Word stress content words

The basic rules of sentence stress are:

  1. content words are stressed
  2. structure words are unstressed
  3. the time between stressed words is always the same

The following tables can help you decide which words are content words and which words are structure words:

Content words — stressed

words carrying the meaning example
main verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY
nouns CAR, MUSIC, MARY
adjectives RED, BIG, INTERESTING
adverbs QUICKLY, WHY, NEVER
negative auxiliaries DON’T, AREN’T, CAN’T

Structure words — unstressed

words for correct grammar example
pronouns he, we, they
prepositions on, at, into
articles a, an, the
conjunctions and, but, because
auxiliary verbs do, be, have, can, must

Exceptions

The rules above are for what is called «neutral» or normal stress. But sometimes we can stress a word that would normally be only a structure word, for example to correct information. Look at the following dialogue:

«They’ve been to Mongolia, haven’t they?»
«No, THEY haven’t, but WE have.»

Note also that when «be» is used as a main verb, it is usually unstressed—even though as a main verb it is also a content word.

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When you stress particular words more than others, it boosts your overall intelligibility. In this section, you will learn when to stress a word.

If you’re familiar with grammar and parts of speech (e.g., verbs, prepositions, and pronouns), you may start to notice what kinds of words receive the most stress. Let’s look at the following example:

He’s interested in taking economics.

Above, interested, taking, and economics all receive stress on their strong syllables, while he’s and in do not. That’s because content words (e.g., words that carry the most meaning when we speak, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) typically receive stress in phrases, while function words (e.g., words that have very little meaning, such as prepositions, articles, pronouns, and auxiliary verbs) do not.

Since stressed syllables are typically longer than unstressed syllables, sentences with the same amount of stressed syllables take nearly the same amount of time to say, regardless of the number of unstressed syllables. For example:

Kids beat drums.
The kids beat drums.
The kids beat the drums.
The kids will beat the drums.
The kids will be beating the drums.
The kids will have been beating the drums.

Despite the difference in the number of words, the time required to say each sentence is roughly the same. This is largely due to the stress of content words. Did you notice that kids, beat, and drums are the only content words?

Let’s dive deeper into the topic of content and function words. The chart below illustrates the differences between these categories.

Content Words (more stress) Function Words (less stress)
Nouns (paper, coffee, Mr. Smith) Prepositions (it, on, for, with)
Main Verbs (talk, watched, need, find) Determiners (a, the, some)
Adjectives (tall, blue, enchanting) Helping verbs (I’m going to leave, She has seen it etc.)
Wh-words (why, what, how, etc.) Conjunctions (for, and, but, yet, etc.)
Adverbs (slowly, nervously) Most pronouns (she, it, they, them, him, etc.)
Negation words (no, not, isn’t, won’t) The verb “be” (He’s a teacher, She is right., etc.)
Possessive pronouns (Those are hers.)
This/that as pronouns (She wants this.)

Content or Function?

Look at the list of words below. Determine whether each is a content or a function word, and click the buttons to check your answer.

buy
a
his
pizza
don’t
where
and
over
see
ally
Raquel

Here are some examples of how content and function words are used in English speaking.
Listen to how they sound to hear how the content words are stressed more than the function words. Repeat the sentences to practice.

What do you think about the black shirt?

This sentence has four content words: what, think, black, shirt
There are also four function words: do, you, about, the

I can’t call you yet, but I’m going to call you tomorrow.

This sentence has five content words: can’t, call, call, tomorrow, yet (adverb)
There are also seven function words: I, you, but, I’m, going, to, you

You try it!
Identify the content words in each sentence.

Wait for the bus.

Answer

I won’t be at the party, but Mary wants to go.

Answer

I

won’t

be at the

party

, but

Mary wants

to

go

.

The teacher forgot to send the class the notes.

Answer

The

teacher forgot

to

send

the

class

the

notes

.

Suggested Extra Speaking Practice

1. Answer the following questions out loud. Record yourself and listen to your recording. Did you appropriately stress the content words more than the function words?

What classes are you taking at Baruch?
What is your dream job?
Who is your biggest role model, and why?

There are many reasons different words may be stressed in different situations. Some of this deals with individuality in speaking, while stress can also be impacted by new and contrasting information, highlighting, and emotions. Visit our other sections on these topics to learn more about how to incorporate stress and rhythm into your conversations.

2. Below is an excerpt of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, also used in the Thought Groups section. Listen to the clip and read the transcript. Note which words receive the most stress. Are they all content words? Why do you think King might sometimes stress other words?

“And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.’”

Answer

“And

so

even

though

we

face

the

difficulties

of

today

and

tomorrow

, I

still

have a

dream

. It is a

dream deeply rooted

in the

American dream

. I

have

a

dream

that

one day

this

nation

will

rise up

and

live out

the

true meaning

of its

creed:

‘We

hold

these

truths

to

be self-evident

that

all men

are

created equal

.’”

3. Listen to 30 seconds of a television show you enjoy. If possible, find the transcript online. Pay attention to how the content and function words are stressed differently by the characters.

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RULES OF WORD STRESS: Essential Guide for Improving
English Pronunciation

Learning the rules of word stress in English can be both fun and challenging. The English language, unlike any other language, has complicated rules especially when it comes to pronunciation particularly word stress.

For some people, learning the different rules of word stress is not quite a necessity but it is otherwise. Technically, not being able to correctly stress a particular word can result in a very unnatural and reprehensible rhythm of the English language.

For example, when you hear your friend saying BAnana or banaNA as opposed to saying banana sounds laughable and very unpleasant, right?

Generally, learning the rules of word stress in English can be a little stressful especially to those who are still new learners of the English language but learning the basic yet completely useful tips can surely hasten your progress in English.

How are syllables and word stress connected?

Where you put the stress on the word banana? Is it on the first, second, or third syllable?

Well, you got it right, neither banana nor banana is right. Because this fruit name which I think we all love is pronounced banana. /bəˈnæn.ə/

As you noticed, the stress of the word is in the second syllable, it’s in the middle.

By simply, considering the example word we have there, we can conclude that syllable and stress are related to each other in a sense that we out the stress of the word on the syllable. This sounds like a piece of very first-grader information but surprisingly, several people don’t know the true relationship between these two.

To segue, always remember that a syllable in English has only one vowel sound and one or more consonant sounds.

For example:

How many syllables are there in the word pen? There’s only 1.

The word pen has only 1 syllable

The word teacher has 2 syllables: tea-cher;

Afternoon has 3: Af-ter-noon;

Presentation has 4: Pre-sen-ta-tion

But how are syllables and stress connected?

Think about the word banana. Do you pronounce all the syllables the same? Do you say BA-NA-NA? Definitely NOT! We can hear that one syllable is stronger and more emphasized, right? ba-NA-na. That’s what we call WORD STRESS in English!

❌  BA- NA – NA

✔ ba – NA – na

Benefits of learning the rules of word stress

In linguistics,  STRESS is referred to as the relative emphasis that may be given to certain syllables in a word, or certain words in a phrase or sentence. Stress is typically signaled by such properties as increased loudness and vowel length, full articulation of the vowel, and changes in pitch.

Pronouncing words with the correct stress can make a big difference to your English. Your English will immediately sound clearer and more natural.

The great news is that there are simple rules that will help you pronounce these words correctly when you use them in spoken English. Simple English rules!

Learning the rules word stress in English can greatly help you to sound more like a native English speaker. When you learn to properly stress the word will help you:

(1) To emphasize the words that need emphasis

(2) To be understood easily and quickly

(3) And also; it gives English its rhythm.

So, when we speak, we speak those words more clearly. They’re the important words, they must be heard for the sentence to be understood.

Moreover, if you use the wrong word stress in English, you could pronounce a completely different word than the one you mean to, and that can be pretty confusing to someone you are listening to.

And when you’re listening to a native English speaker, recognizing what words are stressed will help you understand the meaning more easily too.

Stress on the Content Words

Interestingly, we stressed syllables differently in English. In most times, those words which we stress when speaking have one thing in common: They are important for you will not get the complete thought of the sentence if you don’t hear them clearly. We call these types of words Content Words. They are nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and negatives.

Now that you already know what a syllable and word stress are and how are they related, let’s get down to the business and learn the SIMPLE YET ESSENTIAL RULES of WORD STRESS in English!

The Essential Rules of Word Stress in English

Stress Rule for 2-syllable Nouns and Adjectives

To start today’s discussion, I got you a list of words to check on.

present
record
object
import
vibrant
happy
pretty
hungry

How many syllables are there in each word? Can you put the correct stress and pronounce them correctly?

Are you sure of that? Let’s find out the real deal!

Two-syllable adjectives

As you can see, the last four words in the list are two-syllable adjectives.

present
record
object
import
vibrant
happy
pretty
hungry

We say Vi-brant, Happy, Pretty, and Hungry. When you listen closely, you’ll hear that the stress of each two-syllable adjective is on the first syllable. (VI-brant, HA-ppy, PRE-tty, HUNG-ry.)

present
record
object
import
vibrant
happy
pretty
hungry

Two-syllable Nouns

On the other hand, the first four words we have on the list are nouns, but they’re also verbs.

present
record
object
import
vibrant
happy
pretty
hungry

And they’re pronounced differently depending on the type of word that they are. If these words are nouns, which syllable do you think must be stressed? First or second?

If your answer is on the FIRST SYLLABLE, spot on! Your answer is correct! The first syllable in a two-syllable noun receives the stress in the word.

Listen closely. PRE-sent… RE – cord…OB-ject...IM-port…

present
record
object
import
vibrant
happy
pretty
hungry

The first rule of Word Stress in English, always remember THIS.  Most 2-syllable nouns and adjectives have stress on the first syllable.

For 2-syllable Verbs

The next essential rule you need to remember has something to do with two-syllable verbs.

Now, let’s bring back the words in the first example we have earlier.

present
record
object
import

As previously mentioned, if the word is a two-syllable noun, the stress of the word is on the first syllable. Clearly, since these words only have two syllables, it is given that the stress is not on the FIRST syllable BUT the SECOND syllable.

As nouns, we say PRE-sent… RE – cord…OB– ject … IM-port…

However, as verbs, the stress of the word is transferred to the second syllable. Thus, we say pre – SENT… re – CORD… ob – JECT… im – PORT…

The SECOND RULE on WORD STRESS is this. Most 2-syllable verbs have stress on the second syllable.

present
record
object
import
suspect

Now, let’s check out these sentences containing the word comment. Can you apply the proper word stress and read the sentence correctly?

Please comment on this and drop the comment sheet in the comment box.

As you can see,  we have 3 comments in the sentence. Yes, they are the same but they function differently in the sentence. The first comment we have there is a verb. While the second and third comment function as an adjective that modifies the nouns “sheet” and “box”. What kind of sheet? A comment sheet. What kind of box? A comment box.

Easy, right?

Stress Rule for words ending in –tion and -sion

We are done talking about words containing two syllables but what about words that have 3 or more syllables? Or words with varying suffixes?

Let’s check out these words.

education
amalgamation
cooperation
decision
conclusion
vision

What suffix do you see in the examples above? Can you tell me where the stress in the following words?

You’re right, we have -tion and -sion. But did you know that there’s s a specific word stress rule with words ending in -tion and -sion regardless of how many syllables they contain?

For words ending with these suffixes, we put the stress on the second from the last syllable.

education
amalgamation
cooperation
decision
conclusion
vision

This is the THIRD RULE we have in word stress. Words ending in -sion and -tion have stress on the penultimate, that is in the 2nd from the last syllable.

For Words ending in -ety, -ity, ify, ical and –ive

Besides the suffixes -tion and -sion, another group of suffixes also follows a definite rule in word stress. These are the words ending in -ety, -ity, ify, ical and –ive.

Let’s take a look at our sample words.

society
sobriety
probability
identity
clarify
intensify
critical
clerical
decisive
intensive

Can you spot the suffixes we have in the words we have on the list?

We have -ety in Society and Sobriety;

-ity in Probability and Identity;

-ify in Clarify and Intensify;

-ical in Critical and Clerical;

And last, we have -ive in Decisive and Intensive.

Now, let’s consider the words we have below.

Society
Sobriety
Probability
Identity
Clarify
Intensify
Critical
Clerical
Decisive
Intensive

But on which syllable do we stress when we read words ending with these suffixes? First? Second? Third? Or fourth?

Notice that when I read the words, I emphasize the syllable before the suffixes -ety, -ity, ify, ical and -ive. As in soCIety, probaBIlity, claRIfy, CRItical and deCIsive.

