Changes in word stress

This page shows the way in which the meaning of a word can change if you stress a different syllable. This change only happens with a few, specific words, many of which are listed here — it doesn’t apply to all words in the English language. Most of the words are two syllables long — there are just a few examples with three syllables.

The examples fall into two categories:

1. Those which keep the same general meaning, but which change from noun to verb when the stress moves from the first to the second syllable.
2. Those which change their meaning completely — most of them change from noun to verb, but a few change to an adjective.

1. Change from noun to verb, same general meaning:

addict	ADD-ict	Rob is a crack cocaine ADD-ict. (Rob is a person who uses crack cocaine and cannot stop doing it)
add-ICT	If you keep playing that game, you will get add-ICT-ed to it! (you will become an addict)

conflict	CON-flict	The two friends were in CON-flict. (didn’t agree about something)
con-FLICT	Your two accounts of what happened con-FLICT. (your stories don’t agree with each other)

contest	CON-test	He is taking part in a boxing CON-test. (a fighting competition)
con-TEST	I’m sorry, I have to con-TEST your figures. (I can’t agree with your figures)

contrast	CON-trast	There’s quite a CON-trast between their political views. (a big difference)
con-TRAST	I will compare and con-TRAST these two poems. (show the differences between them)

convert	CON-vert	He is a CON-vert to Buddhism. (he has changed his religion)
con-VERT	I’m sorry, you will never con-VERT me. (you will never persuade me to change my beliefs/opinions)

decrease	DE-crease	There has been a DE-crease in sales recently. (we have sold less than usual)
de-CREASE	We need to de-CREASE the number of children in the class to make it more effective.

import	IM-port	Coffee is an IM-port from Brazil. (coffee is brought here from Brazil)
im-PORT	We would like to im-PORT more coffee over the next few years.

increase	IN-crease	There has been an IN-crease in accidents recently. (there have been more accidents)
in-CREASE	We need to in-CREASE our sales figures. (sell more)

insult	IN-sult	What she said felt like an IN-sult. (she said something bad)
in-SULT	Please don’t in-SULT me(don’t say bad things to me)

perfect	PER-fect	Your homework is PER-fect. (it has no mistakes in it)
per-FECT	We need to per-FECT our design before we can put this new product on the market. (we need to improve it)

permit	PER-mit	Do you have a PER-mit to drive this lorry?. (document giving permission)
per-MIT	Will you per-MIT me to park my car in front of your house? (allow me)

pervert	PER-vert	Niharika is a PER-vert. (she has strange sexual preferences)
per-VERT	The man was arrested on a charge of attempting to per-VERT the course of justice. (interfering with the proper workings of the legal process)

present	PRES-ent	She gave me a nice PRES-ent on my birthday.(gift)
pre-SENT	Allow me to pres-ENT my friend, David. (introduce)

produce	PRO-duce	They sell all kinds of PRO-duce at the market. (fruit and vegetables)
pro-DUCE	How did the magician manage to pro-DUCE a rabbit from his top hat? (bring out)

protest	PRO-test	There was a political PRO-test going on in the street. (demonstration)
pro-TEST	I had to pro-TEST about the dirty state of the kitchen. (complain)

recall	RE-call	The actor was given a RE-call. (called back, invited for a second audition)
re-CALL	I can’t re-CALL the first time I rode a bicycle. (remember)

record	RE-cord	She always keeps a RE-cord of what she spends every month. (note)
re-CORD	It’s important to re-CORD how much you spend every month. (make a note of)

reject	RE-ject	The item in this box is a RE-ject. (not good enough to sell)
re-JECT	We have decided to re-JECT the building proposal as it would have cost too much money. (turn down, say no to)

suspect	SUS-pect	The police interviewed the SUS-pect for five hours, but then let him go. (someone they thought might have committed a crime)
sus-PECT	I sus-PECT that tree will have to be cut down, before it falls and causes some damage. (have a feeling, think, imagine)

2. Change from noun to verb or noun to adjective, different meaning:

address	AD-dress	Do you know Valen’s AD-dress? (where she lives)
ad-DRESS	You do not have permission to ad-DRESS President Harkonnen! (to speak to him directly)

attribute	AT-trib-ute	Dishonesty is a common ATT-rib-ute of politicians. (a trait/characteristic)
at-TRIB-ute	That quote is at-TRIB-u-ted to Winston Churchill. (considered to be first said/created by him)

conduct	CON-duct	We aren’t happy about your general CON-duct. (the way you’re behaving)
con-DUCT	I was asked to con-DUCT the orchestra at short notice. (coordinate a musical performance by waving a baton)

console	CON-sole	I spend too much time at my computer CON-sole. (screen and controls)
con-SOLE	She was so unhappy, I was unable to con-SOLE her. (make her feel better)

content	CON-tent	The CON-tent of your essay is fine, but you need to rearrange the structure. (what it contains)
con-TENT (adj.)	She was sitting reading a book, looking very con-TENT. (relaxed, peaceful)

converse	CON-verse	Do you think firm A is more successful than firm B? I think the CON-verse is true. (opposite)
con-VERSE	He can con-VERSE in three different languages. (have conversations)

default	DE-fault	The DE-fault settings of that TV are bad, but you can configure it differently. (the settings it comes with it when you get it)
de-FAULT	Jon de-FAULT-ed on his loan payments. (he did not make the required payments)

desert	DES-ert	The army marched through the DES-ert. (eg Sahara)
des-ERT	I wouldn’t advise you to des-ERT the army, as it will get you into trouble. (leave without permission)

entrance	EN-trance	The EN-trance to the building was locked. (way in)
en-TRANCE	Are you trying to en-TRANCE me? (hypnotise me, put me into a trance)

