Rules of Word Stress in English

There are two very simple rules about word stress:

1. One word has only one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. f you hear two
stresses! you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one word. t is true that there
can be a "secondary" stress in some words. #ut a secondary stress is much smaller than
the main $primary% stress! and is only used in long words.&
'. We can only stress vowels! not consonants.
(ere are some more! rather complicated! rules that can help you understand where to put
the stress. #ut do not rely on them too much! because there are many e)ceptions. t is better
to try to "feel" the music of the language and to add the stress naturally.
* Stress on first syllable
rule e)ample
+ost ',syllable nouns -RESent! E.port! /(na! T0ble
+ost ',syllable
ad1ectives
-RESent! S2E3der! /2E4er!
(0-py
' Stress on last syllable
rule e)ample
+ost ',syllable
verbs
to preSE3T! to e)-ORT! to de/5E! to
be63
There are many two,syllable words in English whose meaning and class change with a change
in stress. The word present! for e)ample is a two,syllable word. f we stress the first syllable! it
is a noun (gift& or an ad1ective (opposite of absent&. #ut if we stress the second syllable! it
becomes a verb (to offer&. +ore e)amples: the words e)port! import! contract and ob1ect
can all be nouns or verbs depending on whether the stress is on the first or second syllable.
7 Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate 8 second from end&
rule e)ample
Words ending in ,ic 6R0-(ic! geo6R0-(ic!
geo2O6ic
Words ending in ,sion and
,tion
tele4sion! reve20tion
9or a few words! native English spea:ers don;t always "agree" on where to put the stress. 9or
e)ample! some people say tele4sion and others say TE2evision. 0nother e)ample is:
/O3troversy and conTROversy.
< Stress on ante,penultimate syllable (ante,penultimate 8 third from end&
rule e)ample
Words ending in ,cy! ,ty! ,phy and
,gy
de+Ocracy! dependa#lity! phoTOgraphy!
geO2ogy
Words ending in ,al /Rtical! geo2O6ical
= /ompound words (words with two parts&
rule e)ample
9or compound nouns! the stress is on the first part #20/>bird! 6REE3house
9or compound ad1ectives! the stress is on the
second part
bad,TE+pered! old,
90S(ioned
9or compound verbs! the stress is on the second
part
to underST035! to
over92OW