The FOURTH RULE on WORD STRESS is this. Words ending in -ity, -ety, -ify, -ical, -ive have stress on the syllable immediately before these.

For Words ending in –ate

Another common rule we have in WORD STRESS is the rule that applies to the words ending in the suffix -ate.

Sometimes, non-native English speakers would put the stress on words ending in –ate on the last syllable. But do you think that’s right? Well, I bet may you are not that sure as well.

So, what is the stress rule to pronounce words ending in -ate?

The FIFTH RULE is THIS. Words ending in -ate are stressed on the antepenultimate, that is the 3rd from the last syllable.

Now, listen carefully while I pronounce the words correctly.

estimate
separate
conjugate
cultivate
dedicate

When we count in reverse, we can say:

mate – ti – ES = EStimate
rate – pa – SE = SEparate
gate – ju – CON = CONjugate
vate – ti – CUL = CULtivate
cate – di – DE = DEdicate

Again, the stress in on the antepenultimate or the third is FROM the last syllable.

The Rule for Nouns containing 3 or more syllables

Finally, the last essential rule there is about word stress is for most nouns containing 3 or more syllables.

My question to you is this: WHERE DO WE PUT THE STRESS on words, PARTICULARLY NOUNS containing 3 or more syllables, do you have any idea?

Well, the safest answer would be this: There is NO DEFINITE RULE.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Unlike grammar, pronunciation sometimes has no definite rules because its nature is developing and changing.

I repeat, there is no definite rule because unlike grammar. That’s simply because it’s the nature of the English language – it’s complicated, it’s developing from time to time, and it’s constantly changing.

However, the SIXTH RULE will also be essential for you. And the rule is THIS. In SOME cases, most nouns containing 3 or more syllables often are stressed on the antepenultimate or the 3rd from the last syllable.

Example words with 3 or more syllables Nouns

Next time, you can read nouns containing 3 or more syllables like this.

Note: The colored syllable receives the stress in the word.

photography
democracy
photosynthesis
accident
metamorphosis
borderline
syllable

The Bottom line

Now, you might ask me, do I need to learn all these? Well, my honest would be this. If you want to bring your English communication skills to a whole new level, THIS IS A MUST. And I understand that spoken English can be quite challenging to master but trust me, what you will get if you start learning and practicing what you have learned is life-changing.

Regardless of how knowledgeable you are in grammar or how excellent you are in constructing sentences in English, if you don’t know how to distinguish and stress the words correctly, and then you become unclear to the people you are talking with because they may get something a little different from what you mean.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you don’t know how to distinguish and stress the words correctly, you become unclear to the people. And you don’t want that to happen. That is not the goal of why you are learning English. Also, you want people to understand you and what you’re trying to say.

So, if you want to sound like a native English speaker, you must learn THIS and practice what you have learned.

If you want to read about the tips on how to learn English fast, read THIS.

You can also read our article about the 8 ways to learn English Grammar easily. 

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English students often learn syllable and word stress rules before venturing into sentence stress. This is because sentence stress rules are far more variable and complex, while the rules for correct intonation in English generally stay the same. To demonstrate the differences, let’s look at a few different examples of stress in English.

Syllable Stress vs. Sentence Stress

When you learn how to pronounce different vowel and consonant sounds, you must also learn how to stress different parts of a word correctly. Stress is just another way to say “emphasize.” This means that some parts of a word are stronger (and slightly louder) than others. Here are a few examples:

  • Away (pronounced: a-WAY)
  • Delicious (pronounced: de-LI-cious)
  • Anticipate (pronounced: an-TI-ci-PATE)
  • Communication (pronounced: comm-un-i-CA-tion)
  • Autobiography (pronounced: au-to-bi-O-gra-phy)

Some longer words have a primary stressed syllable and one or more secondary stressed syllables. The primary stressed syllable is always stronger than the secondary stressed syllable, while both are stronger than unstressed syllables. Be sure to check out our guide on stressed and unstressed syllables to learn more about using proper English intonation.

Sentence stress refers to the words in a sentence that get the most emphasis. While common sayings and phrases usually have unchanging sentence stress rules, you can emphasize different words in a sentence to create new meanings. For example, let’s look at the common saying: I told you so!

The most common way to say this phrase is to put the primary stress on “told” and the secondary stress on “so,” like this:

I TOLD you SO!

However, you could also change the implicit meaning of the phrase by emphasizing “I.” By doing this, you will stress the fact that you (the speaker) were the one who told them (the listener) about something. 

Which words should you stress in a sentence?

So, how can you know which words to stress in a sentence? Again, there are no hard-and-fast sentence stress rules, but there are some general principles that will help you use stress properly when speaking in English. You can often tell which words should be stressed based on the parts of speech and where the words fall in a sentence.

  • Content words (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and main verbs) are usually stressed.
  • Function words (determiners, prepositions, and conjunctions) are usually unstressed unless you want to emphasize their role(s) in a sentence.
  • Question words (who, what, when, where, why, and how) are usually unstressed unless you want to emphasize their role(s) in a sentence.
  • Subject pronouns (I, You, He, She, We, They) are usually unstressed, while object pronouns (me, you, him, her, us, them) are usually stressed.

Sentence Stress in a Statement

Pronoun Main Verb Adverb Preposition Determiner Noun
I  ran quickly to the desk.
unstressed unstressed STRESSED (primary) unstressed unstressed STRESSED (secondary)

This example denotes the natural rise and fall of the sentence. However, as previously stated, you could stress different words to alter the meaning:

  • I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes who is doing the running)
  • I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes what action is being done)
  • I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes the way in which you ran, but does not fundamentally change the meaning of the sentence)
  • I ran quickly to the desk. (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes the direction in which you ran)
  • I ran quickly to the desk. (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes that it was a specific desk)
  • I ran quickly to the desk. (emphasizes the object or location to which you ran)

Sentence Stress in a Question

Pronoun Modal Verb Main Verb Preposition Determiner Noun
Who  will come to the party?
unstressed unstressed STRESSED (primary) unstressed unstressed STRESSED (secondary)

Like the previous example, the sentence stress here also denotes the natural rise and fall of the word combination. However, you could still ask this question six different ways to convey six slightly different meanings:

  • Who will come to the party? (you want to know who the party attendees are)
  • Who will come to the party? (you want to know who will definitely be attending the party)
  • Who will come to the party? (you want to know who will attend the party, but this form does not change the standard meaning of the question)
  • Who will come to the party? (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes the location of the party) 
  • Who will come to the party? (inappropriate sense stress, but emphasizes which party you’re talking about)
  • Who will come to the party? (you want to emphasize the party, possibly in contrast to a separate event)

Sentence Stress and Intonation in English

If you couldn’t already tell, sentence stress is often linked to the way our voices rise and fall (intonation) while speaking. The natural rise and fall in pitch usually determines which words are stressed and unstressed. This is why the two example sentences above have similar structures. They are both examples of falling intonation.

In American English, there are two basic types of intonation: rising intonation and falling intonation. Falling intonation is far more common. When you speak with falling intonation, the pitch of your voice starts high and gets lower by the end of the sentence. More often than not, sentences with falling intonation use stressed verbs and objects. For example:

  • I saw a crab at the beach.
  • They never return my calls.
  • Frank is a responsible person.
  • My dad doesn’t like to wash the dishes.

Alternatively, rising intonation occurs when the pitch of your voice starts lower and gets higher at the end of the sentence. This type of intonation is less common, but you can use it when you want to ask a Yes/No question or when you want to express a negative emotion, like anger. Similarly, the stress often falls on verbs and objects, though this can vary depending on the meaning you want to convey. Here are some examples:

  • Are you sure?
  • Do you want to go to the park?
  • You’re so mean!
  • I don’t want to talk to you!

What is sense stress?

You might have heard of sense stress, which is very similar to the concept of sentence stress. Sense stress simply refers to the use of stress on different words to convey different meanings. Thus, sense stress is a form of sentence stress. Usually, people refer to appropriate or inappropriate sense stress. Appropriate sense stress sounds natural and correctly conveys the meaning of a sentence. Here are some examples of appropriate sense stress:

  • How many HAMBURGERS should we get?
  • What TIME is it?
  • He ANSWERED the phone.
  • They did NOT want to go swimming.

Alternatively, inappropriate sense stress sounds unnatural and conveys strange or incorrect meanings. Here are a few examples:

  • Where do you want to eat?
  • Did you go to the doctor?
  • I never go to the supermarket by myself.
  • She was watching a movie when the guests arrived.

Conclusion

Sentence stress is an element of English that can be difficult to grasp, especially for beginner or even intermediate learners. However, with practice, you can use stress to accurately express yourself. With time, you’ll find that sense and sentence stress are some of the best ways to get your point across to other English speakers!

If you’d like to hear native English speakers using sentence stress, be sure to subscribe to the Magoosh Youtube channel!

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What is word stress?

Word stress, also called lexical stress, is the emphasis a speaker places on a specific syllable in a multi-syllable word.

Word stress is especially hard for non-native speakers to master. While there are a few conventions and general rules governing which syllable is stressed in a word based on its spelling alone, these conventions are often unreliable.

Before we look at these conventions and their exceptions, let’s discuss how we can indicate syllables and word stress in writing.

Indicating syllables in writing

In this section, we’ll be using different symbols to indicate syllable division in words. For the normal spelling of words, we’ll be using a symbol known as an interpunct ( · ) (also called a midpoint, middle dot, or centered dot). For example, the word application would appear as app·li·ca·tion.

When the pronunciation of a word is transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), there are three different symbols we use. For syllables that receive the primary stress, we use a short vertical line above and immediately before the syllable being emphasized ( ˈ ); for secondary stress, we use the same vertical line, but it appears below and before the syllable ( ˌ ); and, while this guide usually does not mark them in IPA transcriptions, we will indicate unstressed syllables in this section with periods. Using application as an example again, its pronunciation would be transcribed in IPA as /ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/.

Written syllables vs. spoken syllables

The syllable breakdowns in the written “dictionary” form of words are often divided slightly differently compared to the phonetic “spoken” form used in IPA transcriptions.

Specifically, the written form divides syllables according to established syllable “types,” based on spelling patterns such as double consonants, short vowels contained within two consonants, and vowel digraphs. The spoken form, on the other hand, divides syllables according to the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the difference between these two can sometime lead to syllable breakdowns that don’t look like they correspond to one another. For example, the word learning is divided in the dictionary as learn·ing, but it is divided as /ˈlɜr.nɪŋ/ in IPA transcription—the placement of the first N is not the same.

Because this part of the guide is more concerned with the phonetic placement of word stress rather than the technical breakdown of syllables (as found in dictionary entries), the examples we use will try to match the written form as closely as possible to the spoken form. Looking at the learning example again, we would divide the syllables as lear·ning to match its IPA transcription. Just be aware that these will often be slightly different to what one may find in a dictionary. For more technical information on how syllables are formed and divided within words, check out the chapter on Syllables.

Primary vs. secondary stress

Every word has one syllable that receives a primary stress—that is, it is vocally emphasized more than any other syllable. Some longer words also have a secondary stress, which is more emphatic than the unstressed syllables but not as strong as the primary stress. (Some words can even have more than one secondary stress.)

Let’s look at some examples, with the primary stress in bold and the secondary stress in italics:

  • ab·sen·tee (/ˌæb.sənˈti/)
  • cem·e·ter·y (/ˈsɛm.ɪˌtɛr.i/)
  • dis·be·lief (/ˌdɪs.bɪˈlif/)
  • in·for·ma·tion (/ˌɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən/)
  • labo·ra·tor·y (/ˈlæb.rəˌtɔr.i/; the initial O is usually silent)
  • mil·i·tar·y (/ˈmɪl.ɪˌtɛr.i/)
  • or·din·ar·y (/ˈɔr.dənˌɛr.i/)
  • sec·re·tar·y (/ˈsɛk.rɪˌtɛr.i/)
  • tem·po·rar·y (/ˈtɛm.pəˌrɛr.i/)
  • un·a·pol·o·get·ic (/ˌʌn.əˌpɑl.əˈʤɛt.ɪk/)

Unfortunately, secondary stress is extremely unpredictable. Primary stress, on the other hand, can often be predicted according to a few different conventions.

Determining word stress

There are only two consistent, reliable rules about word stress in English:

  • 1. Only the vowel sound within a syllable is stressed; stress is not applied to consonant sounds.
  • 2. Any given word, even one with many syllables, will only have one syllable that receives the primary stress in speech. Some longer words also receive a secondary stress, which we’ll look at more closely further on. (By definition, single-syllable words only ever have a single stress, though certain function words can be unstressed altogether, which we’ll discuss later.)