exploit	EX-ploit	He’s always talking about some EX-ploit from his war years. (exciting experience, adventure)
ex-PLOIT	Some companies ex-PLOIT their staff by expecting them to work overtime for no extra pay. (take advantage of)

extract	EX-tract	She read me an EX-tract from her new novel. (short section)
ex-TRACT	The dentist says he needs to ex-TRACT one of my teeth. (remove, pull out, take out)

invalid	IN-val-id	After his accident he was an IN-val-id for nearly a year, but he’s ok again now. (was disabled, had mobility problems)
in-VAL-id (adj.)	I’m sorry, your passport is in-VAL-id, as it expired two months ago. (can’t be used)

object	OB-ject	What is that OB-ject over there? (thing)
ob-JECT	Would anyone ob-JECT if I opened a window? (complain)

project	PRO-ject	This PRO-ject should be completed next month. (piece of work)
pro-JECT	We could pro-JECT the film onto that blank wall. (show, display)

refuse	REF-use	We have our REF-use collected on a Thursday. (rubbish, garbage)
re-FUSE	Chocolate cake? How can I re-FUSE! (say no)

subject	SUB-ject	What is the SUB-ject of today’s lesson? (topic)
sub-JECT	Oh dear, our teacher is going to sub-JECT us to another test. (impose on us, make us endure)

absent; /ˈæbsənt/ (ADJECTIVE) means “not present”; /æbˈsɛnt/ (VERB) is mostly used in the phrase “to absent yourself” meaning “not to go to a place where one is expected to be”.

accent; /ˈæksənt/ (NOUN) is the way people in a particular area speak; /əkˈsɛnt/ (VERB) (MOSTLY UK) means “to emphasize” (it is often pronounced the same as the noun in American English).

addict; /ˈædɪkt/ (NOUN) is a person addicted to something (such as heroin); /əˈdɪkt/ means “to cause someone to become addicted”.

address; /ˈædrɛs/ (NOUN) (US ONLY) is the name of the place where you live; /əˈdrɛs/ (VERB) means “to direct a speech to someone” (in the UK, both meanings are usually pronounced /əˈdrɛs/).

affect; /əˈfɛkt/ (VERB) means “to influence”; /ˈæfɛkt/ (NOUN) is used in psychology for “a subjective feeling experienced in response to a stimulus”.

affix; /ˈæfɪks/ (NOUN) is a grammatical term for a group of letters added to a root word; /əˈfɪks/ (VERB) means “to attach”.

alloy; /ˈælɔɪ/ (NOUN) is a mixture of metals; /əˈlɔɪ/ (VERB) means “to mix metals”.

ally; /ˈælaɪ/ (NOUN) is a country that supports another country; /əˈlaɪ/ (VERB) means “to give your support to another country”.

attribute; /ˈætrɪbjuːt/ (NOUN) is a characteristic of something; /əˈtrɪbjuːt/ (VERB) means “to express that something was created by someone”.

combine; /kəmˈbaɪn/ (VERB) means “to bring together”; /ˈkɒmbaɪn/ UK, /ˈkɑːmbaɪn/ US (NOUN) is a shorter name for a “combine harvester”.

commune; /ˈkɒmjuːn/ UK, /ˈkɑːmjuːn/ US (NOUN) is a group of people living together and sharing responsibilities; /kəˈmjuːn/ (VERB) is used in “commune with somebody” which means “to silently share emotions with somebody”.

compact; /ˈkɒmpækt/ UK, /ˈkɑːmpækt/ US (ADJECTIVE) means “including many things in a small space”; /kəmˈpækt/ (VERB) means “to compress”.

complex; /ˈkɒmplɛks/ UK, /ˈkɑːmplɛks/ US (NOUN) is a (psychological) problem or a collection of buildings; in some dialects (both in British and American English) the adjective “complex” meaning “not simple” is pronounced as /kəmˈplɛks/; in others, it is pronounced the same as the noun.

compound; /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ UK, /ˈkɑːmpaʊnd/ US (NOUN) is a thing consisting of two or more separate parts (or an adjective describing such a thing); /kəmˈpaʊnd/ (VERB) means “to make something that is already bad become even worse”, usually used in the passive as “to be compounded”. “To be compounded” can also mean “to be formed from”.

compress; /kəmˈprɛs/ (VERB) means “to press or squeeze together”; /ˈkɒmprɛs/ UK, /ˈkɑːmprɛs/ US (NOUN) is a piece of cloth applied to a body part to reduce pain (a cold compress), reduce muscle fatigue (a warm compress) etc.

conduct; /kənˈdʌkt/ (VERB) means “to manage, carry on” (e.g. “to conduct a meeting”) or “to lead” (e.g. “to conduct an orchestra). /ˈkɒndʌkt/ UK, /ˈkɑːndʌkt/ US (NOUN) is a person’s behaviour.

confine(s); /kənˈfaɪn/ (VERB) means “to keep somebody or something within certain limits”; /ˈkɒnfaɪnz/ UK, /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/ US (NOUN) is used only in the plural and means “limits, borders” (for example “confines of human knowledge”).

conflict; /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ UK, /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/ US (NOUN) means “a disagreement”; /kənˈflɪkt/ (VERB) means “to be incompatible with”.

conscript; /ˈkɒnskrɪpt/ is someone who compulsorily joined the armed forces of a country; /kənˈskrɪpt/ means “to become a conscript”.

conserve; /kənˈsɜːv/ UK, /kənˈsɝːv/ US (VERB) means “to use as little as possible” (e.g. “to conserve energy”) or “to protect something from being destroyed” (e.g. “to conserve wildlife”); /ˈkɒnsɜːv/ UK, /ˈkɑːnsɝːv/ US (NOUN) is synonymous with “whole fruit jam”. Unlike in other languages, it isn’t synonymous with a can (an aluminium container).

