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WORD STRESS PATTERNS

WARM-UP

Directions: Discuss the following questions with a partner:

1. Does your native language have word stress? If yes, how is it similar to or different from English word
stress?

2. Have you noticed any common word stress patterns in English?

3. What are some qualities of word stress in English?

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Outcomes

 Identify and produce the following common patterns of English word stress:
o Two-Syllable Noun Verb Pairs
o Common Suffixes
 o Compound Nouns
o Numbers

When you first learn about English word stress, you might feel like the word stress is random and
unpredictable. However, word stress frequently follows specific patterns. These patterns are based on a
variety of factors which include the origin of a word, the addition of suffixes and prefixes to the root, and
the part of speech. These patterns can help you predict word stress.

For example, words from French such as bizarre are often stressed on the final syllable – biZARRE.
Words containing the suffix -tion are usually stressed on the second to last syllable – organiZAtion. The
word record is stressed on the first syllable when it is a noun - REcord - and on the second syllable when
it is a verb - reCORD.

NOUN/VERB PAIRS

In two-syllable noun-verb pairs, the noun is typically stressed on the first syllable and the verb is stressed
on the second syllable. For example, in the following sentence containing the noun project, the word is
stressed on the first syllable – PROject.

The engineers are working on a new building PROject.

However, in the next sentence, containing the verb project, the word is stressed on the second syllable –
proJECT.

The engineers proJECT the new building will be completed by the end of this year.

Here are a few other examples which following the same pattern:

SURVEY

The psychologists conducted a SURvey of the incoming university students. (noun)

The psychologists will surVEY the incoming university students. (verb)

CONVERT

I used to think being vegetarian was crazy, but I’m now a CONvert and no longer eat meat.
(noun)

The chemist is working on a new membrane which will help conVERT carbon dioxide into a new
biofuel. (verb)

The following words follow this same pattern: conduct, conflict, contest, contract, desert, decrease, detail,
discount, export, import, incline, increase, insert, insult, invite, object, permit, produce, progress, protest,
rebel, record, refund, reject, rewrite, survey, suspect, update, and upgrade.

TIP: With noun/verb pairs, the unstressed syllable of the verb is often reduced to schwa / ə/.
EXERCISE 1: NOUN/VERB PAIRS

Directions: Listen to your instructor read each of the following words and mark if you hear the noun or the
verb.

Noun Verb

1. contract

2. decrease

3. export

4. incline

5. insert

6. object

7. record

8. reject

9. suspect

10. upgrade

Directions: Say the noun or verb form of the word to a partner. Your partner will read the corresponding
sentences that matches the word. Then, switch roles.

1. increase
a. noun: There has been a significant increase in the production of greenhouse gasses.
b. verb: The production of greenhouse gasses continues to increase.
2. conduct
a. noun: The student’s poor conduct was reported to the Dean.
b. verb: Please conduct yourself appropriately.
3. invite
a. noun: We received an invite to the president’s banquet.
b. verb: I hope they will invite us to the president’s banquet.
4. produce
a. noun: I prefer to buy my produce at local farmer’s market.
b. verb: Our experiment did not produce the expected results.
5. survey
a. noun: The survey yielded surprising results.
b. verb: The researchers plan to survey at least 1,000 participants.

Directions: Repeat the activity above but instead of using the given words, choose your own words and
have your partner respond with their own sentences.

SUFFIXES
In English, the root of a word is frequently stressed since it carries the most meaning. The stressed
syllable rarely falls on the prefix or suffix of a word with more than two syllables. For example, in the word
exPANsion, the stress falls on the root PAN not the prefix ex- or the suffix -sion. When common suffixes
are added to the end of a word, the stress frequently shifts to the syllable before the suffix. For example,
when -ity is added to the word reliable, the stress shifts from the second syllable reLIable to the syllable
before the suffix – reliaBILity.

EXERCISE 2: PREDICTING STRESS FROM SUFFIXES

Directions: Listen to your instructor say each word and circle the stressed syllable. Then, brainstorm
examples of words containing the suffixes that you frequently use. Create sentences using your example
words with a partner.