However, determining which syllable is emphasized in a given word is not always straightforward, as a word’s spelling is usually not enough on its own to let us know the appropriate stress. There are a few general conventions that can help make this easier to determine, but there are many exceptions and anomalies for each.

Determining stress based on word type

One common pronunciation convention many guides provide is that nouns and adjectives with two or more syllables will have stress placed on the first syllable, while verbs and prepositions tend to have their stress on the second syllable. While there are many examples that support this convention, it is also very problematic because there are many exceptions that contradict it.

Let’s look at some examples that support or contradict this convention.

Nouns and adjectives will have stress on the first syllable

Nouns

Adjectives

app·le

(/ˈæp.əl/)

bott·le

(/ˈbɑt.əl/)

busi·ness

(/ˈbɪz.nɪs/; the I is silent)

cherr·y

(/ˈʧɛr.i/)

cli·mate

(/ˈklaɪ.mɪt/)

crit·ic

(/ˈkrɪt.ɪk/)

dia·mond

(/ˈdaɪ.mənd/)

el·e·phant

(/ˈɛl.ə.fənt/)

en·ve·lope

(/ˈɛnvəˌloʊp/)

fam·i·ly

(/ˈfæm.ə.li/)

In·ter·net

(/ˈɪn.tərˌnɛt/)

knowl·edge

(/ˈnɑl.ɪʤ/)

mu·sic

(/ˈmju.zɪk/)

pa·per

(/ˈpeɪ.pər/)

sam·ple

(/ˈsæm.pəl/)

satch·el

(/ˈsætʃ.əl/)

ta·ble

(/ˈteɪ.bəl/)

tel·e·phone

(/ˈtɛl.əˌfoʊn /)

ton·ic

(/ˈtɑn.ɪk/)

win·dow

(/ˈwɪn.doʊ/)

clev·er

(/ˈklɛv.ər/)

comm·on

(/ˈkɑm.ən/)

diff·i·cult

(/ˈdɪf.ɪˌkʌlt/)

fa·vor·ite

(/ˈfeɪ.vər.ɪt/)

fem·i·nine

(/ˈfɛm.ə.nɪn/)

funn·y

(/ˈfʌn.i/)

happ·y

(/ˈhæp.i/)

hon·est

(/ɑn.ɪst/)

litt·le

(/ˈlɪt.əl/)

mas·cu·line

(/ˈmæs.kju.lɪn/)

narr·ow

(/ˈnær.oʊ/)

or·ange

(/ˈɔr.ɪnʤ/)

pleas·ant

(/ˈplɛz.ənt/)

pre·tty

(/ˈprɪ.ti/)

pur·ple

(/ˈpɜr.pəl/)

qui·et

(/ˈkwaɪ.ət/)

sim·ple

(/ˈsɪm.pəl/)

sub·tle

(/ˈsʌt.əl/)

trick·y

(/ˈtrɪk.i/)

ug·ly

(/ˈʌg.li/)

As we said already, though, there are many exceptions to this convention for both nouns and adjectives. Let’s look at some examples:

Nouns

Adjectives

ba·na·na

(/bə.ˈnæ.na/)

ca·nal

(/kə.ˈnæl/)

com·put·er

(/kəm.ˈpju.tər/)

de·fence

(/dɪ.ˈfɛns/)

des·sert

(/dɪ.ˈzɜrt/)

di·sease

(/dɪ.ˈziz/)

ex·tent

(/ɪk.ˈstɛnt/)

ho·tel

(/hoʊ.ˈtɛl/)

ma·chine

(/mə.ˈʃin/)

pi·a·no

(/pi.ˈæ.noʊ/)

po·ta·to

(/pə.ˈteɪˌtoʊ/)

re·ceipt

(/rɪ.ˈsit/)

re·venge

(/rɪ.ˈvɛnʤ/)

suc·cess

(/sɪk.ˈsɛs/)

a·live

(/ə.ˈlaɪv/)

a·noth·er

(/əˈnʌð.ər/)

com·plete

(/kəm.ˈplit/)

dis·tinct

(/dɪsˈtinkt/)

e·nough

(/ɪ.ˈnʌf/)

ex·pen·sive

(/ɪk.ˈspɛn.sɪv/)

ex·tinct

(/ɪk.ˈtiŋkt/)

i·ni·tial

(/ɪ.ˈnɪ.ʃəl/)

in·tense

(/ɪn.ˈtɛns/)

po·lite

(/pəˈlaɪt/)

re·pet·i·tive

(/rɪ.ˈpɛt.ɪ.tɪv/)

un·think·a·ble

(/ʌnˈθɪŋk.ə.bəl/)

Verbs and prepositions will have stress on the second syllable

Verbs

Prepositions

a·pply

(/əˈplaɪ/)

be·come

(/bɪˈkʌm/)

com·pare

(/kəmˈpɛr/)

di·scuss

(/dɪˈskʌs/)

ex·plain

(/ɪkˈspleɪn/)

ful·fil

(/fʊlˈfɪl/)

in·crease

(/ɪnˈkris/)

ha·rass

(/həˈræs/)

la·ment

(/ləˈmɛnt/)

ne·glect

(/nɪˈglɛkt/)

pre·vent

(/prɪˈvɛnt/)

qua·dru·ple

(/kwɑˈdru.pəl/)

re·ply

(/rɪˈplaɪ/)

suc·ceed

(/səkˈsid/)

tra·verse

(/trəˈvɜrs/)

un·furl

(/ʌnˈfɜrl/)

with·hold

(/wɪθˈhoʊld/)

a·bout

(/əˈbaʊt/)

a·cross

(/əˈkrɔs/)

a·long

(/əˈlɔŋ/)

a·mong

(/əˈmʌŋ/)

a·round

(/əˈraʊnd/)

be·hind

(/bɪˈhaɪnd/)

be·low

(/bɪˈloʊ/)

be·side

(/bɪˈsaɪd/)

be·tween

(/bɪˈtwin/)

de·spite

(/dɪˈspaɪt/)

ex·cept

(/ɪkˈsɛpt/)

in·side

(/ˌɪnˈsaɪd/)

out·side

(/ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/)

un·til

(/ʌnˈtɪl/)

u·pon

(/əˈpɑn/)

with·in

(/wɪðˈɪn/)

with·out

(/wɪðˈaʊt/)

As with nouns and adjectives, there are a huge number of exceptions that have primary stress placed on the first or third syllable. In fact, almost every verb beginning with G, H, J, K, L, and M has its primary stress placed on the first syllable, rather than the second.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Verbs

Prepositions

ar·gue

(/ˈɑr.gju/)

beck·on

(/ˈbɛk.ən/)

can·cel

(/ˈkæn.səl/)

dom·i·nate

(/ˈdɑm.əˌneɪt/)

en·ter·tain

(/ˌɛn.tərˈteɪn/)

fas·ten

(/ˈfæs.ən/)

gam·ble

(/ˈgæm.bəl/)

hin·der

(/ˈhɪn.dər/)

i·so·late

(/ˈaɪ.səˌleɪt/)

jin·gle

(/ˈʤɪŋ.gəl/)

kin·dle

(/ˈkɪn.dəl/)

leng·then

(/ˈlɛŋk.θən/)

man·age

(/ˈmæn.ɪʤ/)

nour·ish

(/ˈnɜr.ɪʃ/)

or·ga·nize

(/ˈɔr.gəˌnaɪz/)

per·ish

(/ˈpɛr.ɪʃ/)

qua·ver

(/ˈkweɪ.vər/)

ram·ble

(/ˈræm.bəl/)

sa·vor

(/ˈseɪ.vər/)

threat·en

(/ˈθrɛt.ən/)

un·der·stand

(/ˌʌn.dərˈstænd/)

van·ish

(/ˈvæn.ɪʃ/)

wan·der

(/ˈwɑn.dər/)

yo·del

(/ˈjoʊd.əl/)

af·ter

(/ˈæf.tər/)

dur·ing

(/ˈdʊr.ɪŋ/)

in·to

(/ˈɪn.tu/)

on·to

(/ˈɑn.tu/)

un·der

(/ˈʌn.dər/)

Initial-stress-derived nouns

As we saw previously, we commonly place stress on the first syllable of a noun. When a word can operate as either a noun or a verb, we often differentiate the meanings by shifting the stress from the second syllable to the first (or initial) syllable—in other words, these nouns are derived from verbs according to their initial stress.

Let’s look at a few examples of such words that change in pronunciation when functioning as nouns or verbs:

Word

Noun

Verb

contest

con·test

(/ˈkɑn.tɛst/)

Meaning: “a game, competition, or struggle for victory, superiority, a prize, etc.”

con·test

(/kənˈtɛst/)

Meaning: “to dispute, contend with, call into question, or fight against”

desert

des·ert

(/ˈdɛz.ərt/)

Meaning: “a place where few things can grow or live, especially due to an absence of water”

de·sert

(/dɪˈzɜrt/)

Meaning: “to abandon, forsake, or run away from”

increase

in·crease

(/ˈɪn.kris/)

Meaning: “the act or process of growing larger or becoming greater”

in·crease

(/ɪnˈkris/)

Meaning: “to grow larger or become greater (in size, amount, strength, etc.)”

object

ob·ject

(/ˈɑb.ʤɛkt/)

Meaning: “any material thing that is visible or tangible”

ob·ject

(/əbˈʤɛkt/)

Meaning: “to present an argument in opposition (to something)”

permit

per·mit

(/ˈpɜr.mɪt/)

Meaning: “an authoritative or official certificate of permission; license”

per·mit

(/pərˈmɪt/)

Meaning: «to allow to do something»

present

pres·ent

(/ˈprɛz.ənt/)

Meaning: “the time occurring at this instant” or “a gift”

pre·sent

(/prɪˈzɛnt/)

Meaning: “to give, introduce, offer, or furnish”

project

proj·ect

(/ˈprɑʤ.ɛkt/)

Meaning: “a particular plan, task, assignment, or undertaking”

pro·ject

(/prəˈʤɛkt/)

Meaning: “to estimate, plan, or calculate” or “to throw or thrust forward”

rebel

reb·el

(/ˈrɛb.əl/)

Meaning: “a person who revolts against a government or other authority”

re·bel

(/rɪˈbɛl/)

Meaning: “to revolt or act in defiance of authority”

record

rec·ord

(/ˈrɛk.ərd/)

Meaning: “information or knowledge preserved in writing or the like” or “something on which sound or images have been recorded for subsequent reproduction”

re·cord

(/rəˈkɔrd/)

Meaning: “to set down in writing or the like”

refuse

ref·use

(/ˈrɛf.juz/)

Meaning: “something discarded or thrown away as trash”

re·fuse

(/rɪˈfjuz/)

Meaning: “to decline or express unwillingness to do something”

subject

sub·ject

(/ˈsʌb.ʤɛkt/)

Meaning: “that which is the focus of a thought, discussion, lesson, investigation, etc.”

sub·ject

(/səbˈʤɛkt/)

Meaning: “to bring under control, domination, authority”

Although this pattern is very common in English, it is by no means a rule; there are just as many words that function as both nouns and verbs but that have no difference in pronunciation. For instance:

Word

Noun

Verb

amount

a·mount

(/əˈmaʊnt/)

a·mount

(/əˈmaʊnt/)

answer

an·swer

(/ˈæn.sər/)

an·swer

(/ˈæn.sər/)

attack

a·ttack

(/əˈtæk/)

a·ttack

(/əˈtæk/)

challenge

chall·enge

(/ˈtʃæl.ɪnʤ/)

chall·enge

(/ˈtʃæl.ɪnʤ/)

contact

con·tact

(/ˈkɑn.tækt/)

con·tact

(/ˈkɑn.tækt/)

control

con·trol

(/kənˈtroʊl/)

con·trol

(/kənˈtroʊl/)

forecast

fore·cast

(/ˈfɔrˌkæst/)

fore·cast

(/ˈfɔrˌkæst/)

monitor

mon·i·tor

(/ˈmɑn.ɪ.tər/)

mon·i·tor

(/ˈmɑn.ɪ.tər/)

pepper

pep·per

(/ˈpɛp.ər/)

pep·per

(/ˈpɛp.ər/)

report

re·port

(/rɪˈpɔrt/)

re·port

(/rɪˈpɔrt/)

respect

re·spect

(/rɪˈspɛkt/)

re·spect

(/rɪˈspɛkt/)

support

su·pport

(/səˈpɔrt/)

su·pport

(/səˈpɔrt/)

witness

wit·ness

(/ˈwɪt.nɪs/)

wit·ness

(/ˈwɪt.nɪs/)

worry

worr·y

(/ˈwɜr.i/)

worr·y

(/ˈwɜr.i/)

Word stress in compound words

Compound nouns and compound verbs typically create pronunciation patterns that help us determine which of their syllables will have the primary stress. Compound adjectives, on the other hand, are most often pronounced as two separate words, with each receiving its own primary stress, so we won’t be looking at them here.

