For the question, choose the most appropriate stress pattern from the options. The stressed syllables are written in capital letters.
Hospitality
Answer Details
The word hospitality has five syllables: hos-pi-TA-li-ty. The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ˌhɒspɪˈtælɪti/.
This follows the common English stress rule for words ending in "-ity." The suffix "-ity" pulls the primary stress to the syllable immediately before it. Since the syllable before "-ity" is "-li-" (which is weak), the stress lands on "-TA-," the antepenultimate (third-from-last) syllable. Compare similar words: "electricity" (e-lec-TRI-ci-ty), "personality" (per-so-NA-li-ty).
Stressing the first syllable (HOSpitality), the second (hosPItality), or the fourth (hospitaLIty) would produce incorrect pronunciations.