latin origins. But It's worth understanding a few questions:

1. Which syllable should be emphasized?
2. Where did the incorrect pronunciation of the word come from?

So, first of all, I would like to say that in German this word meant “city quarter” and appeared in the 17th century.

In Latin it had stress on the first syllable, but none of the dictionaries recorded this.

"Quarter" is borrowed from the German language, respectively from Latin, since most words in German have their origin in Latin, and means a quarter of something.

Although many cannot find the golden mean, which syllable to put the emphasis on, still most argue that the correct meaning is on the last syllable.

KvartAl is written in this meaning in most dictionaries, such as Ozhegova and Ushakova, as well as in most other reference books, since in accordance with the norm of the Russian language it is correct to speak with the use of the second syllable.

What to do if we are talking about a time period?

But still, some believe that when it comes to a time period, it is correct to place the emphasis on the first syllable, others believe that this is incorrect. How is it necessary?

So, the word that came to us from Latin is in Russian has several meanings:

• A quarter of the year, that is, a certain period of time that is three months, for example, from April to June, or from June to August.
• A part of the city that is limited by streets, four at that.
• You should also consider the part of the land planted with something, usually a rectangular shape.

There are opinions that the emphasis in it depends on its meaning, but you shouldn't believe this myth. All dictionaries say the same thing: the stress in a word is placed the same, on the last syllable and completely independent of the meaning. But it must be pronounced correctly, and with emphasis on the first syllable it is considered an error in the Russian language.

You need to know: how to correctly put stress in a word.

How to write a word correctly when declension in cases?

And also, it is worth saying that when declension of this word, the stress in both the plural and singular will fall on the second syllable, for example, quarter, quarters, etc.

How should accountants pronounce the word “quarter”?

But it is worth noting that There are exceptions to all rules and this case is the same.

In the professional activities of accountants, there are some deviations from the general rules, and these cases are recorded by the compilers of dictionaries, and they mark them with the mark of professionalism, as, for example, it is in Kuznetsov’s dictionary.

But even in this case, it is worth remembering that you can use this word with a mark on the first syllable only in a professional circle, and when speaking on the radio or other public speeches, the word must be used with an emphasis on the second syllable.

Here are some example sentences:

1. In the city you can often rent an apartment in the area that suits you best.
2. Everything in the accountant's report for the quarter was correct, which greatly pleased the director.
3. The workers' quarter was located right next to the river.
4. All neighborhoods are built in such a way that schools, kindergartens and hospitals are nearby;
5. At the end of the quarter, Margarita Evgenievna had to make a report without delay.

In this regard, we can observe that Regardless of the meaning, it is written with emphasis on the second syllable, and no circumstances can change this rule.

If you don’t want to pronounce it correctly, then, of course, you can use the colloquial form with the emphasis on the first syllable, but only in a narrow circle of friends.

We live in a modern and civilized country, and therefore it is simply necessary to know your native language, despite the fact that there are not so many words that have double emphasis and they can be remembered and in the future, when speaking, show correct pronunciation, and not illiteracy. And therefore It’s worth remembering forever that no matter what we’re talking about, the emphasis in the word “quarter” is always placed on the second syllable.

The Russian language is rich and very difficult to use. And in some cases, even native speakers find it difficult to understand the correct pronunciation of words. Colloquial speech sometimes displaces competent speech construction. Let's try to figure out one of these complex examples and explain how to correctly place the emphasis in the word quarter.

The word parsed has several semantic meanings, so many do not know where to put the emphasis “kvartal” or “kvartal” in order to indicate the true meaning of the word.

The meaning may differ depending on the context:

1. A separate part of the city, divided by the intersection of streets.
2. A part of the forest divided by the intersection of clearings.
3. Part of the year consisting of three months (when dividing the year into four equal parts).

The latter meaning is usually the most common when it comes to accounting. Surely many of us have heard more than once that taxes must be paid before the end of the fourth quarter or other similar statements.

When a word is used in this meaning, the last syllable often becomes stressed, and when part of the city is mentioned, the first syllable becomes stressed.

This is due to the fact that the word is . And this category of word forms is characterized by the identification of belonging to one or another meaning through stress.

For example, “Castle” and “Castle”. By changing stressed syllables, Russian speakers try to convey to the listener the true meaning of the statement, while neglecting the rules of proper speech construction.

Which syllable is stressed

So, we have found out in what cases people emphasize the first or second “a” under the influence of semantic load. But how to put the emphasis correctly?