We’ll also briefly look at reflexive pronouns. Although these aren’t technically compounds, they have a similarly predictable stress pattern.

Compound nouns

A compound noun is a noun consisting of two or more words working together as a single unit to name a person, place, or thing. Compound nouns are usually made up of two nouns or an adjective and a noun, but other combinations are also possible, as well.

In single-word compound nouns, whether they are conjoined by a hyphen or are simply one word, stress is almost always placed on the first syllable. For example:

  • back·pack (/ˈbækˌpæk/)
  • bath·room (/ˈbæθˌrum/)
  • draw·back (/ˈdrɔˌbæk/)
  • check-in (/ˈtʃɛkˌɪn/)
  • foot·ball (/ˈfʊtˌbɔl/)
  • hand·bag (/ˈhændˌbæɡ/)
  • green·house (/ˈgrinˌhaʊs/)
  • hair·cut (/ˈhɛrˌkʌt/)
  • log·in (/ˈsʌn.ɪnˌlɔ/)
  • mo·tor·cy·cle (/ˈmoʊ.tərˌsaɪ kəl/)
  • on·look·er (/ˈɑnˌlʊkər/)
  • pas·ser·by (/ˈpæs.ərˌbaɪ/)
  • son-in-law (/ˈsʌn.ɪnˌlɔ/)
  • ta·ble·cloth (/ˈteɪ.bəlˌklɔθ/)
  • wall·pa·per (/ˈwɔlˌpeɪ.pər/)
  • web·site (/ˈwɛbˌsaɪt/)

One notable exception to this convention is the word af·ter·noon, which has its primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌæf.tərˈnun/.

Single-word compound verbs

The term “compound verb” can refer to a few different things: phrasal verbs, which consist of a verb paired with a specific preposition or particle to create a new, unique meaning; prepositional verbs, in which a preposition connects a noun to a verb; combinations with auxiliary verbs, which form tense and aspect; and single-word compounds, in which a verb is combined with a noun, preposition, or another verb to create a new word. For the first three types of compound verbs, each word is stressed individually, but single-word compounds have a unique pronunciation pattern that we can predict.

For most single-word compound verbs, stress will be on the first syllable. However, if the first element of the compound is a two-syllable preposition, stress will be placed on the second element. For example:

  • air-con·dit·ion (/ˈeɪr.kənˌdɪʃ.ən/)
  • ba·by·sit (/ˈbeɪ.biˌsɪt/)
  • cop·y·ed·it (/ˈkɑ.piˌɛd.ɪt/)
  • day·dream (/ˈdeɪˌdrim/)
  • down·load (/ˈdaʊnˌloʊd/)
  • ice-skate (/ˈaɪsˌskeɪt/)
  • jay·walk (/ˈʤeɪˌwɔk/)
  • kick-start (/ˈkɪkˌstɑrt/)
  • o·ver·heat (/ˌoʊ.vərˈhit/)
  • proof·read (/ˈprufˌrid/)
  • stir-fry (/ˈstɜrˌfraɪ/)
  • test-drive (/ˈtɛstˌdraɪv/)
  • un·der·cook (/ˌʌndərˈkʊk/)
  • wa·ter·proof (/ˈwɔ.tərˌpruf/)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are not technically compounds (“-self” and “-selves” are suffixes that attach to a base pronoun), but they look and behave similarly. In these words, -self/-selves receives the primary stress.

  • my·self (/maɪˈsɛlf/)
  • her·self (/hərˈsɛlf/)
  • him·self (/hɪmˈsɛlf/)
  • it·self (/ɪtˈsɛlf/)
  • one·self (/wʌnˈsɛlf/)
  • your·self (/jərˈsɛlf/)
  • your·selves (/jərˈsɛlvz/)
  • them·selves (/ðəmˈsɛlvz/)

Word stress dictated by suffixes

While the stress in many words is very difficult to predict, certain suffixes and other word endings will reliably dictate where stress should be applied within the word. This can be especially useful for determining the pronunciation of longer words. (There are still some exceptions, but much fewer than for the other conventions we’ve seen.)

For the suffixes we’ll look at, primary stress is either placed on the suffix itself, one syllable before the suffix, or two syllables before the suffix. Finally, we’ll look at some suffixes that don’t affect a word’s pronunciation at all.

Stress is placed on the suffix itself

“-ee,” “-eer,” and “-ese”

These three suffixes all sound similar, but they have different functions: “-ee” indicates someone who benefits from or is the recipient of the action of a verb; “-eer” indicates someone who is concerned with or engaged in a certain action; and “-ese” is attached to place names to describe languages, characteristics of certain nationalities, or (when attached to non-place names) traits or styles of particular fields or professions.

For example:

-ee

-eer

-ese

ab·sen·tee

(/ˌæbsənˈti/)

a·tten·dee

(/əˌtɛnˈdi/)

de·tai·nee

(/dɪˈteɪˈni/)

in·ter·view·ee

(/ɪnˌtər.vyuˈi/)

li·cen·see

(/ˌlaɪ.sənˈsi/)

mort·ga·gee

(/ˌmɔr.gəˈʤi/)

pa·ro·lee

(/pə.roʊˈli/)

ref·e·ree

(/ˌrɛf.əˈri/)

ref·u·gee

(/ˌrɛf.jʊˈʤi/)

trai·nee

(/treɪˈni/)

warr·an·tee

(/ˌwɔr.ənˈti/)

auc·tio·neer

(/ˌɔk.ʃəˈnɪər/)

com·man·deer

(/ˌkɑ.mənˈdɪər/)

dom·i·neer

(/ˌdɑm.ɪˈnɪər/)

en·gi·neer

(/ˌɛn.ʤɪˈnɪər/)

moun·tai·neer

(/ˌmaʊn.tɪˈnɪər/)

prof·i·teer

(/ˌprɑf.ɪˈtɪər/)

pupp·e·teer

(/ˌpʌp.ɪˈtɪər/)

rack·e·teer

(/ˌræk.ɪˈtɪər/)

vol·un·teer

(/ˌvɑl.ɪnˈtɪər/)

Chi·nese

(/tʃaɪˈniz/)

Jap·a·nese

(/ˌʤæp.əˈniz/)

jour·na·lese

(/ˌʤɜr.nəˈliz/)

Leb·a·nese

(/ˌlɛb.əˈniz/)

le·ga·lese

(/ˌli.gəˈliz/)

Mal·tese

(/ˌmɔlˈtiz/)

Por·tu·guese

(/ˌpɔr.tʃəˈgiz/)

Si·a·mese

(/ˌsaɪ.əˈmiz/)

Tai·wa·nese

(/ˌtaɪ.wɑˈniz/)

Vi·et·na·mese

(/viˌɛt.nɑˈmiz/)

(The word employee usually follows this same pattern, but it is one of a few words that has its primary stress on different syllables depending on dialect and personal preference.)

Some other words that feature the “-ee” ending also follow the same pattern, even though they are not formed from another base word. For instance:

  • chim·pan·zee (/ˌtʃɪm.pænˈzi/)
  • guar·an·tee (/ˌgær.ənˈti/)
  • jam·bo·ree (/ˌʤæm.bəˈri/)
  • ru·pee (/ru.ˈpi/)

Be careful, though, because other words don’t follow the pattern. For example:

  • ap·o·gee (/ˈæp.əˌʤi/)
  • co·ffee (/ˈkɔ.fi/)
  • co·mmit·tee (/kəˈmɪt.i/)
  • kedg·e·ree (/ˈkɛʤ.əˌri/)
  • te·pee (/ˈti.pi/)

“-ology”

This suffix is used to denote fields of scientific study or discourse; sets of ideas, beliefs, or principles; or bodies of texts or writings. Primary stress is placed on the syllable in which “-ol-” appears. For example:

  • a·strol·o·gy (/əˈstrɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • bi·ol·o·gy (/baɪˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • car·di·ol·o·gy (/ˌkɑr.diˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • e·col·o·gy (/ɪˈkɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • ge·ol·o·gy (/ʤiˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • i·de·ol·o·gy (/ˌaɪ.diˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • lex·i·col·o·gy (/ˌlɛk.sɪˈkɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • meth·o ·dol·o·gy (/ˌmɛθ.əˈdɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • neu·rol·o·gy (/nʊˈrɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • psy·chol·o·gy (/saɪˈkɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • ra·di·ol·o·gy (/reɪ.diˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • so·ci·ol·o·gy (/ˌsoʊ.siˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • tech·nol·o·gy (/tɛkˈnɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • u·rol·o·gy (/jʊˈrɑl.ə.ʤi/)
  • zo·ol·o·gy (/zuˈɑl.ə.ʤi/)

“-osis”

This suffix is used to form the names of diseases, conditions, and other medical processes. Stress is placed on the syllable in which “-o-” appears

  • ac·i·do·sis (/ˌæs.ɪˈdoʊ.sɪs/)
  • cir·rho·sis (/sɪˈroʊ.sɪs/)
  • di·ag·no·sis (/ˌdaɪ.əgˈnoʊ.sɪs/)
  • en·do·me·tri·o·sis (/ˌɛn.doʊˌmi.triˈoʊ.sɪs/)
  • fib·ro·sis (/faɪˈbroʊ.sɪs/)
  • hyp·no·sis (/hɪpˈnoʊ.sɪs/)
  • mi·to·sis (/maɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/)
  • ne·cro·sis (/nəˈkroʊ.sɪs/)
  • os·te·o·po·ro·sis (/ˌɑs.ti.oʊ.pəˈroʊ.sɪs/)
  • prog·no·sis (/prɑgˈnoʊ.sɪs/)
  • sym·bi·o·sis (/ˌsɪm.biˈoʊ.sɪs/)
  • tu·ber·cu·lo·sis (/tʊˌbɜr.kjəˈloʊ.sɪs/)

Stress is placed on syllable immediately before the suffix

“-eous” and -“ious”

These two suffixes are both used to form adjectives meaning “having, characterized by, or full of,” most often attaching to base nouns.

In many cases, the E and I are pronounced individually, but for many other words they are silent, instead serving to mark a change in pronunciation for the previous consonant. For example:

-eous

-ious

ad·van·ta·geous

(/ˌæd vənˈteɪ.ʤəs/)

boun·te·ous

(/ˈbaʊn.ti.əs/)

cou·ra·geous

(/kəˈreɪ.ʤəs/)

dis·cour·te·ous

(/dɪsˈkɜr.ti.əs/)

ex·tra·ne·ous

(/ɪkˈstreɪ.ni.əs/)

gas·e·ous

(/ˈgæs.i.əs/)

hid·e·ous

(/ˈhɪd.i.əs/)

ig·ne·ous

(/ˈɪg.ni.əs/)

misc·e·lla·ne·ous

(/ˌmɪs.əˈleɪ.ni.əs/)

nau·seous

(/ˈnɔ.ʃəs/)

out·ra·geous

(/aʊtˈreɪ.ʤəs/)

pit·e·ous

(/ˈpɪt.i.əs/)

righ·teous

(/ˈraɪ.tʃəs/)

si·mul·ta·ne·ous

(/ˌsaɪ.məlˈteɪ.ni.əs/)

vi·tre·ous

(/ˈvɪ.tri.əs/)

am·phib·i·ous

(/æmˈfɪb.i.əs/)

bo·da·cious

(/boʊˈdeɪ.ʃəs/)

con·ta·gious

(/kənˈteɪ.ʤəs/)

du·bi·ous

(/ˈdu.bi.əs/)

ex·pe·diti·ous

(/ˌɛk spɪˈdɪʃ.əs/)

fa·ce·tious

(/fəˈsi.ʃəs/)

gre·gar·i·ous

(/grɪˈgɛər.i.əs/)

hi·lar·i·ous

(/hɪˈlɛr.i.əs/)

im·per·vi·ous

(/ɪmˈpɜr.vi.əs/)

ju·dici·ous

(/ʤuˈdɪʃ.əs/)

la·bor·i·ous

(/ləˈbɔr.i.əs/)

my·ster·i·ous

(/mɪˈstɪr.i əs/)

ne·far·i·ous

(/nɪˈfɛr.i.əs/)

ob·vi·ous

(/ˈɑb.vi.əs/)

pro·digi·ous

(/prəˈdɪʤ.əs/)

re·bell·ious

(/rɪˈbɛl.jəs/)

su·per·sti·tious

(/ˌsu.pərˈstɪ.ʃəs/)

te·na·cious

(/teˈneɪ.ʃəs/)

up·roar·i·ous

(/ʌpˈrɔr.i.əs/)

vi·car·i·ous

(/vaɪˈkɛər.i.əs/)

“-ia”

This suffix is used to create nouns, either denoting a disease or a condition or quality.

