Usage Note: Usually when the suffix -able is attached to a word, the stress pattern of the original word remains the same. For example, when -able is added to manage, the stress remains on the first syllable. Compare, which is stressed on the second syllable, is a prominent exception to this pattern. Comparable is traditionally pronounced with stress on the first syllable. In our 2002 survey, 70 percent of the Usage Panel found the pronunciation in which the second syllable is stressed (kəm-pârə-bəl) to be unacceptable. This pronunciation is very common, however, and would seem likely to become more acceptable because so many other words are stressed in this pattern.