console; /ˈkɒnsəʊl/ UK or /ˈkɑːnsoʊl/ US (NOUN) is “a cabinet (often for a TV) designed to stand on the floor” or “a device for playing video games”; /kənˈsəʊl/ UK or /kənˈsoʊl/ US (VERB) means “to make someone feel better”.

consort; /ˈkɒnsɔːt/ UK, /ˈkɑːnsɔːrt/ US (NOUN) is used mainly in “the queen consort”, meaning “the wife of a king”, and “the prince consort”, meaning “the husband of a queen” (rarely also “the king consort”), and sometimes also “the princess consort”, meaning “the wife of a prince”; /kənˈsɔːt/ UK, /kənˈsɔːrt/ US means “to spend time in someone’s company”, usually meant contemptuously, for example “the duke consorted with prostitutes”.

construct; /kənˈstrʌkt/ (VERB) means “to build”; /ˈkɒnstrʌkt/ UK or /ˈkɑːnstrʌkt/ US (NOUN) is something constructed or a concept.

consult; /kənˈsʌlt/ (VERB) means “to seek opinion or advice”; /ˈkɒnsʌlt/ UK, /ˈkɑːnsʌlt/ US (NOUN) is an obsolete term meaning a decision or an agreement, or, in the US, also “a visit” (e.g. to a doctor).

content; /ˈkɒntɛnt/ UK, /ˈkɑːntɛnt/ US (NOUN) is “the contained material”; /kənˈtɛnt/ (ADJECTIVE) means “satisfied” (it can also be a verb meaning “to satisfy”).

contest; /ˈkɒntɛst/ UK, /ˈkɑːntɛst/ US (NOUN) is a competition; /kənˈtɛst/ (VERB) is used in “to contest something” which means “to take part in something in order to win”, or it can mean “to formally oppose something”, for example “to contest a will”.

contract; /ˈkɒntrækt/ UK, /ˈkɑːntrækt/ US (NOUN) is an official agreement; /kənˈtrækt/ (VERB) is the opposite to “expand”, or it can mean “to get an illness” (e.g. “to contract AIDS”).

contrast; /ˈkɒntrɑːst/ UK, /ˈkɑːntræst/ US (NOUN) is “a difference in brightness”; /kənˈtrɑːst/ UK, /kənˈtræst/ US (VERB) means “to show the difference” (in some US dialects, both meanings are pronounced as the noun given here).

converse; /kənˈvɜːs/ UK, /kənˈvɝːs/ US (VERB) means “to have a conversation”; /ˈkɒnvɜːs/ UK, /ˈkɑːnvɝːs/ US (NOUN) is the opposite or reverse of something.

convert; /kənˈvɜːt/ UK, /kənˈvɝːt/ US (VERB) means “to change something from one form to another”; /ˈkɒnvɜːt/ UK, /ˈkɑːnvɝːt/ US (NOUN) is a person who changed his or her religion.

convict; /kənˈvɪkt/ (VERB) means “to find someone guilty in court”; /ˈkɒnvɪkt/ UK, /ˈkɑːnvɪkt/ US (NOUN) is a person who has been convicted.

decrease; /dɪˈkriːs/ (VERB) means “to become smaller”; /ˈdiːkriːs/ (NOUN) is “a reduction”.

defect; /dɪˈfɛkt/ (VERB) is used in “to defect from” which means “to leave a group to join an enemy”, for example “to defect from a political party before elections”; /ˈdiːfɛkt/ (NOUN) is a fault that makes something imperfect (but the same pronunciation as for the verb is also common).

desert; /ˈdɛzət/ UK, /ˈdɛzɚt/ US (NOUN) is a large area of dry land; /dɪˈzɜːt/ UK, /dɪˈzɝːt/ US (VERB) means “to abandon something”.

detail; /ˈdiːteɪl/ (NOUN) is “something small or negligible enough”; in the US, /dɪˈteɪl/ is a verb meaning “to explain in detail” (in the UK the verb sounds the same as the noun).

dictate; /dɪkˈteɪt/ (VERB) means “to say something for someone else to write down” (for example “to dictate a letter to a secretary”) or “to tell somebody what to do”; /ˈdɪkteɪt/ (NOUN) is a rule that one must obey.

digest; /daɪˈdʒɛst/ or /dɪˈdʒɛst/ means “to change food to a form the body can use” (e.g. “humans cannot digest grass”) or “to think about something in order to understand it”; /ˈdaɪdʒɛst/ (NOUN) is a short report containing the most important information.

discard; /dɪsˈkɑːd/ UK, /dɪsˈkɑːrd/ US means “to get rid of something one no longer needs”; /ˈdɪskɑːd/ UK, /ˈdɪskɑːrd/ US (NOUN) is a thing no longer wanted and thrown away (usually in a card game).

discharge; /dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/ UK, /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒ/ US (VERB) means “to release” (for example, “to discharge someone from a hospital” means “to give him official permission to leave”); /ˈdɪstʃɑːdʒ/ UK, /ˈdɪstʃɑːrdʒ/ US (NOUN) is the act of releasing, for example “a discharge of toxic waste”.

discount; /ˈdɪskaʊnt/ (NOUN) is the amount of money which something costs less than usual; /dɪsˈkaʊnt/ (VERB) means either “to reduce price of something” or “to dismiss, to consider something unimportant”, as in “we cannot discount the possibility of further attacks” (in the US, the verb is sometimes pronounced the same as the noun).

discourse; /ˈdɪskɔːs/ UK, /ˈdɪskɔːrs/ US (NOUN) is a serious discussion; /dɪsˈkɔːs/ UK, /dɪsˈkɔːrs/ US (VERB) means “to talk long about a subject you know well”.