In most words, the I is pronounced individually. In other words, it becomes silent and indicates a change in the pronunciation of the previous consonant. (In a handful of words, I blends with a previous vowel sound that is stressed before the final A.)

For example:

  • ac·a·de·mi·a (/ˌæk.əˈdi.mi.ə/)
  • bac·ter·i·a (/bæk.ˈtɪər.i.ə/)
  • cat·a·to·ni·a (/ˌkæt.əˈtoʊ.ni.ə/)
  • de·men·tia (/dɪˈmɛn.ʃə/)
  • en·cy·clo·pe·di·a (/ɛnˌsaɪ.kləˈpi.di.ə/)
  • fan·ta·sia (/fænˈteɪ.ʒə/)
  • hy·po·ther·mi·a (ˌhaɪ.pəˈθɜr.mi.ə/)
  • in·som·ni·a (/ɪnˈsɑm.ni.ə/)
  • leu·ke·mi·a (/luˈki.mi.ə/)
  • mem·or·a·bil·i·a (/ˌmɛm.ər.əˈbɪl.i.ə/)
  • no·stal·gia (/nɑˈstæl.ʤə/)
  • par·a·noi·a (/ˌpær.əˈnɔɪ.ə/)
  • re·ga·li·a (/rɪˈgeɪ.li.ə/)
  • su·bur·bi·a (/səˈbɜr.bi.ə/)
  • tri·vi·a (/ˈtrɪ.vi.ə/)
  • u·to·pi·a (/juˈtoʊ.pi.ə/)
  • xen·o·pho·bi·a (/ˌzɛn.əˈfoʊ.bi.ə/)

“-ial”

The suffix “-ial” is used to form adjectives from nouns, meaning “of, characterized by, connected with, or relating to.” Like “-ia,” I is either pronounced individually or else becomes silent and changes the pronunciation of the previous consonant. For example:

  • ad·ver·bi·al (/ædˈvɜr.bi.əl/)
  • bac·ter·i·al (/bækˈtɪr.i.əl/)
  • con·fi·den·tial (/ˌkɑn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/)
  • def·e·ren·tial (/ˌdɛf.əˈrɛn.ʃəl/)
  • ed·i·tor·i·al (/ˌɛd.ɪˈtɔr.i.əl/)
  • fa·mil·i·al (/fəˈmɪl.jəl/)
  • gla·cial (/ˈgleɪ.ʃəl/)
  • in·flu·en·tial (/ˌɪn.fluˈɛn.ʃəl/)
  • ju·di·cial (/ʤuˈdɪʃ.əl/)
  • me·mor· i·al (/məˈmɔr.i.əl/)
  • o·ffici·al (/əˈfɪʃ.əl/)
  • pro·ver·bi·al (/prəˈvɜr.bi.əl/)
  • ref·e·ren·tial (/ˌrɛf.əˈrɛn.ʃəl/)
  • su·per·fi·cial (/ˌsu.pərˈfɪʃ.əl/)
  • terr·i·tor·i·al (/ˌtɛr.ɪˈtɔr.i.əl/)
  • ve·stig·i·al (/vɛˈstɪʤ.i.əl/)

“-ic” and “-ical”

These two suffixes form adjectives from the nouns to which they attach. For both, the primary stress is placed on the syllable immediately before “-ic-.” For example:

-ic

-ical

a·tom·ic

(/əˈtɑm.ɪk)

bur·eau·crat·ic

(/ˌbjʊər.əˈkræt.ɪk)

cha·ot·ic

(/keɪˈɑt.ɪk/)

dem·o·crat·ic

(/ˌdɛm.əˈkræt.ɪk/)

en·er·get·ic

(/ˌɛn.ərˈʤɛt.ɪk/)

for·mu·la·ic

(/ˌfɔr.mjəˈleɪ.ɪk/)

ge·net·ic

(/ʤəˈnɛt.ɪk/)

hyp·not·ic

(/hɪpˈnɑt.ɪk/)

i·con·ic

(/aɪˈkɑn.ɪk/)

ki·net·ic

(/kəˈnɛt.ɪk/)

la·con·ic

(/leɪˈkɑn.ɪk/)

mag·net·ic

(/mægˈnɛt.ɪk/)

no·stal·gic

(/nəˈstæl.ʤɪk)

opp·or·tu·nis·tic

(/ˌɑp.ər.tuˈnɪs.tɪk/)

pe·ri·od·ic

(/ˌpɪər.iˈɑd.ɪk/)

re·a·lis·tic

(/ˌri.əˈlɪs.tɪk/)

sym·pa·thet·ic

(/ˌsɪm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/)

ti·tan·ic

(taɪˈtæn.ɪk/)

ul·tra·son·ic

(/ˌʌl.trəsɑn.ɪk/)

vol·can·ic

(/vɑlˈkæn.ɪk/)

an·a·tom·i·cal

(/ˌæn.əˈtɑm.ɪ.kəl)

bi·o·log·i·cal

(/ˌbaɪ.əˈlɑʤ.ɪ.kəl/)

chron·o·log·i·cal

(/ˌkrɑn.əˈlɑʤ.ɪ.kəl/)

di·a·bol·i·cal

(/ˌdaɪ.əˈbɑl.ɪ.kəl/)

e·lec·tri·cal

(/ɪˈlɛk.trɪ.kəl/)

far·ci·cal

(/ˈfɑr.sɪ.kəl/)

ge·o·graph·i·cal

(/ʤi.əˈgræf.ɪ.kəl/)

his·tor·i·cal

(/hɪˈstɔr.ɪ.kəl/)

in·e·ffec·tu·al

(/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɛk.tʃu.əl/)

lack·a·dai·si·cal

(/ˌlæk.əˈdeɪ.zɪ.kəl/)

mu·si·cal

(/ˈmju.zɪ.kəl/)

nau·ti·cal

(/ˈnɔ.tɪ.kəl/)

op·ti·cal

(/ˈɑp.tɪ.kəl/)

par·a·dox·i·cal

(/pær.əˈdɑks.ɪ.kəl/)

psy·cho·an·a·lyt·i·cal

(/ˌsaɪ.koʊ.æn.əˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl/)

rhe·tor·i·cal

(/rɪˈtɔr.ɪ.kəl/)

sy·mmet·ri·cal

(/sɪˈmɛt.rɪ.kəl/)

ty·ran·ni·cal

(/tɪˈræn.ɪ.kəl/)

um·bil·i·cal

(/ʌmˈbɪl.ɪ.kəl/)

ver·ti·cal

(/ˈvɜr.tɪ.kəl/)

whim·si·cal

(/ˈwɪm.zɪ.kəl/)

zo·o·log·i·cal

(ˌzoʊ.əˈlɑʤ.ɪ.kəl/)

While this pattern of pronunciation is very reliable, there are a few words (mostly nouns) ending in “-ic” that go against it:

  • a·rith·me·tic* (/əˈrɪθ.mə.tɪk/)
  • her·e·tic (/ˈhɛr.ɪ.tɪk/)
  • lu·na·tic (/ˈlu.nə.tɪk/)
  • pol·i·tics (/ˈpɑl.ɪ.tɪks/)
  • rhet·o·ric (/ˈrɛt.ə.rɪk/)

(*This pronunciation is used when arithmetic is a noun. As an adjective, it is pronounced a·rith·me·tic [/ˌæ.rɪθˈmɛ.tɪk/].)

“-ify”

This suffix is used to form verbs, most often from existing nouns or adjectives. While the primary stress is placed immediately before “-i-,” the second syllable of the suffix, “-fy,” also receives a secondary stress. For instance:

  • a·cid·i·fy (/əˈsɪd.əˌfaɪ/)
  • be·at·i·fy (/biˈæt.əˌfaɪ/)
  • class·i·fy (/ˈklæs.əˌfaɪ/)
  • dig·ni·fy (/ˈdɪg.nəˌfaɪ/)
  • e·lec·tri·fy (/ɪˈlɛk.trəˌfaɪ/)
  • fal·si·fy (/ˈfɔlsə.faɪ/)
  • horr·i·fy (/ˈhɔr.əˌfaɪ/)
  • i·den·ti·fy (/aɪˈdɛn.təˌfaɪ/)
  • mag·ni·fy (/ˈmægnəˌfaɪ/)
  • no·ti·fy (/ˈnoʊ.təˌfaɪ/)
  • ob·jec·ti·fy (/əbˈʤɛk.təˌfaɪ/)
  • per·son·i·fy (/pərˈsɑn.əˌfaɪ/)
  • rat·i·fy (/ˈræt.əˌfaɪ/)
  • so·lid·i·fy (/səˈlɪd.əˌfaɪ/)
  • tes·ti·fy (/ˈtɛs.təˌfaɪ/)
  • ver·i·fy (/ˈvɛr.əˌfaɪ/)

“-ity”

This suffix is the opposite of “-ic(al)”—that is, it is used to create nouns from adjectives. The I is pronounced in an individual syllable, with the word’s primary stress occurring immediately before it. For instance:

  • a·bil·i·ty (/əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/)
  • ba·nal·i·ty (/bəˈnæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • ce·leb·ri·ty (/səˈlɛb.rɪ.ti/)
  • dis·par·i·ty (/dɪˈspær.ɪ.ti/)
  • e·qual·i·ty (/əˈkwɑl.ɪ.ti/)
  • func·tion·al·i·ty (/ˌfʌŋk.ʃənˈæl.ɪ.tɪ/)
  • gen·e·ros·i·ty (/ˌʤɛn.əˈrɑs.ɪ.ti/)
  • hu·mid·i·ty (/hjuˈmɪd.ɪ.ti/)
  • i·niq·ui·ty (/ɪˈnɪk.wɪ.ti/)
  • jo·vi·al·i·ty (/ʤoʊ.vi.ˈæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • le·gal·i·ty (/liˈgæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • ma·jor·i·ty (/məˈʤoʊr.ɪ.ti/)
  • nor·mal·i·ty (/noʊrˈmæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • ob·scur·i·ty (/əbˈskʊər.ɪ.ti/)
  • prac·ti·cal·i·ty (/præk.tɪˈkæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • qual·i·ty (/ˈkwɑl.ɪ.ti/)
  • rec·i·proc·i·ty (/ˌrɛs.əˈprɑs.ɪ.ti/)
  • scar·ci·ty (/ˈskɛr.sɪ.ti/)
  • tech·ni·cal·i·ty (/ˌtɛk.nɪˈkæl.ɪ.ti/)
  • u·na·nim·i·ty (/ˌju.nəˈnɪm.ɪ.ti/)
  • ve·loc·i·ty (/vəˈlɑs.ɪ.ti/)

“-tion” and “-sion”

These two syllables are used to create nouns, especially from verbs to describe an instance of that action. Depending on the word, the /ʃ/ or /tʃ/ sounds made by “-tion” and the /ʃ/ or /ʒ/ sounds made by “-sion” will be part of the stressed syllable or the final unstressed syllable. For example:

-tion

-sion

au·diti·on

(/ɔˈdɪʃ.ən/)

bi·sec·tion

(/baɪˈsɛk.ʃən/)

can·ce·lla·tion

(/ˌkæn.sɪˈleɪ.ʃən/)

di·screti· on

(/dɪˈskrɛʃ.ən/)

ex·haus·tion

(/ɪgˈzɔs.tʃən/)

flo·ta·tion

(/floʊˈteɪ.ʃən/)

grad·u·a·tion

(/ˌgræʤ.uˈeɪ.ʃən/)

hos·pi·tal·i·za·tion

(/ˌhɑs.pɪ.təl.ɪˈzeɪʃ.ən/)

ig·ni·tion

(/ɪgˈnɪʃ.ən/)

jur·is·dic·tion

(/ˌʤʊər.ɪsˈdɪk.ʃən/)

lo·co·mo·tion

(/ˌloʊ.kəˈmoʊ,ʃən/)

mod·i·fi·ca·tion

(/ˌmɑd.ə.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/)

nom·i·na·tion

(/ˌnɑm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/)

ob·struc·tion

(/əbˈstrʌk.ʃən/)

pros·e·cu·tion

(/ˌprɑs.ɪˈkyu.ʃən/)

re·a·li·za·tion

(/ˌri.ə.ləˈzeɪ.ʃən/)

se·cre·tion

(/sɪˈkri.ʃən/)

tra·diti·on

(/trəˈdɪʃ.ən/)

u·ni·fi·ca·tion

(/ˌju.nə.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/)

vi·bra·tion

(/vaɪˈbreɪ.ʃən/)

a·bra·sion

(/əˈbreɪ.ʒən)

a·ver·sion

(/əˈvɜr.ʒən/)

co·llisi·on

(/kəˈlɪʒ.ən/)

com·pul·sion

(/kəmˈpʌl.ʃən/)

di·ffu·sion

(/dɪˈfju.ʒən/)

di·men·sion

(/dɪˈmɛn.ʃən/)

e·ro·sion

(/ɪˈroʊ.ʒən/)

fu·sion

(/ˈfju.ʒən/)

i·llu·sion

(/ɪˈlu.ʒən/)

in·va·sion

(/ɪnˈveɪ.ʒən/)

man·sion

(/ˈmæn.ʃən/)

ob·sessi·on

(/əbˈsɛʃ.ən/)

o·cca·sion

(/əˈkeɪ.ʒən/)

per·cussi·on

(/pərˈkʌʃ.ən/)

pro·pul·sion

(/prəˈpʌl.ʃən)

re·missi·on

(/rɪˈmɪʃ.ən/)

sub·ver·sion

(/səbˈvɜr.ʒən/)

su·spen·sion

(/səˈspɛn.ʃən/)

trans·fu·sion

(/trænsˈfju.ʒən/)

ver·sion

(/ˈvɜr.ʒən/)

The word television is an exception to this rule, and in most dialects it has the primary stress placed on the first syllable: /ˈtɛl.əˌvɪʒ.ən/.

