Word Stress Rules

 Word Stress Rules

There are two simple 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 indeed be "secondary" stress on some words. But secondary stress is much smaller than primary stress and usually used in the long term.)
2. We can only stress vowels, not consonants.

Here are some more rules that can help you understand where to put the stress. 

Remember: 

Do not rely too much on the word stress because there are many exceptions.

A. Stress on the first syllable

 Audio- Listen here.            

Rules    
1. Most 2-syllable nouns                            2. Most 2-syllable adjectives

Examples:                                                Examples:

PRESent   ( meaning: gift)                       PRESent      (meaning: opposite of absent)
EXport                                                      SLENder
CHIna                                                       CLEVer
TAble                                                        HAPpy

B. Stress on the second/last syllable 

Audio - Listen here.

Rule                                               Examples:

Most 2-syllable verbs                       preSENT (meaning: to offer)

                                                         exPORT

                                                         deCIDE

                                                          beGIN

Note: 

There are many two-syllable words in English whose meaning and class change with a change in stress. See the example in A and B.

More examples: the words export, import, contract, and object can be nouns or verbs depending on whether the stress is on the first or second syllable.

C. Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate = second from end)

Audio - Listen here.

Rules

1. Words ending in -ic                            2. Words ending in -sion and -tion

Examples:                                                Examples:

GRAPHic                                                  teleVIsion

geoGRAPHic                                            reveLAtion

geoLOGic

Remember: 

Some native speakers don't always follow these rules, - which makes the words' pronunciation vary. For example, some people say teleVIsion and others say TELevision, also CONtroversy and conTROversy.

D. Stress on the antepenultimate syllable (ante-penultimate = third from end)

Audio - Listen here.

Rules

1. Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, and -gy                2. Words ending in -al

Examples:                                                                    Examples:

deMOcracy                                                                   CRItical

dependaBIlity                                                               geoLOGical

phoTOgraphy

geOLogy

E. Compound words (words with two parts)

Audio - Listen here.

Rules

1. For compound nouns,                                       2. For compound adjectives, 

    the stress is in the first part                                    the stress is in the second part

Examples:                                                                     Examples:

BLACKbird                                                                    bad-TEMpered

GREENhouse                                                               old-FASHioned

3. For compound verbs,  the stress is in the second part

Examples:

underSTAND

overFLOW