escort; /ɪˈskɔːt/ UK, /ɪˈskɔːrt/ US (VERB) means “to go with somebody in order to protect or guard them”; /ˈɛskɔːt/ UK, /ˈɛskɔːrt/ US (NOUN) is a person or a group of people who escort somebody.

essay; /ˈɛseɪ/ (NOUN) is a short piece of writing by a student; /ɛˈseɪ/ (VERB) is a literary term meaning “to try to do”.

excise; /ɪkˈsaɪz/ (VERB) means “to remove completely”; /ˈɛksaɪz/ is a tax on specific goods.

exploit; /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ (VERB) means “to use someone or something for your own advantage”; /ˈɛksplɔɪt/ (NOUN) is a brave or interesting act.

export; /ɪksˈpɔːt/ UK, /ɪksˈpɔːrt/ US (VERB) means “to sell goods to a foreign country”; /ˈɛkspɔːt/ UK or /ˈɛkspɔːrt/ US (NOUN) is “something that is exported”.

extract; /ɪksˈtrækt/ (VERB) means “to get something out of something else”; /ˈɛkstrækt/ (NOUN) is “something extracted”.

ferment; /fəˈmɛnt/ UK, /fɚˈmɛnt/ US (VERB) means “to experience a chemical change because of the action of yeasts”; /ˈfɜːmɛnt/ UK, /ˈfɝːmɛnt/ US (NOUN) is a state of political and social confusion and excitement (for example a country can be in ferment).

frequent; /ˈfriːkwənt/ (ADJECTIVE) means “happening often”; /friˈkwɛnt/ (VERB) means “to visit often”.

gallant; /ˈgælənt/ (ADJECTIVE); a man is gallant if he gives polite attention to women; /gəˈlænt/ (NOUN) is an old-fashioned term for a man that is gallant (it is sometimes also pronounced the same as the adjective).

impact; /ˈɪmpækt/ (NOUN) is “a forceful collision”; /ɪmˈpækt/ (VERB) means “to affect”.

implant; /ɪmˈplɑːnt/ UK, /ɪmˈplænt/ US (VERB) means “to fix firmly” or “to insert into the body”; /ˈɪmplɑːnt/ UK, /ˈɪmplænt/ US (NOUN) is “something surgically implanted in the body”.

import; /ɪmˈpɔːt/ UK, /ɪmˈpɔːrt/ US (VERB) means “to bring a product from another country to one’s own country”; /ˈɪmpɔːt/ UK, /ˈɪmpɔːrt/ US (NOUN) is the act of importing a product (or the product itself).

impress; /ɪmˈprɛs/ (VERB) means “to make someone feel admiration for you”; /ˈɪmprɛs/ (NOUN) is the act of impressing.

imprint; /ˈɪmprɪnt/ (NOUN) is a mark made by stamping something onto a surface; /ɪmˈprɪnt/ (VERB) means “to have a great effect on something”.

incense; /ˈɪnsɛns/ (NOUN) is a substance producing a pleasant smell when it is burning (it is often used in churches, for example); /ɪnˈsɛns/ (VERB) means “to get somebody very angry”.

incline; /ɪnˈklaɪn/ (VERB) means “to behave in a particular way”; /ˈɪnklaɪn/ (NOUN) is a slope.

increase; /ɪnˈkriːs/ (VERB) means “to become larger”; /ˈɪnkriːs/ (NOUN) is “an amount by which something increased”.

indent; /ɪnˈdɛnt/ (VERB) means “to start a line of text further from the edge than other lines”; /ˈɪndɛnt/ (NOUN) is an official order for goods or equipment.

inlay; /ɪnˈleɪ/ (VERB) means “to decorate the surface of something by putting pieces of wood or metal into it in such a way that the resulting surface remains smooth”; /ˈɪnleɪ/ (NOUN) is a pattern of such a decoration.

insert; /ɪnˈsɜːt/ UK, /ɪnˈsɝːt/ US (VERB) means “to put something into something else”; /ˈɪnsɜːt/ UK, /ˈɪnsɝːt/ US (NOUN) is usually an extra section added to a newspaper or magazine (but it can mean something that is put into something else in general).

insult; /ɪnˈsʌlt/ (VERB) means “to offend someone”; /ˈɪnsʌlt/ (NOUN) is an action intended to be rude.

interchange; /ˈɪntətʃeɪndʒ/ UK, /ˈɪntɚtʃeɪndʒ/ US (NOUN) is the act of sharing or exchanging something; /ˌɪntəˈtʃeɪndʒ/ UK, /ˌɪntɚˈtʃeɪndʒ/ US (VERB) means “to share or exchange ideas”.

intern; /ɪnˈtɜːn/ UK, /ɪnˈtɝːn/ US (VERB) means “to put somebody in prison during a war without charging them with a crime”; /ˈɪntɜːn/ UK, /ˈɪntɝːn/ US (NOUN) is a student of medicine working at a hospital to get further experience.

invalid; /ɪnˈvælɪd/ (ADJECTIVE) is the opposite of “valid”; /ˈɪnvəlɪd/ or /ˈɪnvəliːd/ (NOUN) is a person that needs others who take care of him or her. The latter pronunciation can also be a verb meaning “to force somebody to leave armed forces because of injury”.

invite; /ɪnˈvaɪt/ (VERB) means “to ask somebody to come to a social event”; /ˈɪnvaɪt/ is an informal word for “invitation”.

mismatch; /ˈmɪsmætʃ/ (NOUN) is a combination of things that do not go well together; /ˌmɪsˈmætʃ/ (VERB) means “to fail to match”.

object; /ˈɒbdʒɪkt/ UK or /ˈɑːbdʒɪkt/ US (NOUN) is a thing or the goal of something; /əbˈdʒɛkt/ (VERB) means “to disagree with something”.