Stress applied two syllables before the suffix

“-ate”

This suffix is most often used to create verbs, but it can also form adjectives and nouns. In words with three or more syllables, the primary stress is placed two syllables before the suffix. For example:

  • ac·cen·tu·ate (/ækˈsɛn.tʃuˌeɪt/))
  • bar·bit·ur·ate (/bɑrˈbɪtʃ.ər.ɪt/)
  • co·llab·o·rate (/kəˈlæb.əˌreɪt/)
  • diff·e·ren·ti·ate (/ˌdɪf.əˈrɛn.ʃiˌeɪt/)
  • e·nu.me·rate (/ɪˈnu.məˌreɪt/)
  • fa·cil·i·tate (/fəˈsɪl.ɪˌteɪt/)
  • ge·stic·u·late (/ʤɛˈstɪk.jəˌleɪt/)
  • hu·mil·i·ate (/hjuˈmɪl.iˌeɪt/)
  • in·ad·e·quate (/ɪnˈæd.ɪ.kwɪt/)
  • le·git·i·mate (/lɪˈʤɪt.əˌmɪt/)
  • ma·tric·u·late (/məˈtrɪk.jəˌleɪt/)
  • ne·cess·i·tate (/nəˈsɛs.ɪˌteɪt/)
  • o·blit·e·rate (/əˈblɪt.əˌreɪt/)
  • par·tic·i·pate (/pɑrˈtɪs.ɪ.ɪt/)
  • re·frig·er·ate (/rɪˈfrɪʤ.əˌreɪt/)
  • stip·u·late (/ˈstɪp.jəˌleɪt/)
  • tri·an·gu·late (/traɪˈæŋ.gjə.leɪt/)
  • un·for·tu·nate (/ʌnˈfɔr.tʃə.nɪt/)
  • ver·te·brate (/ˈvɜr.tə.brɪt/)

“-cy”

This suffix attaches to adjectives or nouns to form nouns referring to “state, condition, or quality,” or “rank or office.” For example:

  • a·dja·cen·cy (/əˈʤeɪ.sən.si/)
  • a·gen·cy (/ˈeɪ.ʤən.si/)
  • bank·rupt·cy (/ˈbæŋk.rʌpt.si/)
  • com·pla·cen·cy (/kəmˈpleɪ.sən.si/)
  • de·moc·ra·cy (/dɪˈmɑk.rə.si/)
  • ex·pec·tan·cy (/ɪkˈspɛk.tən.si/)
  • flam·boy·an·cy (/flæmˈbɔɪ.ən.si/)
  • fre·quen·cy (/ˈfri.kwən.si/)
  • in·sur·gen·cy (/ɪnˈsɜr.ʤən.si/)
  • in·fan·cy (/ ˈɪnfən.si/)
  • lieu·ten·an·cy (/luˈtɛn.ən.si/)
  • ma·lig·nan·cy (/məˈlɪg.nən.si/)
  • pro·fici·en·cy (/prəˈfɪʃ.ən.si/)
  • re·dun·dan·cy (/rɪˈdʌn.dən.si/)
  • su·prem·a·cy (/səˈprɛm.ə.si/)
  • trans·par·en·cy (/trænsˈpɛər.ən.si/)
  • va·can·cy (/ˈveɪ.kən.si/)

Unlike some of the other suffixes we’ve looked at so far, this one has a number of exceptions. For these, the primary stress is placed three syllables before the suffix:

  • ac·cur·a·cy (/ˈæk.jər.ə.si/)
  • can·di·da·cy (/ˈkæn.dɪ.də.si/)
  • com·pe·ten·cy (/ˈkɑm.pɪ.tən.si/)
  • del·i·ca·cy (/ˈdɛl.ɪ.kə.si/)
  • ex·trav·a·gan·cy (/ɪkˈstræv.ə.gən.si/)
  • im·me·di·a·cy (/ɪˈmi.di.ə.si/)
  • in·ti·ma·cy (/ˈɪn.tɪ.mə.sɪ/)
  • lit·er·a·cy (/ˈlɪt.ər.ə.sɪ/)
  • le·git·i·ma·cy (/lɪˈʤɪt.ə.mə.si/)
  • occ·u·pan·cy (/ˈɑk.jə.pən.si/)
  • pres·i·den·cy (/ˈprɛz.ɪ.dən.si/)
  • rel·e·van·cy (/ˈrɛl.ɪ.vən.si/)
  • surr·o·ga·cy (/ˈsɜr.ə.gə.si/)

Unfortunately, there are no patterns in these words to let us know that their primary stress will be in a different place; we just have to memorize them.

“-phy”

This ending is actually a part of other suffixes, most often “-graphy,” but also “-trophy” and “-sophy.” The primary stress in the word will appear immediately before the “-gra-,” “-tro-,” and “-so-” parts of the words. For example:

  • a·tro·phy (/ˈæ.trə.fi/)
  • bib·li·og·ra·phy (/ˌbɪb.liˈɑg.rə.fi/)
  • cal·lig·ra·phy (/kəˈlɪg.rə.fi/)
  • dis·cog·ra·phy (/dɪsˈkɑɡ.rə.fi/)
  • eth·nog·ra·phy (/ɛθˈnɑg.rə.fi/)
  • fil·mog·ra·phy (/fɪlˈmɑɡ.rə.fi/)
  • ge·og·ra·phy (/ʤiˈɑɡ.rə.fi/)
  • i·co·nog·ra·phy (/ˌaɪ.kəˈnɑg.rə.fi/)
  • or·thog·ra·phy (/ɔrˈθɑg.rə.fi/)
  • phi·los·o·phy (/fɪˈlɑs.ə.fi/)
  • pho·tog·ra·phy (/fəˈtɑg.rə.fi/)
  • ra·di·og·ra·phy (/ˌreɪ.dɪˈɑɡ.rə.fɪ/)
  • so·nog·ra·phy (/səˈnɑg.rə.fi/)
  • the·os·o·phy (/θɪˈɑs.ə.fi/)
  • ty·pog·ra·phy (/taɪˈpɑg.rə.fi/)

Suffixes that don’t affect word stress

While many suffixes dictate which syllable is stressed in a word, there are others that usually do not affect the stress of the base word at all. Let’s look at some examples of these (just note that this isn’t an exhaustive list):

“-age”

“-ish”*

“-hood”

“-less”

“-ness”

“-ous”

an·chor·age

brok·er·age

cov·er·age

e·quip·age

her·mit·age

lev·er·age

or·phan·age

me·ter·age

pa·tron·age

sew·er·age

vic·ar·age

am·a·teur·ish

ba·by·ish

car·toon·ish

dev·il·ish

fe·ver·ish

hea·then·ish

og·re·ish

pur·pl·ish

tick·l·ish

va·ga·bond·ish

yell·ow·ish

a·dult·hood

broth·er·hood

fath·er·hood

like·li·hood

moth·er·hood

neigh·bor·hood

par·ent·hood

sis·ter·hood

vic·tim·hood

wo·man·hood

ar·mor·less

bo·di·less

col·or·less

di·rec·tion·less

e·mo·tion·less

feath·er·less

hu·mor·less

lim·it·less

mean·ing·less

o·dor·less

pen·ni·less

re·gard·less

struc·ture·less

tick·et·less

vi·bra·tion·less

win·dow·less

ad·ven·tur·ous·ness

bash·ful·ness

com·pet·i·tive·ness

de·ceit·ful·ness

e·ffec·tive·ness

fa·ce·tious·ness

glo·ri·ous·ness

hid·e·ous·ness

il·lust·ri·ous·ness

jag·ged·ness

king·li·ness

li·ti·gious·ness

mean·ing·ful·ness

nerv·ous·ness

o·blique·ness

per·sua·sive·ness

quea·si·ness

re·morse·less·ness

sub·ver·sive·ness

to·geth·er·ness

u·biq·ui·tous·ness

venge·ful·ness

war·i·ness

youth·ful·ness

zeal·ous·ness

an·al·o·gous

blas·phe·mous

can·cer·ous

dan·ger·ous

fi·brous

glam·or·ous

li·bel·ous

mu·ti·nous

o·dor·ous

per·il·ous

ran·cor·ous

scan·dal·ous

treach·er·ous

val·or·ous

Inflectional suffixes (suffixes that form plurals, change verb tense, create comparative ajectives and adverbs, etc.) do not affect word stress either. Let’s look at a few examples:

  • a·maze→a·maz·ing (creates the present participle / gerund)
  • blank·et→blank·et·ed (creates the past tense)
  • com·pro·mise→com·pro·mis·es (creates the third-person singular form)
  • drows·y→drows·i·er (creates the comparative form)
  • hap·py→hap·pi·est (creates the superlative form)
  • re·sponse→re·spons·es (creates the plural form)

*“-ish” at the end of verbs

The examples of the suffix “-ish” that we looked at previously were all adjectives formed from various parts of speech (usually nouns). However, “-ish” can also appear naturally at the end of verbs—that is, it doesn’t attach to existing base words, but is rather the result of the word’s evolution in English. For these verbs, primary stress always occurs on the syllable immediately before “-ish.” For example:

  • a·ston·ish (/əˈstɑn.ɪʃ/)
  • bran·dish (/ˈbræn.dɪʃ/)
  • cher·ish (/ˈtʃɛr.ɪʃ/)
  • de·mol·ish (/dɪˈmɑl.ɪʃ/)
  • ex·tin·guish (/ɪkˈstɪŋ.gwɪʃ/)
  • fur·nish (/ˈfɜr.nɪʃ/)
  • gar·nish (/ˈgɑr.nɪʃ/)
  • im·pove·rish (/ɪmˈpɑv.rɪʃ/; the E is silent)
  • lan·guish (/ˈlæŋ.gwɪʃ/)
  • nour·ish (/ˈnɜr.ɪʃ/)
  • pub·lish (/ˈpʌb.lɪʃ/)
  • re·plen·ish (/rɪˈplɛn.ɪʃ/)
  • tar·nish (/ˈtɑr.nɪʃ/)

Unstressed Words (Function Words)

We discussed earlier how words have at least one primary stress centered around a vowel sound; however, this is not always the case. This is because English consists of two types of words: content words and function words.

Content words (also known as lexical words) communicate a distinct lexical meaning within a particular context—that is, they express the specific content of what we’re talking about at a given time. These include nouns, adjective, adverbs, and most verbs. Content words will always have at least one syllable that is emphasized in a sentence, so if a content word only has a single syllable, it will always be stressed.

Function words (also known as structure words) primarily serve to complete the syntax and grammatical nuance of a sentence. These include pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles, determiners, and auxiliary verbs. In contrast to content words, single-syllable function words are commonly (but not always) unstressed in a sentence—since they are not providing lexical meaning integral to the sentence, we often “skip over” them vocally. Take the following sentence:

  • “Bobby wants to walk to the playground.”

