Words and feet

This article challenges the commonly-held assumption that words, feet and s yllables fit into a single phonological hierarchy, and in particular that f eet are always sub-units of words. A number of facts of English rhythm are cited which cannot be accounted for unless words and feet are taken to be u nits of different hierarchies: many of the differences of rhythm between ph rases of otherwise similar phonological structure which are noted by Abercr ombie (1964) are accounted for most naturally by differences in placement b etween, on the one hand, word- and stress-group-boundaries, and, on the oth er, foot-boundaries.