overlap; /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/ UK, /ˌoʊvɚˈlæp/ US (VERB); if two things overlap, part of one thing covers part of the other; /ˈəʊvəlæp/ UK, /ˈoʊvɚlæp/ US (NOUN) is a shared area (between two objects).

overlay; /ˈəʊvəleɪ/ UK, /ˈoʊvɚleɪ/ US (NOUN) is something put on top of something else; /ˌəʊvəˈleɪ/ UK, /ˌoʊvɚˈleɪ/ US (VERB) means “to put something on top of the surface of something else”.

perfect; /ˈpɜːfɪkt/ UK, /ˈpɝːfɪkt/ US (ADJECTIVE) means “excellent; precise”; /pəˈfɛkt/ UK or /pɚˈfɛkt/ US (VERB) means “to make perfect”.

permit; /pəˈmɪt/ UK, /pɚˈmɪt/ US (VERB) means “to allow”; /ˈpɜːmɪt/ UK, /ˈpɝːmɪt/ US (NOUN) is an official document that gives somebody the right to do something.

pervert; /ˈpɜːvɜːt/ UK, /ˈpɝːvɝːt/ US (NOUN) is someone whose sexual behaviour is considered unacceptable; /pəˈvɜːt/ UK, /pɚˈvɝːt/ US (VERB) means “to change something in a bad way”.

present; /ˈprɛzənt/ is either an adjective meaning “relating to now” or “located in the vicinity” or a noun meaning either “the current period of time” or “a gift”; /prɪˈzɛnt/ is a verb meaning “to show”.

proceed(s); /prəˈsiːd/ UK, /proʊˈsiːd/ US (VERB) means “to continue doing something”; /ˈprəʊsiːdz/ UK, /ˈproʊsiːdz/ US (NOUN) is used only in the plural form as “proceeds of” meaning “revenue from”, e.g. “proceeds of the concert went to charity”.

produce; /prəˈdjuːs/ UK, /prəˈduːs/ US (VERB) means “to make or grow something”; /ˈprɒdjuːs/ UK, /ˈprɑːduːs/ or /ˈproʊduːs/ US (NOUN) means “things that have been produced”, usually in connection with farming.

progress; /ˈprəʊgrɛs/ UK or /ˈprɑːgrɛs/ US (NOUN) means “a development of something”; /prəˈgrɛs/ (VERB) means “to advance”.

project; /ˈprɒdʒɛkt/ UK, /ˈprɑːdʒɛkt/ US (NOUN) is “something that is planned”; /prəˈdʒɛkt/ (VERB) means “to plan something”.

protest; /ˈprəʊtɛst/ UK, /ˈproʊtɛst/ US (NOUN) is an expression of disagreement with something; /prəˈtɛst/ (VERB) means “to express disagreement” (it can also be pronounced the same as the noun in the US).

purport; /pəˈpɔːt/ UK, /pɚˈpɔːrt/ US (VERB) is used especially in “purport to be something” which means “to claim to be something”; /ˈpɜːpɔːt/ UK, /ˈpɝːpɔːrt/ US (NOUN); the “purport of something” is “the general meaning of something”.

rebel; /rɪˈbɛl/ (VERB) means “to fight against an authority”; /ˈrɛbəl/ (NOUN) is someone who rebels against something.

recoil; /rɪˈkɔɪl/ (VERB) means “to move quickly backwards or away from something”; /ˈriːkɔɪl/ (NOUN) is a sudden movement backwards.

record; /ˈrɛkɔːd/ UK, /ˈrɛkɚd/ US (NOUN) is “an information put into a physical medium” or “the extreme value of an achievement (in sport)”; /rɪˈkɔːd/ UK, /rəˈkɔrd/ US (VERB) means “to make a recording of something”.

refill; /ˌriːˈfɪl/ (VERB) means “to fill something again”; /ˈriːfɪl/ (NOUN) is something used to refill a container; also, it means “another drink of the same type”.

refund; /ˈriːfʌnd/ (NOUN) is a sum of money to be paid back; /rɪˈfʌnd/ (VERB) means “to give somebody back their money for something they bought”.

refuse; /rɪˈfjuːz/ (VERB) means “disallow something”; /ˈrɛfjuːs/ (NOUN) is waste material.

reject; /rɪˈdʒɛkt/ (VERB) means “to refuse something”; /ˈriːdʒɛkt/ (NOUN) is something that cannot be used because it is faulty or someone who is not considered member of a team, society etc.

remake; /ˈriːmeɪk/ (NOUN) is a new version of an old film or song; /ˌriːˈmeɪk/ (VERB) means “to create a remake”.

reprint; /ˌriːˈprɪnt/ (VERB) means “to print (usually a book) again without changes”; /ˈriːprɪnt/ (NOUN) is a book that has been reprinted.

retake; /ˌriːˈteɪk/ (VERB) is used especially in military; it means “to take control of something (e.g. a town) again”; /ˈriːteɪk/ (NOUN) is the act of filming a scene again, because the first take was not good enough.

retard; /rɪˈtɑːd/ UK, /rɪˈtɑːrd/ US (VERB) means “to make something progress slower”; /ˈriːtɑːd/ UK, /ˈriːtɑːrd/ US (NOUN) is a slang term for a mentally retarded person.

segment; /ˈsɛgmənt/ (NOUN) is a part of something (and also a geometric figure consisting of two points connected by a straight line); /sɛgˈment/ (VERB) means “to divide into segments”.

subject; /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/ or /ˈsʌbdʒɛkt/ (NOUN) is a thing or person being discussed (it can also be an adjective used in “subject to something” which means “to be affected by something”); /səbˈdʒɛkt/ (VERB) means “to bring a country under control” (for example “Germany subjected most of Europe during WWII”); “to be subjected to something” means “to be affected by something”.