The particle to, the preposition to, and the definitive article the are all said without (or without much) stress. The content words (Bobby, wants, walk, and playground), on the other hand, each have at least one syllable that is emphasized.

Let’s look at some single-syllable function words that can either be stressed or unstressed in a given sentence:

Function Word

Stressed

Unstressed

a

/eɪ/

/ə/

an

/æn/

/ən/

am

/æm/

/əm/

are

/ɑr/

/ər/

be

/bi/

/bɪ/

can

/kæn/

/kən/

could

/kʊd/

/kəd/

do

/du/

/dʊ/ or /də/

have

/hæv/

/həv/

of

/ʌv/ or /ɑv/

/əv/ or /ə/

or

/ɔr/

/ər/

should

/ʃʊd/

/ʃəd/

the

/ði/

/ðə/ or /ðɪ/

to

/tu/

/tə/

was

/wɑz/

/wəz/

were

/wɜr/

/wər/

would

/wʊd/

/wəd/

Words with multiple pronunciations

It is not uncommon for English words to have more than one pronunciation even when there is no change in meaning, especially between different regional dialects. This difference usually occurs in the pronunciation of certain vowel or consonant sounds, but it can also affect which syllable in the word receives the primary stress.

For example:

Word

Pronunciation 1

Pronunciation 2

address (noun)

a·ddress

/əˈdrɛs/

add·ress

/ˈæd.rɛs/

adult

a·dult

/əˈdʌlt/

ad·ult

/ˈæd.ʌlt/

advertisement

ad·ver·tise·ment

/ˌæd.vərˈtaɪz.mənt/

(AmE)

ad·ver·tise·ment

/ædˈvɜr.tɪz.mənt/

(BrE)

applicable

app·li·ca·ble

/ˈæp.lɪ.kə.bəl/

a·ppli·ca·ble

/əˈplɪ.kə.bəl/

café

ca·fé

/kæˈfeɪ/

(AmE)

ca·fé

/ˈkæˈfeɪ/

(BrE)

Caribbean

Car·i·bbe·an

/ˌkær.əˈbi.ən/

Ca·ribb·e·an

/kəˈrɪb.i.ən/

chauffeur

chau·ffeur

/ˈʃoʊ.fər/

chau·ffeur

/ʃoʊˈfɜr/

composite

com·pos·ite

/kəmˈpɑz.ɪt/

(AmE)

com·pos·ite

/ˈkɑm.pəz.ɪt/

(BrE)

controversy

con·tro·ver·sy

/ˈkɑn.trəˌvɜr.si/

con·trov·er·sy

/kənˈtrɑv.er.si/

(BrE)

employee

em·ploy·ee

/ɛmˈplɔɪ.i/

em·ploy·ee

/ɛm.plɔɪˈi/

fiancé(e)

fi·an·cé(e)

/ˌfi.ɑnˈseɪ/

fi·an·cé(e)

/fiˈɑn.seɪ/

garage

ga·rage

/gəˈrɑʒ/

(AmE)

gar·age

/ˈgær.ɑʒ/

(BrE)

kilometer

ki·lom·e·ter

/kɪˈlɑm.ɪ.tər/

kil·o·me·ter

/ˈkɪl.əˌmi.tər/

lingerie

lin·ge·rie

/ˌlɑn.ʒəˈreɪ/

(AmE)

lin·ge·rie

/ˈlæn.ʒə.ri/

(BrE)

preferable

pref·er·a·ble

/ˈprɛf.ər.ə.bəl/

pre·fer·a·ble

/prɪˈfɜr.ər.ə.bəl/

transference

trans·fer·ence

/trænsˈfɜr.əns/

trans·fer·ence

/ˈtræns.fər.əns/

Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict when a word will have different stress patterns, as they are often the result of variations in regional dialects, rather than the origin of the words themselves. If you hear someone pronounce a word with an intonation you haven’t heard before, check a reliable dictionary to see what is the most common pronunciation.

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Content or Function Word? Pronunciation Practice

Improve your Pronunciation.
Image Source / Getty Images

You can improve your pronunciation by identifying which words are content words and which words are function words. Content words include main verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Function words are necessary for grammar, but do not receive stress in spoken English. Use these exercises to help you learn how to use content and function words to help you with your pronunciation because English is a time-stressed language. In other words, the rhythm and music of English comes from stressing content words. Once you’ve mastered this exercise, move on to finding focus words to help you further. 

First, you need to be able to immediately distinguish between content and function words. Write down ‘C’ for content and ‘F’ for function. 

Example: magazine (C) as (F) many (F)

  1. went 
  2. with 
  3. just 
  4. quickly 
  5. the 
  6. hard 
  7. next to 
  8. CD ROM 
  9. open 
  10. had 
  11. or 
  12. information 
  13. in order to 
  14. difficult 
  15. much 
  16. exacting 
  17. in front of 
  18. Jack
  19. he 
  20. however 


Answers

  1. content
  2. function
  3. function
  4. content
  5. function
  6. content
  7. function
  8. content
  9. content
  10. function or content (if helping verb -> function / if main verb -> content)
  11. function
  12. content
  13. function
  14. content
  15. function
  16. content
  17. function
  18. content
  19. function
  20. content

Content or Function? Stressed or Non-stressed?

Next, take a look at the sentences and mark the words that should be stressed. Once you have decided, click on the arrow to see if you have chosen the correct words.

Example: Jack (yes) went (yes) to the shop (yes) to grab (yes) some coke (yes).

  1. He had finished breakfast before I arrived. 
  2. Phillip ordered a huge steak for dinner. 
  3. They will have to stay up late if they are going to finish their homework. 
  4. It must have been something in the air that caused Jack to shout. 
  5. Could you please be more quiet? 
  6. Unfortunately, Jack wasn’t able to finish on time. 
  7. As soon as he has collected the results he will post them to his website. 
  8. Peter bought shoes today.
  9. There should have been some replies by now. 
  10. Knowledge creates opportunities where none have existed before.

Answers

  1. stressed content words: finished, breakfast, arrived / non-stressed function words: he, had, before, I
  2. stressed content words: Phillip, ordered, huge, steak, dinner / non-stressed function words: a, for
  3. stressed content words: stay up, late, finish, homework / non-stressed function words: they, will, have to, if, they, are going to, their
  4. stressed content words: something, air, caused, Jack, shout / non-stressed function words: it, must have been, in, the, that, to 
  5. stressed content words: please, more, quiet / non-stressed function words: could, you, be
  6. stressed content words: unfortunately, Jack, finish, time / non-stressed function words: wasn’t able to, on
  7. stressed content words: soon, collected, results, post, website / non-stressed function words: as, he, has, the, he, will, them, to, his
  8. stressed content words: Peter, bought, shoes, today / non-stressed function words: 0
  9. stressed content words: some, replies, now / non-stressed function words: There should have been, by
  10. stressed content words: knowledge, creates, opportunities, none, existed, before / non-stressed function words: where, have

Notice how some of the shorter sentences actually have more stressed words than the longer ones (2 compared to 3). These shorter sentences can often take longer to speak than longer sentences with many function words.

The Music of English

English is a very rhythmic language because of this tendency to accent only certain words. For this reason, you should practice using your ear as much as possible. Often repeating spoken English without looking at the written sentence can also help you learn this ‘music’ of the language. 

Helping Yourself Improve Pronunciation at Home

Finally, practice speaking through the sentences below. First speak the sentence trying to carefully pronounce EVERY word. Notice how unnatural this sounds (as in the listening exercise above showing the contrast between this unnatural pronunciation and the natural way of speaking). Next, focus on speaking the sentences only working on stressing the content words. Tape yourself doing this and you will be surprised at how quickly your pronunciation improves!

  • He drove to work after he had finished working in the garden.
  • You’ll find the apples next to the oranges on the shelf over there.
  • Maggie must have been visiting her aunt in Springtown last weekend.
  • Could you pass me the mustard, please?
  • They have been considering buying a new car as soon as they have saved enough money.

Teachers can use this lesson plan to help students focus on stress-timed pronunciation in class. 

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The disticntion between content words and function words is one of the key aspects of English stress and connected speech.

Content words are those which carry clear meaning, such as:

MAIN VERBS: go, speak, think
NOUNS: house, word, idea
ADJECTIVES: big, difficult, interesting
ADVERBS: slowly, clearly, quite

Function words are grammatical words that glue a sentence together, such as:

AUXILIARY VERBS: are, have, can
PREPOSITIONS: to, from, for
CONJUNCTIONS: and, but, if
PRONOUNS: her, I, their
ARTICLES: a/an, the

Content & Function Words in Connected Speech

In connected speech, function words tend to be pronounced as weak forms with one of the weak vowels /ə,ɪ,i,u/.

If a function word is stressed, it will be pronounced with a strong vowel sound, meaning that many function words have 2 possible pronunciations: a weak version, and a strong version. These are shown for some function words below:

EXAMPLE /Strong,Weak/

are /ɑː,ə/
have /hav,(h)əv/
were /wəː,wə/
to /tuː,tə/
for /fɔː,fə/
but /bʌt,bət/
been /biːn,bɪn/
he /hiː,(h)i/

Sentence Stress

In a sentence consisting of content and function words, the content words are typically stressed, and the function words are typically weak:

Are we going to the shops?

However, stress is always related to meaning, so the above sentence could have stress on ‘we’ and not on the two content words:

Are we going to the shops?

In this example, the concept of ‘going to the shops’ is already in the conversation and the focus of the meaning is on ‘we’. The strong pronunciation of the function word is then used.

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Syllables and stress patterns in EnglishEnglish Syllables and Stress Patterns

Syllables and stress are two of the main areas of spoken language. Pronouncing words with the stress on the correct syllables will help you improve your spoken English, make your sentences easier to understand and help you sound more like a native speaker.

English syllables are stress-timed. English is classed as a ‘stress-based’ language, which means the meanings of words can be altered significantly by a change in word stress and sentence stress. This is why it is important to learn how to use word stress in English and develop an understanding of sentence stress and English stress patterns.

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Syllables

The English language is heavily stressed with each word divided into syllables. Here are some examples of English words with different numbers of syllables. These sets of words are followed by a series of examples using the correct stress placement:

Words with one syllable 

The, cold, quite, bed, add, start, hope, clean, trade, green, chair, cat, sign, pea, wish, drive, plant, square, give, wait, law, off, hear, trough, eat, rough, trout, shine, watch, for, out, catch, flight, rain, speech, crab, lion, knot, fixed, slope, reach, trade, light, moon, wash, trend, balm, walk, sew, joke, tribe, brooch

Words with two syllables

Party, special, today, quiet, orange, partner, table, demand, power, retrieve, doctor, engine, diet, transcribe, contain, cabbage, mountain, humour, defend, spatial, special, greedy, exchange, manage, carpet, although, trophy, insist, tremble, balloon, healthy, shower, verbal, business, mortgage, fashion, hover, butcher, magic, broken

Words with three syllables

Fantastic, energy, expensive, wonderful, laughable, badminton, idiot, celery, beautiful, aggression, computer, journalist, horrify, gravity, temptation, dieting, trampoline, industry, financial, distinguished, however, tremendous, justify, inflation, creation, injustice, energise, glittering, tangible, mentalise, laughable, dialect, crustacean, origin

Words with four syllables

Understanding, indecisive, conversation, realistic, moisturising, American, psychology, gregarious, independence, affordable, memorandum, controversial, superior, gymnasium, entrepreneur, traditional, transformation, remembering, establishment, vegetation, affectionate, acupuncture, invertebrate

Words with five syllables

Organisation, uncontrollable, inspirational, misunderstanding, conversational, opinionated, biological, subordination, determination, sensationalist, refrigerator, haberdashery, hospitality, conservatory, procrastination, disobedience, electrifying, consideration, apologetic, particularly, compartmentalise, hypochondria

Words with six syllables

Responsibility, idiosyncratic, discriminatory, invisibility, capitalisation, extraterrestrial, reliability, autobiography, unimaginable, characteristically, superiority, antibacterial, disciplinarian, environmentalist, materialism, biodiversity, criminalisation, imaginatively, disobediently

Words with seven syllables

Industrialisation, multiculturalism, interdisciplinary, radioactivity, unidentifiable, environmentalism, individuality, vegetarianism, unsatisfactorily, electrocardiogram

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English Stress Patterns

When thinking about syllables and stress in English, usually we find that one syllable of a word is stressed more than the others. There are always one or more stressed syllables within a word and this special stress placement helps words and sentences develop their own rhythm.

Syllables and stress patterns in English help to create the sounds, pronunciations and rhythms that we hear all around us.

