Word Stress Rules

Rules that are always true: In every multi-syllable English word there is one stressed syllable.
Rules that are often true but not always: When a multi-syllable word has a long vowel, usually this is
stressed.
Exceptions include the words 'col-league and 'su-burb.

Rule Applied to Examples

Stress on the 1st Most 2-syllable nouns 'pen-cil / 'a-pple / 'prin-ter / 'Chi-na / 'ta-ble
syllable
Most 2-syllable adjectives 'an-gry / 'fa-mous / 'cle-ver / 'clum-sy / 'ha-ppy
Stress on the 2nd Most 2-syllable verbs re-'view / de-'cide / be-'gin / o-'bey
syllable
Stress on the Words ending in: -ic / ics 'graph-ic / ge-o-'graph-ic / al-'ler-gic /
penultimate syllable
'e-thics / e-co-'no-mic / 'cla-ssic / sta-'tis-tics
nd
(2 from the end)
Words ending in: -sion so-'lu-tion / a-'dop-tion / co-'rrup-tion /
-tion
di-'scus-sion / dem-on-'stra-tion / ed-u-'ca-tion /
in-for-'ma-tion / rev-o-'lu-tion
Words ending in: ious de-'li-cious / 'con-scious / in-'fec-tious
Stress on Words ending in -cy, -ty, de-'moc-ra-cy / re-spon-si-'bil-i-ty / pho-'tog-ra-phy/
-phy and -gy
The ante-penultimate ge-'ol-o-gy / 'san-i-ty / bi-'ol-o-gy
syllable (3rd from end)
Words ending in -al 'crit-i-cal / ge-o-'log-i-cal / 'eth-i-cal /
ec-o-'nom-i-cal / 'clas-si-cal
Words ending in -ise / ize 'su-per-vise / 'or-ga-nise / 'ex-er-cise / 'ad-ver-tise /
'rec-og-nise / a-'po-lo-gize / 'crit-i-cize
Words ending in -ate com-'mu-ni-cate / 'reg-u-late / ap-'pre-ci-ate /
'cal-cu-late / 'con-cen-trate
Stress on the first Compound nouns 'class-room / 'post-office / 'air-port / 'white-board /
part
'some-one / 'sea-food / 'foot-ball
Stress on the second Compound adjectives bad-'tempered / old-'fashioned / well-'dressed /
part
easy-'going
Stress on the second Compound verbs call-'off / carry-'on / look-'up / o-ver-'flow /
part
break-'up / go-'out

Note:

Nouns 'pre-sent 'pro-gress 'im-port 'ob-ject

Verbs pre-'sent pro-'gress im-'port ob-'ject

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