BASIC STRESS RULES

IMPORTANT NOTE

The earlies stress patterns to predict

are those that depend on the grammatical category
to which a word belong.
 1. Verb/noun pairs with identical spellings

In those cases where there is a difference,

the VERB has stress on the SECOND of two syllables,
the NOUN has stress on the FIRST of two syllables.
EXAMPLES VERBS NOUNS
Import / - '- / / '- - /
Insult / - '- / / '- - /
Torment / - '- / / '- - /
Convert / - '- / / '- - /
Object / - '- / / '- - /
protest / - '- / / '- - /
 2. When certain suffixes are added to a word,
the stress remains in its original place on the stem.

The most productive of these suffixes are:

-ful; -able; -ible; -ly; -less; -ness
WORD PATTERN WORD PATTERN
Wonder / '- - / Wonderful / '- - - /
Spirit / '- - / Spiritless / '- - - /
Rely / - '- / Reliable / - '- - -/
Sense / '- - / Sensitive / '- - - /
Happy / '- - / Happily / '- - - /
Fruitful / '- - / Fruitfulness / '- - - /
3. Certain suffixes attract the stress to the syllable
immediately preceding them.

The most important of theses suffixes are:

– ITY; - ION; and – IC.
 3.1. Adj + - ITY noun-forming suffix:
the primary stress falls on the syllable
before the suffix.

If the Adj has 3 or more syllables,

the noun will have a secondary stress
earlier in the stem.
 ADJECTIVE PATTERN NOUN PATTERN
Curious / '- - / Curiosity / - - ‘- - - /
Solid / '- - / Solidity / - '- - - /
Solidarity / - - '- - - /
Technical / '- - - / Technicality / - - '- - - /
Rustic / '- - / Rusticity / - '- - - /
Solemn / '- - / Solemnity / - '- - - /
Sensible / '- - - / Sensibility / - - '- - - /
Visible / '- - / Visibility / - - '- - - /
Vulgar / '- - / Vulgarity / - '- - - /
Electric / - '- - / Electricity / - - '- - - /
Selective / - '- - / Selectivity / - - '- - - /
 3.2. Verb + - ATION noun-forming suffix:
the primary stress falls on the first syllable of the suffix.

If the NOUN has more than 3 syllables, it will have secondary

stress on the stem where the primary stress of the verb fell.
 VERB PATTERN NOUN PATTERN
Cultivate / '- - - / Cultivation / - - '- - /
Stratify / '- - - / Stratification / - - - '- - /
Vegetate / '- - - / Vegetation / - - '- - /
Oblige / - '- / Obligation / - - '- - /
Ornament / '- - - / Ornamentation / - - - '- - /
Solemnize / '- - - / Solemnization / - - - '- - /
Stagnate / '- - - / Stagnation / - - '- - /
Transform / - '- / Transformation / - - '- - /
Vacillate / '- - - / Vacillation / - - '- - /
 3.3. Noun + - IC/-
adjective-forming AL/- RY
suffix:
the primary stress falls
syllable before the suffix. on
If the Adj has
syllables, itmore
will than
have 3
secondary stress
the stem. earlier on
 NOUN PATTERN ADJECTIVE PATTERN
Drama / '- - / Dramatic / - ‘- - /
Dynamism / '- - - - / Dynamic / - '- - /
Monastery / '- - - - / Monastic / - '- - /
Orchestra / '- - - / Orchestral / - '- - /
President / '- - - / Presidential / - - ‘- - /
Transcendent / - '- - / Transcendental / - - ‘- - /
Ornament / '- - - / Ornamental / - - ‘- - /
Sediment / '- - - / Sedimentary / - - ‘- - - /
Stipend / '- - / Stipendiary / - ‘- - - /
 3.4. Verb in – ATE
In British English two-syllable verbs in – ATE have
their stress on the last syllable.
Other verbs in – ATE have the pattern (-) ---
 2-SYL. VERB PATTERN OTHER VERBS PATTERN

Delate / - '- / Discriminate / - '- - - /

Donate / - '- / Penetrate / '- - - /

Placate / - '- / Articulate / - '- - - /

Relate / - '- / Educate / '- - - /

Stimulate / '- - - /
 3.5. Adjective in – ATIVE
Three-syllable adjectives have stress on the first syllable.

- If they are derived from two-syllable verbs in – ATE,

this will cause a shift in the placing of the stress.
- Adj. of more than 3 syllables keep the stress
on the original syllable of the verb.
 VERB PATTERN ADJECTIVE PATTERN
Narrate / - '- / Narrative / '- - - /
Relate / - '- / Relative / '- - - /
Sedate / - '- / Sedative / '- - - /
Affirm / - '- / Affirmative / - '- - - /
Provoke / - '- / Provocative / - '- - - - /
Speculate / '- - - / Speculative / '- - - - - /
Imagine / - '- - / Imaginative / - '- - - - /
 There is a similar difference between British and American
pronunciation in words ending in –ARY, -ONY, -ORY
WORDS RP US
Secretary / 'sekrətri / / 'sekrəteri /
Testimony / 'testiməni / / 'testiməuni /
Territory / 'terətri / / 'terətƆ:ri /
Alimony / 'æliməni / / 'æliməuni /
Momentary / 'məuməntri / / 'məumənteri /
Observatory / əb’zə:vətri / / əb’zə:vətƆ:ri /