Word Stress in English

We come to recognise these English syllables and stress patterns in conversations in real life interactions and on the radio and television. Using the correct stressed syllables within a word is an important part of speech and understanding.

Pronouncing words with the right word stress will make your language sound more natural to native speakers. Here are some words from the previous lists with the stressed syllable in bold:

Two syllable words stress patterns:

Quiet, party, special, today, orange, partner, table, demand, power, retrieve, engine,  diet, greedy, exchange, manage, carpet, although, relax, comfort

Three syllable words stress patterns:

Fantastic, energy, expensive, aggresion, wonderful, laughable, badminton, celery, temptation, trampoline,  industry, dintinguished, financial, however, tremendous, library

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Four syllable words stress patterns:

Understanding, indecisive, conversation, realistic, moisturising, American, psychology, independence, entrepreneur, transformation, fascinating, comfortable

Five syllable words stress patterns:

Uncontrollable, inspirational, misunderstanding, conversational, opinionated, biological, alphabetical, subordination, refrigerator, haberdashery, hospitality

Six syllable words stress patterns:

Responsibility, idiosyncratic, invisibility, capitalisation, discriminatory or discriminatory, antibacterial, superiority, autobiography, materialism, biodiversity, criminalisation, imaginatively,

Seven syllable words stress patterns:

Industrialisation, multiculturalism, interdisciplinary, radioactivity, unidentifiable, environmentalism, individuality, vegetarianism, unsatisfactorily, electrocardiogram

Syllables and Stress Patterns in English Speech

Using clear syllables and stress patterns is an important part of speech. The correct word stress in English is crucial for understanding a word quickly and accurately.

Even if you cannot hear a word well and are not familiar with the context, you can often still work out what the word is, simply from listening to which syllable is stressed.

In the same way, if a learner pronounces a word differently from the accepted norm, it can be hard for a native speaker to understand the word. The word or sentence might be grammatically correct, but if they have used the wrong (or an unexpected) stress pattern or the wrong stressed syllables, it could make it unintelligible to a native.

Learning a language is all about communication and being able to make yourself understood. This is why syllables and stress patterns in spoken English are so important.
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English Word Stress Rules

Here are some general rules about word stress in English:

  • Only vowel sounds are stressed (a,e,i,o,u).
  • A general rule is that for two syllable words, nouns and adjectives have the stress on the first syllable, but verbs have the stress on the second syllable.

For example: table (noun), special (adjective), demand (verb).

  • Words ending in ‘ic’, ‘tion’ or ‘sion’ always place their stress on the penultimate (second to last) syllable. (e.g. supersonic, Atlantic, dedication, attention, transformation, comprehension).
  • Words ending in ‘cy’, ‘ty’, ‘gy’ and ‘al’ always place their stress on the third from last syllable. (e.g. accountancy, sincerity, chronology, inspirational, hypothetical).
  • Words ending in ‘sm’ with 3 or fewer syllables have their stress on the first syllable (e.g. prism, schism, autism, botulism, sarcasm) unless they are extensions of a stem word. This is often the case with words ending ‘ism’.
  • Words ending in ‘ism’ tend to follow the stress rule for the stem word with the ‘ism’ tagged onto the end (e.g. cannibal = cannibalism, expression = expressionism, feminist = feminism, opportunist = opportunism).
  • Words ending in ‘sm’ with 4 or more syllables tend to have their stress on the second syllable (e.g. enthusiasm, metabolism).

definition of 'ism' suffix in English

Words ending in ‘ous’

  • Words ending in ‘ous’ with 2 syllables have their stress on the first syllable (e.g. monstrous, pious, anxious, pompous, zealous, conscious, famous, gracious, gorgeous, jealous, joyous).
  • English words ending in ‘ous’ with 4 syllables usually have their stress on the second syllable (e.g. gregarious, anonymous, superfluous, androgynous, carnivorous, tempestuous, luxurious, hilarious, continuous, conspicuous). There are some exceptions using different stressed syllables, such as sacrilegious, which stresses the 3rd syllable.

Words ending in ‘ous’ with 3 or more syllables do not always follow a set stress pattern. Here are some common English words with 3 syllables ending in ‘ous’ and their stress placement:

Words ending in ‘ous’ with stress on first syllable

fabulous, frivolous, glamorous, calculus, dubious, envious, scandalous, serious, tenuous, chivalrous, dangerous, furious

Words ending in ‘ous’ with stress on second syllable

enormous, audacious, facetious, disastrous, ficticious, horrendous, contagious, ambitious, courageous

Stress can changing the meaning of a word

Remember, where we place the stress in English can change the meaning of a word. This can lead to some funny misunderstandings – and some frustrating conversations!

Words that have the same spelling but a different pronunciation and meaning are called heteronyms. Here are a few examples of words where the stressed syllable changes the meaning of the word:

  • Object

The word ‘object’ is an example of an English word that can change meaning depending on which syllable is stressed. When the word is pronounced ‘object’ (with a stress on the first syllable) the word is a noun meaning an ‘item’, ‘purpose’ or ‘person/thing that is the focus’ of a sentence.

For example:

    • She handed the lady a rectangular object made of metal
    • He was the object of the dog’s affection
    • The ring was an object of high value
    • The object of the interview was to find the best candidate for the job
    • The object was small and shiny – it could have been a diamond ring!

But if the same word is pronounced ‘object‘ (with the stress on the second syllable) the word is now a verb, meaning ‘to disagree with’ something or someone.

For example:

    • They object to his constant lateness
    • The man objected to the size of his neighbour’s new conservatory
    • She strongly objects to being called a liar
    • We object to the buildings being demolished
    • No one objected to the proposal for more traffic lights
  • Present

When the word ‘present’ is pronounced ‘present’ (with the stress on the first syllable) the word is a noun meaning ‘a gift’ or an adjective meaning ‘here / not absent’.

For example:

    • She handed him a beautifully wrapped present
    • The book was a present from their grandparents
    • Everyone was present at the meeting

But when the word is pronounced ‘present’ (with the stress on the second syllable) the word is now a verb meaning ‘to introduce’ something or someone, ‘to show’ or ‘to bring to one’s attention’. It can also be used when talking about presenting a TV or radio show (i.e. to be a ‘presenter’).

For example:

    • May I present Charlotte Smith, our new store manager
    • Bruce Forsyth used to present ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
    • I’d like to present my research on the breeding habits of frogs
    • They presented the glittering trophy to the winner
    • She was presented with the Oscar
    • This new situation presents a problem
  • Project

Another example of an English word changing meaning depending on where you place the stress is the word ‘project’. This can be the noun when the stressed syllable is at the start – ‘project’ (a task).

For example:

    • They started work on the research project immediately
    • She looked forward to her next project – repainting the house
    • He enjoyed writing restaurant reviews – it was his current passion project

However, this word becomes a verb when the stressed syllables moves to the end – ‘to project‘ (to throw/launch, to protrude, to cause an image to appear on a surface, or to come across/make an impression).

For example:

    • The object was projected into the air at high velocity
    • The film will be projected onto the screen
    • The chimney projects 3 metres from the roof
    • She always projects herself with confidence

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Stress patterns in compound words 

Compound words are single words made up of two distinct parts. They are sometimes hyphenated. Here are examples of stress patterns in compound words in English:

  • Compound nouns have the stress on the first part: e.g. sugarcane, beetroot, henhouse, tripwire, lighthouse, newspaper, porthole, roundabout, willpower
  • Compound adjectives and verbs have the stress on the second part:
    e.g. wholehearted, green-fingered, old-fashioned, to understand, to inform, to short-change, to overtake

English sentence stress 

Once you understand word stress in English, you need to think about sentence stress. This means deciding which words to stress as part of the sentence as a whole. Stressed syllables can create a distinctive, rhythmic pattern within a sentence. This is how English stress patterns are related to the rhythm of English and help create the ‘music’ of a language.

English speakers tend to put stress on the most important words in a sentence in order to draw the listener’s attention to them. The most important words are the words that are necessary for the meaning of the sentence. Sentence stress is just as important as word stress for clarity. For example:

‘The cat sat on the mat while eating its favourite food’

The most important words here are: ‘cat’, ‘mat’, ‘eating’ and ‘food’. Even if you only hear those words, you would still be able to understand what is happening in the sentence simply from hearing which words are stressed.

Clearly, it is the nouns and verbs that are the most important parts of the sentence, as these are the ‘content words’ that help with meaning. Content words are usually stressed.

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The adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions all add flavour to the sentence, but they are not absolutely necessary to understand the meaning. These ‘helper’ words are usually unstressed.

In our example sentence: ‘The cat sat on the mat while eating its favourite food’, we have already used the word ‘cat’ so we do not need to emphasise the word ‘its’ (or ‘he/she’ if you want to give the cat a gender), because we already know who is eating the food (i.e. the cat).

English word stress within a sentence

Stress patterns affect words and sentences in English.

The stress on a word (the word stress) is the emphasis placed on that word. In the sentence below, “I never said he ate your chocolate”, the stressed word will change the meaning or implication of the sentence:

stressed words - changing meaning - I never said he ate your chocolate

Stressing the first word ‘I’ implies that I (the speaker) never said it. It might be true or it might not be true – the point is, I never said it – someone else did.

Stressing the second word ‘never’ emphasises that I never said it. There was never an occasion when I said it (whether it is true or not).

Stressing the third word ‘said’ means that I never said it. He might have eaten your chocolate, but I didn’t say it. I might have thought it, but I never said it out loud (I may only have implied it).

Stressing the fourth word ‘he’ means I didn’t say it was him that ate your chocolate, only that someone did.

Stressing the fifth word ‘ate’ means I didn’t say he had eaten it. Perhaps he took it and threw it away or did something else with it.

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Stressing the sixth word ‘your’ means it wasn’t your chocolate he ate –  it could have been someone else’s chocolate.

Stressing the seventh word ‘chocolate’ emphases that it was not your chocolate he ate – he ate something else belonging to you.

So the sentence stress in English makes all the difference to the meaning of the whole sentence. The stressed word in the sentence is the one we should pay the most attention to.

Stress placement affects the whole understanding of the English language. This issue is strongly related to the rhythm of English. Getting the right word stress, sentence stress and rhythm leads to the perfect communication of your intended message.

Stressed Vowel Sounds and Weak Vowels in English

The necessary words in an English sentence are stressed more by increasing the length and clarity of the vowel sound.

In contrast, the unnecessary words are stressed less by using a shorter and less clear vowel sound. This is called a ‘weak’ vowel sound.

In fact, sometimes the vowel sound is almost inaudible. For example, the letter ‘a’ in English is often reduced to a muffled ‘uh’ sound. Grammarians call this a ‘shwa’ or /ə/.

You can hear this ‘weak’ vowel sound at the start of the words ‘about’ and ‘attack’ and at the end of the word ‘banana’. They can sound like ‘ubout’, ‘uttack’ and ‘bananuh’ when spoken by a native English speaker. The article ‘a’ as a single word is also unstressed and reduced in this way to a weak ‘uh’ sound.

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For example: ‘Is there a shop nearby?’ sounds like ‘Is there-uh shop nearby?’ This shwa can also be heard in other instances, such as in the word ‘and’ when it is used in a sentence. For example: ‘This book is for me and you’ can sound sound like ‘This book is for me un(d) you’.

The reason for this weak stress pattern in English is to help the rhythm and speed of speech. Using this weak ‘uh’ sound for the vowel ‘a’ helps the speaker get ready for the next stressed syllable by keeping the mouth and lips in a neutral position.

To pronounce the ‘a’ more clearly would require a greater opening of the mouth, which would slow the speaker down.

Stressed vowels in English - giraffes

The giraffe on the right holds its mouth and lips in a neutral position, ready to speak again – image source

As English is a stress-timed language, the regular stresses are vital for the rhythm of the language, so the vowel sounds of unstressed words in English often get ‘lost’.

In contrast, syllable-timed languages (such as Spanish) tend to work in the opposite way, stressing the vowel sounds strongly, while the consonants get ‘lost’.

Click on the highlighted text to learn more about how English word stress and sentence stress relates to the rhythm of English and intonation in English.

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What do you think about syllables and stress in English?

Do you find the syllables and stress patterns a difficult part of learning a new language?

Have you had any funny misunderstandings from stressing the wrong syllable in English? We’d love to hear your stories!

Are there any English words or sentences with odd stressed syllables or difficult stress patterns that you would like advice on?

Can you think of good way to remember or practise correct English word stress and sentence stress?

Do you have any ideas to help EFL students improve their understanding of syllables and stress?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.

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