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    Word Stress Rules: A. Stress On First Syllable

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    babjishik
    There are two basic rules for word stress in English: 1) each word has one primary stress, and 2) stress is placed on vowels, not consonants. The document then provides more detailed rules for determining stress placement in words with multiple syllables. These include stress typically falling on the first syllable of two-syllable nouns and adjectives, the last syllable of two-syllable verbs, the penultimate syllable of words ending in -ic, -sion, -tion, and the ante-penultimate syllable of words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, and -gy. Stress patterns may also change meaning for some words.

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    Word Stress Rules: A. Stress On First Syllable

    Uploaded by

    babjishik
    33 views2 pages
    There are two basic rules for word stress in English: 1) each word has one primary stress, and 2) stress is placed on vowels, not consonants. The document then provides more detailed rules for determining stress placement in words with multiple syllables. These include stress typically falling on the first syllable of two-syllable nouns and adjectives, the last syllable of two-syllable verbs, the penultimate syllable of words ending in -ic, -sion, -tion, and the ante-penultimate syllable of words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, and -gy. Stress patterns may also change meaning for some words.

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    All about stress free

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    Stress

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    There are two basic rules for word stress in English: 1) each word has one primary stress, and 2) stress is placed on vowels, not consonants. The document then provides more detailed rules for determining stress placement in words with multiple syllables. These include stress typically falling on the first syllable of two-syllable nouns and adjectives, the last syllable of two-syllable verbs, the penultimate syllable of words ending in -ic, -sion, -tion, and the ante-penultimate syllable of words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, and -gy. Stress patterns may also change meaning for some words.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    33 views2 pages

    Word Stress Rules: A. Stress On First Syllable

    Uploaded by

    babjishik
    There are two basic rules for word stress in English: 1) each word has one primary stress, and 2) stress is placed on vowels, not consonants. The document then provides more detailed rules for determining stress placement in words with multiple syllables. These include stress typically falling on the first syllable of two-syllable nouns and adjectives, the last syllable of two-syllable verbs, the penultimate syllable of words ending in -ic, -sion, -tion, and the ante-penultimate syllable of words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, and -gy. Stress patterns may also change meaning for some words.

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    Word Stress Rules

    There are two very 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. It is true that there can be a "secondary" stress
    in some words. But a secondary stress is much smaller than the
    main [primary] stress, and is only used in long words.)

    2. We can only stress vowels, not consonants.

    Here are some more, rather complicated, rules that can help you
    understand where to put the stress. But do not rely on them too much,
    because there are many exceptions. It is better to try to "feel" the music
    of the language and to add the stress naturally.

    A. Stress on first syllable

    rule example

    Most 2-syllable nouns PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble

    Most 2-syllable adjectives PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy

    B. Stress on last syllable

    rule example

    Most 2-syllable verbs preSENT, exPORT, deCIDE, beGIN

    There are many two-syllable words in English whose meaning and class
    change with a change in stress. The word present, for example is a
    two-syllable word. If we stress the first syllable, it is a noun (gift) or an
    adjective (opposite of absent). But if we stress the second syllable, it
    becomes a verb (to offer). More examples: the words export, import,
    contract and object can all 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)

    rule example

    Words ending in -ic GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGic

    Words ending in -sion and -tion teleVIsion, reveLAtion

    For a few words, native English speakers don't always "agree" on where
    to put the stress. For example, some people say teleVIsion and others
    say TELevision. Another example is: CONtroversy and
    conTROversy.

    D. Stress on ante-penultimate syllable (ante-penultimate = third from


    end)

    rule example

    Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geOLogy

    Words ending in -al CRItical, geoLOGical

    E. Compound words (words with two parts)

    rule example

    For compound nouns, the stress is on the first part BLACKbird, GREENhouse

    For compound adjectives, the stress is on the second bad-TEMpered, old-FASHioned


    part

    For compound verbs, the stress is on the second part underSTAND, overFLOW

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