Rules of Word Stress in English
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.
1 Stress
on first syllable
rule
|
example
|
Most
2-syllable nouns
|
PRESent,
EXport, CHIna, TAble
|
Most
2-syllable adjectives
|
PRESent,
SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy
|
2 Stress
on last syllable
rule
|
example
|
Most
2-syllable verbs
|
to
preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to 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.
3 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.
4 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
|
rule
|
example
|
For
compound nouns, the stress is on the first part
|
BLACKbird,
GREENhouse
|
For
compound adjectives, the stress is on the second part
|
bad-TEMpered,
old-FASHioned
|
For
compound verbs, the stress is on the second part
|
to
underSTAND, to overFLOW
|
Comments
Post a Comment