Suffix Example Your Example

-cent fluorescent
-cial/-tial artificial
-cian/-tian technician
-cious/-tious vivacious
-ctive detective
-gian Georgian
-geous/gious courageous
-ic(s) politics
-sian Russian
-sis psychoanalysis
-(s)sive passive
-tion evaluation
-al inconsequential
-icide homicide
-neous/nious extraneous
-omy anatomy
-cracy democracy
-iety society
-nian Amazonian
-rian agrarian
-crat bureaucrat
-ify diversify
-graphy oceanography
-rious illustrious
-dious studious
-ity responsibility
-grapher videographer
-ular triangular
-ia acrophobia
-lian civilian
-ology pharmacology
-uous continuous

COMPOUND NOUNS
Compound nouns, words such as whiteboard, laptop, greenhouse, and parking lot, are common in
English. New words are frequently created by combining two words together. The first word of a
compound noun has more stress than the second word. Listen to your instructor say some compound
nouns. Notice how the syllable in the first word is stronger, longer, and higher in pitch than the syllable in
the second word.

HEALTHcare

PAPERclip

FULLmoon

THEREfore

PASSport

When the first word in a compound noun has more than one syllable, stress should be applied normally to
that word. For example, the word poLICE is stressed on the second syllable, so the compound noun
stress is poLICEman. However, the first syllable is stressed in the word COMMon, so the compound noun
stress is COMM-on-place.

EXERCISE 3: COMPOUND NOUNS

Directions: Write a list of 10 compound noun items that you might shop for (e.g., toothpaste or ice
cream) or services you might need (e.g., a haircut).

Write a list of 5 places you might shop or go to for these goods or services (e.g., grocery store or hair
salon).

Have the following conversation with a partner and replace the underlined item, service, or shop with one
from your list.

A: I need to buy ice cream. Where should I go?

B: You should go to the grocery store.

B: I need to get a haircut. Where should I go?

A: You should go to the hair salon.

NUMBERS
Although the word stress of numbers follows a predictable pattern, the pattern can vary slightly depending
on the context. Here are a few rules for how to stress numbers:

1. Multiples of 10 (20, 30, 40, etc) are always stressed on the first syllable.
a. Example: We have TWENty students in the class.
2. The – teen numbers (13, 14, 15, etc.) are stressed on the first syllable when used for counting or
as an adjective.
a. Example: We have THIRteen students in the class.
3. However, when the –teen numbers are used at the end of a sentence or to clarify something, they
are stressed on the second syllable.
a. Example: I said we have thirTEEN not THIRty students in the class. The youngest
student is thirTEEN.
4. If hyphenated numbers describe a word, they are stressed on the first syllable, but if they are not
followed by another word, they are stressed on the second syllable.
a. Example: We have TWENtytwo students in the class, and the oldest student is twen-ty-
TWO.

EXERCISE 4: NUMBERS

Directions: Listen to your instructor read each of these sentences and underline the number you hear.
Then, with a partner, complete the same activity in which you read the sentences, and they select the
number they hear. Then switch roles.

1. My best friend just turned ( eighteen / eighty ).

2. We will leave at 5: ( 13 / 30).

3. No, I said ( fifteen / fifty ) not ( fifteen / fifty).

4. Our house is off of exit ( seventeen / seventy).

5. One week I ate ( nineteen / ninety ) hamburgers.

Write the numbers you hear. (See the appendix to check your answers.)

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

4. ____________________________

5. ____________________________

Write the sentences you hear. (See the appendix for the answers.)

1. _____________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________________
 3. _____________________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________________

Write your own numbers. Read your numbers to a partner. Your partner should write down what they
hear. Then, switch roles.

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

4. ____________________________

5. ____________________________

EXERCISE 5: COMMUNICATION PRACTICE

Real World Practice

Directions: Click on the following link containing data about Boulder: Boulder County Statistics. Review
the statistics. With your partner, discuss your reaction to the statistics and how the statistics compare to
your hometown/home country. Use as many of the numbers as possible in your discussion.

Academic Interactions

Directions: For 5 of the academic fields listed below, write down the other word forms which contain the
same root. After you finish, take turns describing different fields of study with your partner. Try to use as
many of the word forms as you can in your description.

Example: Electricity electrician, electric, electrical

1. History _______________________________________________________________________

2. Biology _______________________________________________________________________

3. Psychology ___________________________________________________________________

4. Economics ____________________________________________________________________

5. Chemistry _____________________________________________________________________

6. Sociology _____________________________________________________________________

7. Anatomy ______________________________________________________________________

8. Geography ____________________________________________________________________

9. Technology ___________________________________________________________________
10. Philosophy ____________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX

Write the numbers you hear. (See the appendix to check your answers.)

1. 320,705

2. 6,816,000

3. 2,818

4. 213

5. 1600

Write the sentences you hear. (See the appendix for the answers.)

1. We need 2,444 samples for our project.

2. The beef was $7.60 a pound.

3. There were 14 compositions he had to learn.

4. The president won by 20,350 votes.

5. The population of my hometown is 118,330.