survey; /ˈsɜːveɪ/ UK, /ˈsɝːveɪ/ US (NOUN) is finding opinions of people by asking questions; /səˈveɪ/ UK, /sɚˈveɪ/ US (VERB) means “to look carefully at something”.

suspect; /səˈspɛkt/ (VERB) means “to think that somebody or something is guilty of something without having a definite proof”; /ˈsʌspɛkt/ (NOUN) is a person who is suspected of a crime.

torment; /tɔːˈmɛnt/ UK, /tɔːrˈmɛnt/ US (VERB) means “to make somebody suffer”; /ˈtɔːmɛnt/ UK, /ˈtɔːrmɛnt/ US (NOUN) is extreme suffering.

transfer; /trænsˈfɜːr/ UK, /trænsˈfɝː/ US (VERB) means “to move from one place to another”; /ˈtrænsfɜːr/ UK, /ˈtrænsfɝː/ US (NOUN) is the act of moving somebody from one place to another.

transplant; /trænsˈplɑːnt/ UK, /trænsˈplænt/ US (VERB) means “to take an organ from one organism and put it into another”; /ˈtrænsplɑːnt/ UK, /ˈtrænsplænt/ US (NOUN) is either an operation during which a an organ is transplanted or the organ that is being transplanted.

transport; /trænˈspɔːt/ UK, /trænˈspɔːrt/ US (VERB) means “to take something from one place to another”; /ˈtrænspɔːt/ UK, /ˈtrænspɔːrt/ US (NOUN) is a system for carrying people or things from one place to another.

traverse; /trəˈvɜːs/ UK, /trəˈvɝːs/ US (VERB) means “to cross an area”; /ˈtrævɜːs/ UK, /ˈtrævɝːs/ US (NOUN) is a term used in mountain climbing and means “an act of moving across a steep slope”.

update; /ˌʌpˈdeɪt/ (VERB) means “to bring something up to date”; /ˈʌpdeɪt/ (NOUN) is a report that gives the most recent information on something; in computing it means also a package containing improvements for a software.

upgrade; /ʌpˈgreɪd/ (VERB) means to “make something better or more advanced”; /ˈʌpgreɪd/ (NOUN) is the new part that makes it better.

uplift; /ˌʌpˈlɪft/ (VERB) means “to make somebody feel happier”; /ˈʌplɪft/ (NOUN) is the act of something being raised.

upset; /ʌpˈsɛt/ (VERB) means “to make somebody feel unhappy” (it is also an adjective meaning “unhappy or angry”); /ˈʌpsɛt/ (NOUN) is a situation connected with difficulties.

Word Stress Explanation and Exercise

Updated on January 17, 2019

When you are speaking English the words you stress can change the underlying meaning of a sentence.

An Example

Let’s take a look at the following sentence:

I don’t think he should get the job.

This simple sentence can have many levels of meaning based on the word you stress. Consider the meaning of the following sentences with the stressed word in bold. Read each sentence aloud and give a strong stress to the word in bold:

I don’t think he should get the job.
Meaning: Somebody else thinks he should get the job.

I don’t think he should get the job.
Meaning: It’s not true that I think he should get the job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: That’s not really what I mean. OR I’m not sure he’ll get that job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: Somebody else should get that job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: In my opinion it’s wrong that he’s going to get that job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: He should have to earn (be worthy of, work hard for) that job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: He should get another job.

I don’t think he should get that job.
Meaning: Maybe he should get something else instead.

As you can see, there are many different ways this sentence can be understood. The important point to remember is that the true meaning of the sentence is also expressed through the stressed word or words.

An Excercise

Here is an exercise to help you develop the art of correct word stress. Take the following sentence:

I said she might consider a new haircut.

Say the sentence aloud using the stress word marked in bold. Once you have spoken the sentence a few times, match the sentence version to the meaning below. 

1. I said she might consider a new haircut.
2. I said she might consider a new haircut.
3. I said she might consider a new haircut.
4. I said she might consider a new haircut.
5. I said she might consider a new haircut.
6. I said she might consider a new haircut.
7. I said she might consider a new haircut.

• Not just a haircut.
• It’s a possibility.
• It was my idea.
• Not something else.
• Don’t you understand me?
• Not another person.
• She should think about it. it’s a good idea.

Exercise: Write out a number of sentences. Read each of them stressing a different word each time you read them. Notice how the meaning changes depending on which word you stress. Don’t be afraid to exaggerate the stress, in English we often use this device to add meaning to a sentence. It’s quite possible that when you think you are exaggerating, it will sound quite natural to native speakers.

Answers to the word stress exercise:

1. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   It was my idea.
2. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   Don’t you understand me?
3. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   Not another person.
4. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   It’s a possibility.
5. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   She should think about it. it’s a good idea.
6. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   Not just a haircut.
7. I said she might consider a new haircut.
   Not something else.

—   Hello, boys and girls! My name is James
Wilson.

—   And my name is Martin Green. Welcome to
our grammar lesson!

—   Guys, you won’t believe us if we tell you
what happened to our friend Nathaniel yesterday!

—   You need to hear the story!

—   Yesterday I was talking to my mom on the
phone outside when suddenly something strange appeared in the sky.

—   I saw five spaceships. I couldn’t believe
my eyes! They circled over me. Then two green creatures appeared out of one of
the spaceships. It was aliens. One of them looked older than the other one.

—   Then the younger alien started walking
right up to me. He came to me and said: “Hello, Earthman! We came in peace and
we need your help!”.

—   W-what is it?

—   We want to make peace with people on
Earth, but they don’t understand us! Look at our conversation, please, and tell
me what’s wrong with it!

—   Oh, sure.

—   Hello, Earthmen! We want to make peace
with you! We also want to présent you something.

