Download Rules of Word Stress in English

 Rules of Word Stress in English There are two rules about word stress: 1. One word has only one stress. One word cannot have two stresses. If you hear two stresses, you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one word. There can be a secondary stress in some words but a secondary stress is much softer than the main or primary stress and is only used in long words. 2. Stress can only be on vowels not consonants. Below are additional, more complicated rules of word stress in English to help you understand where to put the stress. However, as there are many exceptions to the rule it is better to try to “feel” the rhythm of the language and add the stress naturally. 1. Stress on first syllable Rule Most 2‐syllable nouns Most 2‐syllable adjectives Example PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy
2. Stress on last syllable Rule Most 2‐syllable verbs Example To preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN 3. Stress on the penultimate syllable (or second from the end) Rule Words ending in ‐ic
Words ending in –sion and ‐tion
Example GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGIC
teleVIsion, reveLAtion Business Communication © Optima Training (UK) Limited 4. Stress on the syllable third‐from‐the‐ end Rule Words ending in –cy, ‐ty, ‐phy and ‐gy
Words ending in ‐al
Example deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geOlogy CRItical, geoLOGical
5. Compound words (words with 2 parts) Rule Example For compound nouns, the stress is on BLACKbird, GREENhouse the first part For compound adjectives, the stress is Bad‐TEMpered, old‐FASHioned on the second part For compound verbs, the stress is on To underSTAND, to overFLOW the second part Note: There are many two syllable words in English whose meaning changes with a change of stress. For example, the word present. If we stress the first syllable, PREsent, it is a noun (gift) or an adjective (opposite of absent) but if we stress the second syllable, preSENT, it becomes a verb (to offer). More examples of words like this include export, import, contract and object. For some words, native English speakers don’t always agree on where to put the stress. For example, some people say teleVIsion and some people say TELevision. Another example is CONtroversy and conTROversy. Business Communication © Optima Training (UK) Limited