It turns out that, regardless of the meaning, the last syllable in the word “quarter” is always stressed.

Here's an example:

• He still hasn't turned in his documents for the last quarter;
• Sasha walked a whole block, but his legs did not feel tired.

When pronouncing this word, making the first syllable stressed, you demonstrate to others your illiteracy and ignorance of the norms of the Russian language.

Attention! Try to remember the correct pronunciation of the word and stock up on a test in case of need.

Since the word is a masculine noun, it can be inflected by case:

• quarter,
• quarter,
• quarter,
• quarter,
• quarter,
• quarter.

Note that when this noun is inflected, the stress remains on the last syllable. The same applies to the plural “quarters”.

Professional jargon

Under the influence of modern professional jargon, the word began to be spoken with the emphasis on the first syllable. Such use is considered acceptable in rare cases.

So, for example, you can put emphasis on the first syllable when talking with colleagues.

But when communicating with subordinates or business partners, it is better to avoid such pronunciation, since it can not only make you look like an illiterate person, but also undermine your authority in the eyes of others.

All dictionaries of the Russian language, as well as the dictionary of accents, agree that the use of a word with the first stressed syllable is illiterate and unacceptable.

Only in Kuznetsov’s dictionary is there a note that the use of stress on the first syllable is acceptable in professional jargon, but the author does not indicate this option as correct.

How to remember

The easiest way to remember how to pronounce a particular word is to find a test word for it.

In this case, it will be the word “quarterly” with the stressed second syllable. Try to pronounce the accent on the first syllable and you will understand how much the word hurts the ear.

You can also use the rhyme "emergency". Rhyme the words “quarter-emergency” and you will immediately remember which syllable the stress falls on.

Useful video

Let's sum it up

We found out that when pronouncing the word “quarter”, the second vowel “a” is stressed, regardless of the context and its semantic load.

Sometimes in professional jargon it is allowed to stress the first syllable. This is not a serious mistake, but Russian dictionaries do not recommend such pronunciation.

Try to remember the correct version of the accent in the word “quarter” and show yourself as an educated and literate person when communicating.

The word “quarter” came into Russian from German (Quartal), which in turn comes from the Latin quartus - fourth. In Russian it has several meanings:

• the fourth part of the year, a time period of three months from January to March, from April to June, from July to September or from October to December;


• part of a city usually bounded by four intersecting streets;


• in special terminology, a block is also called a plot of planted land, usually rectangular in shape, and in forestry - a plot of forest limited by clearings;


• obsolete meaning - a part of the city entrusted to a police unit led by a neighborhood warden.

There is a point of view that “quarter” depends on the meaning, and that when talking about a period of time, one should say “quarter”, in all other cases - “quarter”. However, it is not.

All dictionaries of the Russian language are unanimous: the literary, correct stress in the word “kvartal” is placed on the last syllable in all meanings of this word without exception. The pronunciation of “kvartal” is considered a speech error, and dictionary compilers often emphasize that it is incorrect to say so.

In all case forms of singular and plural, the second “A” remains unchanged: quarters, quarters, quarters, and so on. Also, the emphasis on the second syllable is retained in the adjective “quarterly” in all meanings - “quarterly report”, “quarterly development”, “quarterly clearing”.

Professional slang: is it acceptable to say “kvartal” to accountants?

In professional speech, deviations from literary norms of pronunciation are sometimes acceptable; such “special” cases are specifically stipulated by the authors of the dictionaries. They label this type of stress as professionalism.

In relation to the word “kvartal” with the emphasis on the first syllable, the authors of dictionaries and reference books of the Russian language do not have a common opinion. Most dictionaries insist that people of all professions should put emphasis on the last word. Thus, the only option for the correct accent - “quarter” is indicated in the dictionaries of Ozhegov and Ushakov, in the “Dictionary of Difficulties of Pronunciation and Stress” by Gorbachevich and many others.

However, Kuznetsov’s explanatory dictionary mentions “quarter” with an emphasis on “A” - with the mark “prof”. But this case is rather an exception to the rule.

But even if the emphasis on the first syllable is acceptable for accountants, it must be remembered that professional jargon is considered appropriate only in casual communication between colleagues. And when speaking on radio or television, going to the podium with a report or speech, it is necessary to be guided by the norms of the Russian literary language and put the correct emphasis in the word “kvartal” - on the last syllable.