—   What?! You want to make peace and ask us
to give you a présent?! It’s unbelievable!

—   No, no, no… You don’t understand us!

—   We understand exactly what you mean! We
don’t want to make peace with you!

—   See? What did I say wrong?

—   Oh, it’s very simple. You put the stress
on the wrong syllable. Don’t worry I’ll explain everything to you!

—  
Thanks. I’d
appreciate it!

Today in the
lesson we will:

·       
tell you about
stress shifting as a means of making new words;

And

·       
put the knowledge
into a practice.

In the English
language if we change the stress in the existing words without changing their
morphological structure, we can form new words.

Pay attention! We
put the stress on the first syllable in the nouns, but on the second syllable –
in the verbs.

When we change the
stress in the existing words, we can get two types of new words:

One. The words
which have the same general meanings with the initial words.

And

Two. The words
which have completely different meanings.

Let’s look closely
at some words of the first type and compare them.

·       
One of
the most frequently used words is the word “présent”.

We put the stress
on the first syllable, that’s why this word is a noun. The translation is “подарок”.

For instance:
Alison bought a wonderful présent for her daughter yesterday.

Now let’s put the
stress on the second syllable. We’ll get the word “to presént”. It’s a
verb. The translation is “дарить, вручать”.

For instance:
George wanted to find something special to presént to his wife. It was
their anniversary.

·       
Let’s
look at the word “cónflict”. This word is a noun, because we stressed
the first syllable. The translation is “конфликт”.

For instance: Anne
had a cónflict with her sister the other day, because of her untidiness.

If we put the
stress on the second syllable, we’ll get “to conflíct”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “конфликтовать”.

For instance:
Molly has a bad temper. She started to conflíct with all her classmates.

·       
The
following word is “cóntrast”. It’s a noun. The translation is “контраст”.

For instance: This
small town is a total cóntrast to New York.

Let’s change the
stress. Now we have the word “to contrást”. It’s a verb. The translation
is “контрастировать”.

For instance:
Jenifer’s blonde hair contrásted sharply with her blue short dress.

·       
Let’s compare the
following words. The first word is “íncrease”. It’s a
noun. The translation is “увеличение”.

For instance:
There won’t be a great íncrease in the number of employees in the
factory.

If we stress the
second syllable, we’ll get the word “to incréase”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “увеличивать”.

For instance: My
parents have incréased their collection of old movies.

·       
Let’s
look at the word “ímport”. This word is a noun. The translation is “импорт”.

For instance: The
ímport of women’s clothes has been decreased.

If we put the
stress on the second syllable, we’ll get “to impórt”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “импортировать”.

For instance:
Georgia impórts medical preparations from Turkey.

·       
The
following word is “éxport”. It’s a noun. The translation is “экспорт”.

For instance: The
éxport of wooden furniture has increased.

Let’s change the
stress. Now we have the word “to expórt”. It’s a verb. The translation
is “экспортировать”.

For instance:
Canada expórts cars to the USA.

—   All of these words have the same general
meanings with the initial words.

—   Oh, I see! Can we look closely at some
words of the second type?

—   Yes, of course!

·       
The
first word is “áddress”.  It’s a noun. The translation is “адрес”.

For instance:
Mike, do you know Dora’s áddress? I want to send her a card.

Let’s change the
stress. Now we have the word “to addréss”. It’s a verb. The translation
is “обращаться, рассматривать”.

For instance: Did
anyone allow you to addréss the president?

·       
The
second word is “óbject”.  It’s a noun. The translation is “объект,
предмет”.

For instance:
Jake, do you see the óbject over there?

If we put the
stress on the second syllable, we’ll get “to objéct”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “возражать, выступать
против”.

For instance:
Kyle, would you objéct if I buy milk chocolate?

·       
The
third word is “désert”.  It’s a noun. The translation is “пустыня”.

For instance: Cody
walked through the désert with his wife.

If we stress the
second syllable, we’ll get the word “to desért”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “покидать без разрешения”.

For instance:
Robert, please, don’t desért the army. You’ll have problems.

·       
The
fourth word is “réfuse”.  It’s a noun. The translation is “мусор,
отходы”.

For instance: We
need to keep plastic réfuses separately.

Let’s change the
stress. Now we have the word “to refúse”. It’s a verb. The translation
is “отказываться, отклонять”.

For instance: If
Lily refúses to go to Italy, I’ll go instead of her.

·       
The
fifth word is “éxtract”.  It’s a noun. The translation is “отрывок”.

For instance: Mia,
could you read me an éxtract from your new book?

If we put the
stress on the second syllable, we’ll get “to extráct”. It’s a verb. The
translation is “вырывать, извлекать, вытаскивать”.

For instance: I’m
afraid to go to the doctor! He’ll extráct my tooth.

—   As you can see, all of these words have
completely different meanings.

—   Yes, I see. Thank you, Earthman! I think I
understood everything you said, but I would like to practise a little bit.

—   Sure, no problem.

Complete
the sentences using the words from the boxes.

One.

The words are:
óbject and objéct.

Check yourselves.

Did you see the
óbject over there?

Liam, would you
objéct if I go to the cinema?

Two.

The words are:
cónflict and conflíct.

Check yourselves.

Dad and I had a
cónflict yesterday.

I’ll
conflíct with everyone who touches my family.

Three.

The words are:
réfuse and refúse.

Check yourselves.

Where do we need
to keep the réfuse?

I refúse to
take your money.

Four.

The words are:
áddress and addréss.

Check yourselves.

I want to visit
Nora. Do you know her áddress?

We want to
addréss to all of you. We need your help!

Five.

The words are:
présent and presént.

Check yourselves.

Ryan bought me a
wonderful présent.

Zoe, I would like
to presént you this necklace.

Six.

The words are:
íncrease and incréase.

Check yourselves.

The
íncrease in unemployment was inevitable.

Luke wants to
incréase his collection of coins.

—   Now I completely understood my mistake.
I’ll try to make peace with people on Earth once again. Thank you, Earthman!

—   You’re welcome. I’m sure that you won’t
have any problems this time. Good luck!

—   Thanks! Bye!

—   Bye!

—   Nathaniel, thanks for your story.

—   You’re welcome.

—   That’s all for today. We hope you liked
the lesson.

—   See you soon, our friends.

MIDDLE ENGLISH: CHANGES IN PHONETIC SYSTEM Word Stress In OE stress as a rule was on the 1 -st syllable of the word, rarely on the second syllable.

That is the prefix or the root were stressed but the suffixes and endings were unstressed. Word stress in OE was fixed. It didn’t move in inflection and rarely in derivation.

In ME period the word stress acquired greater positional freedom and began to play a more important role in word derivation. These changes were connected with the assimilation of the loan words (especially from French).

When they first appeared in the English language they probably retained their original stress – on the ultimate syllable. This kind of stress couldn’t be preserved for long.

The loan words were assimilated and the stress moved closer to the beginning of the word. M. E. vertu [vqr’tj. H] NE virtue [‘v. Wt. Sq]

Vowel Changes Unstressed vowels: In Early ME the pronunciation of unstressed syllables became increasingly indistinct. In OE there were 5 short vowels in an unstressed position [e, I, a, o, V]

Late ME had only 2 vowels: [q] and [i] OE fiscas – ME fishes [‘f. ISqz] OE rison – ME risen [‘r. Izqn]

The occurrence of only two vowels [q] and [i] in unstressed final syllables is an important mark of ME.

It distinguishes ME on the one hand from OE with its greater variety of unstressed vowels, and, on the other hand, from New English when ME final [q] was dropped.

The final [q] disappeared in Late ME but it continued to be spelt as e. In the London dialect of Chaucer’s time it was unstable. It could be easily missed out before the following initial vowel or when required by rhythm.

When the ending e survived only in spelling, it was understood as means of showing the length of the vowel in the preceding syllable and was added to the

words which did not have this ending before: OE stan – ME stoon, stone

But new unstressed vowels appeared in borrowed words or developed from stressed ones, as a result of various changes: e. g. vocalization of [r] writer [er] [q] actor [or] [q]

Stressed Vowels: Stressed vowels changed in quality and in quantity. Not a single OE monophthong or diphthong remained unchanged in the course of history.

Long vowels were the most changeable and historically unstable. They had a strong tendency to become narrower and to diphthongize, but short vowels displayed a reverse trend – towards greater openness.

Quantitative Changes: In OE quantity was the main basis of correlation in the vowel system: short vowels were opposed to long ones.

Vowel length was an inherited feature as OE short vowels developed from PG short vowels. In late OE and Early ME vowel length began to depend on phonetic condition.

1. Short vowels were lengthened before ld, nd, mb unless followed by a third consonant (the 9 -th c. ) OE wild > ME wild [w. Jld]

2. All other groups of two or more consonants made the preceding long vowels short (11 -th c. ). OE cepte > ME kepte [‘keptq]

3. Short vowels became long in open syllables (mainly [e], [a], [o]) (12 -th – 13 -th c. ) OE open > ME open [‘Lpqn] OE namu > ME name [‘n. Rmq]

Qualitative Changes: 1. OE [y], [y: ] disappeared in ME merging with various sounds in different dialects: In Kentish [e] [e: ] South-West, west Midlands [u] [H]

OE fyllan > ME Kentish fellen (to fill) West Midland fullen 1. [fyllqn] and South western 2. [fullqn] East Midland fillen and Northern

2. OE [R] was narrowed to [L] (all long monophthongs became closer) [R] > [L] in all the dialects except the Northern group

OE stan > ME stoon, stone [‘st. Ln(q)] (stone) Northern stan(e) ME [L] must have been a more open vowel than long [o: ] inherited from OE

3. OE short [x] > ME back [a] e. g. OE þxt > ME that [a] OE earm > ME arm [a] OE blacu > ME blak [a]

Diphthongs One of the most important sound changes of the Early ME period was the loss of OE diphthongs and the growth of new ones. OE diphthongs were contracted to monophthongs:

OE [e. Q] > ME [F: ] east > eest (east) OE [e. Q] > ME [a] earm > arm (arm)

[eo] [e: ] [e] [io] [J] [I] [io] deop > deep [e: ] (deep); ceosan > chesen [‘Ce: zqn] (choose) heorte > herte (heart)

As a result of these changes the vowel system lost two sets of diphthongs, long and short. A new set of diphthongs developed from some sequence of vowels and consonants due to the vocalization of OE [j] and [ɣ].

These sounds between and after vowels changed into [i] and [u] formed diphthongs together with the preceding vowels. E. g. OE dx. Z > ME day [da. I]

These changes gave rise to two sets of diphthongs with i – glides and u – glides.

System of vowels in Late Middle English

Evolution of Consonants English consonants were far more stable than vowels.

The most important developments in the history of English consonants were the development of affricates and sibilants. In OE there were no affricates and no sibilants except [s, z].

The new type of consonants developed from OE palatal plosives [k’, g’] and from [sk’]. The three new phonemes were [C], [G], [S] (in writing — ch, tch, g, dg, sh, sch)

Loss of Consonants In OE long consonants were opposed to short. In Late ME long consonants were shortened and the opposition through quantity was lost.

Initial h was dropped before r, l, n. OE hrin. Z > ME ring (ring) OE hlaford > ME loverd (lord)

Before w h remained in the North where OE hw > quh or qwh. In the South h was dropped before w. OE hwxt > ME North quhat South what

V was dropped before consonants: OE hxfde > ME had